Pledge #2: Always bring my own shopping bags and never accept new plastic or paper bags
What would this pledge entail changing in your life?
By taking this pledge, you will promise to minimize the number of new plastic and paper bags used for shopping. Instead of
accepting either a new paper or plastic bag at the store, reuse old paper shopping bags or use reusable cloth or plastic bags.
What would the impact be for the world if EVERYONE were to make this change?
It has been estimated that over 500 billion plastic bags are consumed worldwide per year. Americans consume 14 billion plastic
bags and 10 billion paper bags for groceries alone. Around 12 million barrels of oil are used to make plastic bags. Plastic bags also
are dangerous for wildlife, accounting for an estimated 100,000 deaths of marine animals. Depending on local policies, plastic
bags often contaminate the solid recycling waste streams.
What are some ways to facilitate this change?
Keep a small, reusable bag with you when you go shopping. Many grocery stores offer a small discount for bringing your own
shopping bag.
What else is there to know?
A recent life-cycle energy analysis of paper vs. plastic bags have shown that plastic bags are more energy efficient than paper.
This is partly because paper bags are made of virgin timber for strength.
San Francisco had considered taxing plastic grocery bags at a rate of 17 cents per bag to account for revenue lost due to
contamination of recycling by plastic bags. Similar taxes have been instituted in Ireland to great effect, reducing plastic bag use by
90%.
Where did this information come from?
http://www.myownbag.com/activism.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/09/0902_030902_plasticbags_2.html
http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php?id=7
ENERGY TO PRODUCE BAG ORIGINALLY(BTUs)
Safeway Plastic Bags: 594 BTUs = .174 kW/h
Safeway Paper Bags: 2511 BTUs = .73 kW/h
(Source: 1989 Plastic Recycling Directory, Society of Plastics Industry.)
Assuming the average individual uses 10 paper bags, 20 plastic bags weekly
Plastic: 14 billion bags/year, 12,000,000 barrels oil/year
Paper: 10 billion bags/year, 14 million trees cut down per year
$$ For
Enviro
Toxic
Non
Energy Trees Water Clean-up
Change in Eco
Emissions Material Biodegradable
Saved Saved Saved Saved Oil Saved
Footprint
Unquantifiable Saved
Saved Material Saved
Pledge (kWh/yr) (#/yr) (Ga/yr) ($$/yr) (Barrels/yr) (Acres/person)
Benefits
(lbs/yr)
(lbs/yr)
(lbs/yr)
Paper
382
0.73
Plastic
90.5
.89
animals