Paper or plastic? Neither, bring your own bag.
In January approximately 42 billion plastic bags were used worldwide. A vast majority of plastic bags are not reused and they end up blowing down city streets, getting tangled in the stomachs of marine animals or are buried in landfills where they persist for as long as 400 to 1,000 years.
Many cities and countries around the world are implementing programs to end the single-use plastic bag habit.
Ireland and Germany tax plastic bags; customers who want them must pay for them at the register.
Bangladesh and some African nations have sought to ban them.
Australia and China are fazing them out.
San Francisco's large markets and pharmacies can no longer hand out plastic bags but will have the option of using compostable bags made of corn starch or bags made of recyclable paper.
New York City's large stores and retail chains will collect and recycle plastic bags they give to shoppers.
It's not just plastic bags that are the culprit. Making a paper bag emits 70% more global warming gases than making a plastic bag and paper bags don't biograde in landfills due to the lack of oxygen. Cities spend up to 17 cents per bag in disposal costs-and by cities I mean your tax dollars.
We believe reducing the number of single-use bags in our environment will make a difference. We believe reusing existing bags is a good thing. We believe recycling of plastic bags should be available in the Twin Cities.
