Reusable shopping bags in Canada supermarkets are often preferred over plastic bags by all. There are many types of reusable bags like custom jute bags, canvas tote bags, non-woven bags, etc. Such bags can be useful for the purpose of shopping at a supermarket or any other kind of shopping. It can also store in a vehicle for reuse later. These bags are easy to wash and use on family outings as well for picnic food, etc.
Here are a few facts and statistics on plastic bags which will make you change your decision about using them:
- It takes more than 500 years for a plastic bag to decompose; even after which it will not completely break down; hence, it will continue to pollute the environment.
- Petroleum products are useful to make plastic bags, which are nonrenewable resources.
- Plastic bags use up a lot of natural resources; one can easily travel a mile in the same amount of resources it takes to make 14 plastic bags.
- A large number of marine animals are killed with disposed of plastic bags every year.
- Barely 2% of the people using plastic bags like to recycle them.
- There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean.
- Shoppers worldwide use approximately 500 billion single-use plastic bags per year.
- Approximately 1 million sea birds also die from plastic.
- Floods in Bangladesh in 1998 were worst due to severe plastic bags clogging drains.
- 13,000-15,000 pieces of plastic bags are dumped into the ocean every day, worldwide.
- 4 million Tones of plastic is dumped into the ocean every year.
- There are more than 200 dead zones in the ocean where no life form can grow on account of the pollutant; mainly plastic.
Advantages of using reusable shopping bags in Canada
- Save Money: It is cheaper to use reusable plastic bags as compared to plastic bags since more number of stores are now beginning to impose an extra charge for the use of plastic bags. Thus, by opting for a reusable plastic bag you are saving money every time you shop which can amount to a lot in the long run.
- Conserve Resources: Manufacturing of plastic bags is done using valuable resources like crude oil and natural gas; besides which it is also necessary to make use of fossil fuel to ship it.
- Prevent clutter in the house: Plastic bags once used may be placed in the bin or kept in storage for reuse. Everyone that uses plastic bags find themselves with a big clutter of plastic periodically. This often can be too much for a house or workspace to handle. For example, those who frequent the shops weekly and use plastic bags will have quite a clutter in their house and car. They take up extra space and can potentially cause more stress in people. On the other hand, making use of reusable bags means you only have a handful of bags to worry about and maintain, thus avoiding clutter.
- Reliable: A reusable bag is more reliable as compared to a plastic bag. It can carry more weight and does not tear easily. It often happens while using plastic bags that you may require multiple plastic bags just because it weighs too much, or need to make multiple trips because it cannot fit a lot of items. A reusable bag is a perfect solution to all such issues, besides which it can be useful for other things as well besides groceries.
- Eco-friendly: Plastic bags are not good for the environment since they are not biodegradable; it costs a great deal of taxpayers’ money for the cleanup cost. The plastic bags we use often find their way on to the street; clog the waterways and drainage systems.
