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BYOB-Bring Your Own Bag

1/25/2021

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Today I want to talk about reusable shopping bags and why you should consider using them for all your shopping and other out on the town needs.  

If you search the great wide world of the internet you will find a lot of conflicting research done about the damage of single use plastic bags in the environment.  Some people will say with compelling facts and figures that plastic bags are less harmful than paper bags or other reusable products.  Others will say the exact opposite and use similar or even the same facts and figures to prove their point.

I say this because I honestly don’t know which version of the argument has more merit.  What I do know or at least have some degree of confidence in is the following,

  • It is estimated that 5 trillion plastic bags are made worldwide with the USA contributing around 100 billion to that number.  The USA alone uses 12 billion barrels of oil to create its bags.
 
  • Most bags are used for only a little bit of time, some estimates put it as low as 12 minutes.
 
  • They take a long time to break down and even then they are still causing microplastic pollution problems. 
 
  • Plastic bags can be recycled but the recycling rate is very low.  According to the EPA plastic containers and packaging is recycled at a rate of 13% by weight.  Recycling plastic also has the downside of reducing its quality making it less and less useful each time it is recycled.
 
  • Real plant based( ie soy/corn) plastics are coming but so far the ones that are common cannot be easily composted in your backyard so calling them compostable is a bit of stretch.  


Where does this leave me?    
  
What I know leaves me with the personal opinion that disposable plastic bags despite what some people say are worse for the environment than reusable or compostable bags.  The facts that really sway me to the reusable bag side of the argument is the time of use and time that the bag sticks around for after its useful like is done.  If you only use something for 12 minutes and then throw it in the garbage where it sits for the next 500 years that to me is much more damning than the reusable alternative.  

The Bag

Now that I have got my philosophizing out of the way I can get to the matter at hand and tell you more about the bags I sell in The Sustainable Like Shop.  



Specifications

  • Width- 21 inches
  • Height- 16 tall (not including handles)
  • Gusseted Bottom- 6 inches wide


What I like about the bags

There are a couple of things about the bag that I really like.  One is its overall size and construction style.  It’s big enough to hold a lot of things be they groceries, books, or supplies for a day at the beach.  The handles are also integrated with the rest of the bag which eliminates one of the common points of failure on many reusable cloth bags.  It also has a gusseted bottom which allows for easier filling and can let it stand up when full.  This bag is also very light and can collapse down very small which makes for easier storage at home and in the pocket when heading to the store




What I don’t like about the bags

Probably the biggest thing I don’t like about the bags is that they are made of a synthetic fiber and not natural fiber  While this is a durable and long-lasting fiber it is not ultimately very compostable when it’s useful like is done.  However, since I will get lots of use out of this bag it is still better than disposable bags since it will get many uses by the end of its life.  


Final Thoughts 

The main takeaway I have for you on this subject is that you should always use a reusable bag whenever it is possible.  By almost any reasonable assessment something you use for a long time is always better for the planet than something you only use for a little bit.  Using a cloth bag like the ones I sell here are an important and easy step to living a more sustainable like into the future. 

​Sources:

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2020-11/documents/2018_ff_fact_sheet.pdf

​

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    Hello my name is Josh Larson and I am the creator of the Green Living Library.  Here on the blog you will find updates to content found in the Green Living Library as well as stories from those living the sustainable life already.  

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