Should you bag it in plastic? It’s a bit more complicated than you may think. Recently, New York state has enacted a plastic bag ban. New York news stations such as CBS have since been showing local frustrations with the ban. When faced with climate change, also known as the end of humanity as we know it, the fragility of paper bags should be the least of our concerns.
In the U.S., only eight states have enacted plastic bag bans. The bans do have certain loopholes and some leeway, but they essentially forbid establishments from using plastic bags for their merchandise and often require them to charge for a paper bag.
It is estimated that 100 billion plastic bags are thrown out each year in the United States, and the environmental impact is scary. The most evident consequence of plastic bags is its negative effect on marine life, especially in the form of microplastics. Not only does the afterlife of these bags have a huge impact, but so does their production.
Despite this, paper is not always the answer. In fact, paper bags may have a worse environmental impact. Studies show that a paper bag needs to be used three times to equate the environmental impact of one plastic bag. For a cloth bag, it needs to be used 131 times. If you bring a cloth bag every time you shop, this number can be quickly achieved. It’s important to consider the environmental impacts of each item, but creating a shift in the throwaway culture and the linear economy we have created is, to me, much more important than the convenience of plastic.
But wait, before you go buy a reusable grocery bag, understand that the best way to create the least environmental impact is to make one out of something that would have gone into the garbage.
Possibly the easiest do-it-yourself ever is making a reusable tote out of an old t-shirt. First, lay your t-shirt flat. Cut vertical slits across the bottom of the shirt, making a fringe, each strip about two to three inches long by a half inch wide. Tie each piece of fringe to the matching piece on the opposite side. If you would rather sew the bottom of the t-shirt, that works too. Next, cut off the sleeves and the collar. That’s literally it.
The hardest part about using reusable bags is remembering them. I advise keeping one in your car, backpack or purse, or hanging them in plain sight so that you remember them whenever you are about to run errands.
Making small changes like this is ridiculously easy, and every little thing adds up. Hopefully, with the increase in plastic bag bans, more people will find ways to reuse what they already have and prevent more waste from polluting our earth.