Get Informed Too Much Baggage?

By Taja Allen

It’s true everyone has baggage but some have more than others. Do you have too much plastic baggage? Every time you go to the store you obtain more and more plastic baggage. Yes, it seems harmless but it really isn’t.

Besides the obvious negative effects of plastic bags like litter, there are other major negative effects: Plastic bags kill animals and they are non-biodegradable.

Yes, inanimate objects like plastic bags can kill animals; approximately 100,000 animals die annually from ingesting plastic bags(Putatunda). Many aquatic animals (dolphins, sea turtles, and whales) fall victim to plastic bags. To humans it’s obvious that plastic bags are nothing more but something to carry their groceries in, but to animals plastic bags look like their next meal. The sad fact is even after the animal dies the plastic bag still lives on to claim another victim. Plastic bags are non-biodegradable. They take around 1,000 years to decompose(Putatunda). This leaves one question, “What can be done about this plastic baggage epidemic? “

Canvas bags are great alternatives to plastic bags. They help you eliminate your baggage and help out the environment at the same time. They come in all different shapes, designs, and colors. Most retail stores now sell canvas bags. Also, many stores like the Organic Depot and Farm Fresh give you a five cents credit for every plastic/canvas bag filled. If you feel like you don’t want to let go of all of your plastic baggage just yet there’s an option for you too. Although most local recycling companies do not accept plastic bags, some grocery stores do. Farm Fresh accepts used plastic bags regardless of where you got them. This essentially means you could shop at Wal-Mart, K-mart, Forever 21, Dicks Sporting Goods, and anywhere else and still turn them in to Farm Fresh.

So go on now, be baggage free.

Taja Allen

sources:Putatunda, Rita. Environmental Pollution: The Harmful Effects of Plastic Bags Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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