Plastic bags need to go

Only 6 more days until Earth Day! Along with the celebration of the earth, it is important to talk about how we can keep the earth healthy. One of the biggest pollution issues today is plastic bags. They are given out at thousands of grocery stores, markets, restaurants, etc. around the globe. Not only can they suffocate plants, but they also look like jelly fish when they float around in the ocean (see blog post about plastic bags to learn more). Below are the countries/states that have banned the use of plastic bags:

In the U.S., only 2 states (CA and HI) have banned plastic bags on a statewide level

  • 4 U.S. states (DE, ME, RI, NY) have mandatory recycling or reuse programs in place

  • 10 U.S. states (AZ, FL, IA, ID, IN, MI, MN, MO, MS, WI) have places preemptive bans on banning plastic bags.

  • ~200 U.S. municipalities have banned or taxed plastic bags; outcomes have been largely positive, including:

    • San Jose, CA: Reduction of plastic bags in storm drains (89%), rivers (60%), and residential areas (59%); average # of bags per person reduced from 3 to 0.3.

    • San Francisco, CA: Savings of up to $600k per year in plastic processing fees.

    • Seattle, WA: Reduction of plastic bags in both residential (48%) and commercial (76%) waste.

  • Globally, plastic bags are banned in 32 countries, 18 of which are in Africa

(Statistics from https://www.reusethisbag.com/articles/where-are-plastic-bags-banned-around-the-world/)

If your town, state, or country has not taken action, here is what you can do:

  1. Look for online petitions to sign that support the ban

  2. Make your own petitions for your town or local stores to sign

  3. Go to local shop owners and talk to them about the issue

  4. Educate others on how toxic these pieces of plastic can be

  5. Do not allow people too give you plastic bags (so bring your own bags to grocery stores and try to turn down plastic bags when you have a chance)

XOXO, LBW

Kate and Haley Coral