Sun, June 06, 2010 - 10:30:40

California Legslators Mandate B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bag)

Wednesday, in a big win for the green movement, lawmakers in California passed legislation banning the use of disposable plastic bags in pharmacies, supermarkets, convenience stores, and other retail establishments, in hopes that encouraging the use of “B.Y.O.B.” reusable bags would make a significant difference in the health of the environment.  It made us wonder how many of those little bags each of use every day without even noticing it—and what we found out was astounding.

According to PlanetGreen.com, every five seconds, 60 thousand plastic bags are used in the United States alone.  Over the course of a year, those little plastic bags add up to more than 500 billion worldwide—with some environmentalists estimating numbers as high as 1 trillion.  In other words, something as seemingly insignificant as a plastic bag can have a huge—and lasting—impact.  And by making one nearly effortless change, each of us can harness the power of small to change the world.

Don’t believe us?  Here are a few more surprising facts from Planet Green about the big impact those throw-away bags have:

• Each year 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags floating in the ocean.
• Every one of the 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags that end up in landfills annually takes 400-1000 years to decompose.
• For every pound of plankton in some parts of the ocean, there are as many as six pounds of plastic bags.

While Californians will still have the option of a disposable paper bag at the checkout counter, the soon-to-be mandated five cent fee to use them is likely to persuade many shoppers to swap paper and plastic for reusable cloth bags.  But, for those people who don’t live in California, you don’t have to wait for it to become a law to make the simple switch. So, get small and get going!  In this instance, we think Mother Nature will be glad you did.

Posted by Linda and Robin