Capilano University
Reusable Shopping
Bags
Why we should use them?
Melissa Cormier
English 100 06
Tim Acton
When going to the grocery store what do you automatically think of? We bring a shopping list, a
quarter for the grocery cart and maybe some in-store coupons. Most of us even try our best to
remember our re-useable grocery bags. I know I pat myself on the back when I remember mine. It is
becoming more and more common in Canada for stores to charge the consumer for plastic bags. Plastic
bags have been around for about forty years, 1970 was when they first came into production. Today,
we are using 500 million to 1 trillion plastic bags worldwide each year (National Geographic). What
happens to these bags? How can this be good for our environment? Re-useable bags are the solution to
this dilemma. Some countries have taken drastic measures to reduce their usage of plastic bags. People
should bring their own bags to grocery stores. Stores should charge customers if they require plastic
bags.
Plastic bags have many negative effects on our environment. They kill tens of thousands of sea
creatures and birds each year. When floating in water, a plastic bag can look like a jellyfish to
unsuspecting sea animals. Plastic bags cannot be digested by animals so they end up sitting in their
intestines and results in the death of these the poor animals. There are multiple cases of huge whales
being found dead on different beaches, where autopsies meters and meters of plastic garbage is found
in their guts (Williams). What a painful way to die. It takes an estimated one thousand years for a single
plastic shopping bag to decompose when either taken to the landfill or just left as litter on the street.
Once the plastic is digested by an animal or bird, it kills them. The plastic is still there when the body has
decomposed, resulting in another unfortunate bird or animal that ingests the bag leading to the same
fate as the animal before it.
Many countries are either putting levies or taxes on the use of plastic bags or else banning them
altogether with stiff penalties if countries disobey. Two countries which have imposed levies are
Ireland and New Zealand. Ireland was the first European country to introduce the tax. In May 2002,
stores began to charge $0.15 for the use of plastic shopping bags. In July 2007, that tax was increased to
$0.22. Since introducing the levy, Ireland has seen a 90% decrease in the use of plastic shopping bags.
New Zealand introduced their levy in March 2009. The tax was $0.10 per plastic bag and reduced the
use of plastic bags by 80% in some of New Zealand’s major stores. Other countries and major cities have
taken more extreme action against the use plastic bags. Bangladesh, South Africa, Zanzibar, Kenya,
Uganda, India, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and China are examples. Bangladesh banned plastic
bags in its capital city. Plastic bags are said to be the cause of some major floods which the city has to
endure where they blocked sewage lines preventing drainage (edie). In March 2002, the ban on the
plastic bag began. Four countries in Africa have banned plastic shopping bags, South Africa, Zanzibar,
Kenya and Uganda. In South Africa if retailers disobey this ban, they are faced with strict penalties.
They could be fined to a maximum of $13,800 or even receive a jail sentence of up to ten years. In
August 2003, it was India’s turn to ban the plastic bag; it started in a city in northern India. The ban was
brought in for the same reason as in Bangladesh, a flood. It was thought that plastic bags were the
cause of death for some foraging cows in the area. By September 2005 the ban expanded to more cities
in India. China went for a full ban of cheap plastic bags in June 2008, just in time for the country to host
the summer Olympics. It was thought that China began their ban to prove to the world that they were
concerned about the environment after being cast in a negative light in months leading up to the
Olympics. Some European countries quit supplying plastic bags in stores without any legislation from
their governments. Countries like Germany, Denmark and Switzerland are examples of countries which
do not use plastic bags anymore. Closest to home is San Francisco in the USA; they have banned the
plastic shopping bag. We hear about it all the time, we need to be greener. To Canadians and even
more so Vancouverites, the environment seems like a major concern, so why have plastic bags not been
banned in our country? Some stores have more recently started to charge $0.05 for the use plastic bags
but it is very inconsistent, and it seems Canadians are not happy with it.
Some critics argue that there can be potential health risk when using reusable bags. A study was
funded by the Environment and Plastics Industry and Council to see if reusable shopping bags “’could
pose a significant risk to the safety of the food supply’, due to the presence of bacteria, mold and yeast
on tested bags” (resource recycling 52). Some interesting finding came from the research:

