In my efforts to become greener, I have recently stopped using plastic bags.  I now carry canvas totes every where I go.  Plastic bags are convenient, but at what cost.  Here are some facts that I have come upon in my search to become greener .

1.  Currently our planet uses almost 1 million plastic bags per minute that amounts to 500,000,000,000 (that’s a lot of zeros!) plastic bags annually.

2.  4 out of 5 plastic bags used are grocery bags and are used only once.  These bags are made of high-density polyethylene and will stay on our planet for up to 1,000 years.

3.  In 2002 Ireland passed a plastic bag tax that reduced consumption of plastic bags by 90%.  Before the tax was enacted, 1.2 billion disposable plastic bags or 316 per person were used in Ireland.

4.  The US goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags a year and it takes an estimated 12 million barrels of oil to make these bags.

5.  Plastic bags cause over 100,000 marine animal deaths every year when these animals mistake them for food.

6.   In only 4 trips to the grocery store, the average family will accumulate 60 plastic bags.

7.  Nearly 80% of the plastic trash in the US comes from bags and packaging and only 3.2% is recycled.

8.  Each reusable bag you use has the potential to eliminate an average of 1,000 plastic bags over its lifetime.

I believe that we need to start taking better care of our planet.  A good way to start is to stop using plastic bags and if we do happen to get a plastic bag recycle it.