64 percent (16 of 25) of the reusable bags showed at least some level of bacterial contamination

Almost 30 percent (7 bags) had bacterial counts considered unsafe for drinking water

Six of the bags tested positive for mold

An unacceptable total coli form- fecal bacteria- count was found in three of the bags tested

In one small piece of positive news from the study, e coli and salmonella were not found on any
of the samples

All most all unused bags ... were untainted by bacteria, mold or yeast. (Resource recycling 52)
These are pretty startling facts but we need to really think about them. We must also be smart with how
we are using our reusable bags. They need to be washed on a regular basis. Meat should not be put
directly into a reusable bag, as it can leak, contaminating the reusable bag. Resource Recycling suggests
to “treat our reusable bags like a cutting board, cleaning the bags before re-use ... turning them inside-
out and letting them air dry” (52).
Reusable shopping bags are everywhere. In most stores you need to purchase them, but a few
stores, like Lululemon your product automatically gets put in a nice sturdy reusable shopping bag. Even
the Capilano University gives away reusable bags when purchasing books. Most retailers sell reusable
bags for consumers to purchase. The price ranges from $0.99 to around $3.00. One can also purchase
more insulated reusable bags which can be used to keep food cold until they get home to the fridge or
freezer. Some grocery stores are also doing promotions to encourage their customers to bring in their
own bags. Save-On Foods and Pricesmart Foods offer reward points, which you collect on all purchases
and can use to get savings on food or merchandise from their reward catalogue. Safeway offers Airmiles
for customers who bring in their reusable bags. When the bags were first being introduced to the
public, grocery stores were offering different promotions, like spending a certain dollar amount meant
receiving a reusable shopping bag for free. A promotion similar to this was recently offered at a store in
Smithers, B.C. ”Just recently Safeway held a promotion where customers would receive a cloth bag for
every $25 spent and the company wasn't prepared for the success” (Gaining Acceptance). BC Liquor
stores have also done promotions in the past where if you purchase a bottle of wine, they give you a
reusable bag with room for up to six wine bottles. Reusable shopping bags are a lot more durable than
the traditional plastic ones. Plastic bags are just not built to be able to hold heavy item, such as canned
goods. Most reusable bags are made out of polypropylene, which is a type of plastic that can be
recycled. It is also the type of plastic which is commonly made for food container (Wikipedia).
In the years to come, we will begin to see more and more countries banning plastic bags.
Hopefully one day the plastic bag will no longer exist. Many countries have already taken the initiative
to ban the bag plastic. How can other countries not follow? When plastic bags are littered, it causes
major damage to our environment as well as animals. Even if it feels like a small thing, saying no to
plastic can make a difference. Keep your reusable bags where they are convenient and where you will
remember to bring them to the store with you. It is a small investment to purchase a few reusable
bags. Keep them in your car and use them whenever possible, it can make a difference.
“About Plastic Bag Reduction.” Planetark.net. Planet Ark. 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2011
“Bangledesh to Ban Plastic Bags in Capital City.” Edie.net. Faversham House
Group. 2011 Web. 1 Apr. 2011.
Orr, Cameron. "Cloth Bag Gaining Acceptance." Smithers Interior News [Smithers, British
Columbia] 21 Apr. 2010: 23. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.
“Polypropylene” Wikipedia.com Wikimedia. 2011.Web. 5 April. 2011.
“Reusable Bags.” Greenlivingtips.com. Green Living Tips. 2011. Web. 23 Mar.2011.
“Resuable Bags a Health Risk?” Resource Recycling 28.6 (2009): 52. Print.
Roach, John. “Are Plastic Grocery Bags Sacking the Environment?”
Nationalgepgraphic.com. National Geographic Society.1997. Web. 1 Apr. 2011.
Williams, Caroline. "Battle of the Bag." New Scientist 183.2464 (2004): 30-33.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.