Tips to Avoid the Use of Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are many and can be accessible easily. The bags are easy to use and inexpensive. Most of the establishments offer free bags to their customers. Once used and then discarded, the bags clog landfills, sewers and spoil the ecosystems. Loose bags stop plant growth, litter landscapes and harm animals. Luckily, there are some tips to avoid the use of plastic bags which can be helpful.


Though plastic bag is light in weight and, resistant, waterproof and free, there are many other characteristics of which you must be aware of:

1. The production is based on polypropylenes and polyethylene, oil-derived materials which pollute our atmosphere with CO2 emissions.
2. The deadly particles of its degradation pollute the water and ground
3. It is expected that over more than million plastic bags are used every minute around the world.

Tips to Avoid the Use of Plastic Bags

• Try to take the items by hand. If you buy very few items, do not use the bag and carry them in your hands. If you shop with family, or friends, let everyone carry an item to the car.
• Ask for the purchases not to be double-bagged and persuade the sales clerk to place extra items into every bag. Such step will lower the use of plastic bags per shopping trip.
• Throw a few string bags or canvas in your purse or car. When shopping, use them instead of plastic bags. Reusable bags are accessible in different colors, styles and sizes. Search a bag of your choice which you can carry and make sure that you never forget it when you go shopping.
• Items such as milk and cat litter usually come in containers with built in handles. Use these handles to transport the purchases instead of resorting to plastic bags.

Some Basic Tips to Avoid Plastic

• Do Some Baking: Most of the baked goods which usually come packed in plastic can be made easily available at home. Products like cookies and bread can be a good example. Bread makers turn baking bread as an easy task and are simple to search at local thrift stores and garage sales.
• Clean the Plastic: You must clean the waste plastic glasses, aluminum and plastic containers before you send it to the recycling house.
• Always Carry a Reusable Water Bottle: Most of the time you can feel thirsty, so ensure to carry a reusable water bottle with you. Never forget that Nalgene bottles are made of polycarbonate, which is a type of plastic and is likely to have many adverse health effects.
• Children can Make Stuff with Plastic: Include small children in art and craft activities where they can show their creative skills by reusing or discovering new things with waste plastic items. It can come out to be an interesting way to activate children’s power of creativity and engage them in fun activities.

By all these simple yet effective tips to avoid the use of plastic bags, you can really contribute to make a healthy environment and save a lot of money.

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No More Plastic Bags – Great Alternatives

Tips on How to Eliminate Plastic Bag Usage in the Home

Responsible, environmentally aware people prefer not to use polyethylene bags in the home, but what alternatives to plastic bags are available for consumers?

Plastic Bags: They are cheap, they are convenient and they are deadly. All over the world, responsible, environmentally-minded people are urging their governments, at all levels, to reduce the use of polyethylene bags or even ban the use of plastic bags completely. Many cities, towns and municipalities are responding to this grass-roots pressure by:

• Banning polyethylene bags altogether
• Levying a tax on polyethylene bags
• Charging consumers for use of plastic bags at the cash-register
• Providing consumers with incentives to use alternatives to, or to recycle plastic bags
• Offering low-priced cloth-bags at the cash-register

Countries Where Plastic Bags are Banned or Heavily Taxed:

• Paris (Whole of France by the end of 2010)
• Uganda
• Ireland
• China
• Bangladesh
• Parts of the UK
• Taiwan
• Kenya
• South Africa
• Italy
• India
• Australia

Other countries, including Canada and many parts of the United States are currently working on full or partial bans of plastic bags. Even in cities and towns where bans, levies and incentives are not yet in place, savvy consumers are turning their backs on polyethylene products and choosing more environmentally responsible alternatives.

Why Should Plastic Bags be Banned?

According to the San Francisco Department of the Environment, Worldwatch Institute, four to five trillion non-degradable plastic bags are in use worldwide every year. To put these numbers in perspective, it takes 430,000 gallons of oil to produce a mere 100 million non-degradable plastic bags.

The Toll of Plastic Bags on Marine Mammals

If those figures aren't shocking enough, consider that plastic bags kill, at a conservative estimate, a minimum of 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles every year. When marine mammals ingest plastic bags which they have confused with jelly fish and other food forms, choking results or even worse the animal's intestines become blocked and they suffer a slow, cruel, and 100% preventable death.

Plastic Bags as Trash Bin Liners: Do Alternatives Exist?

Many people who have cut down on their plastic bag usage in the home still find themselves using polyethylene to line garbage containers and kitchen trash bins. There are many alternatives to using plastic bags for these purposes, but a little effort is needed of one is determined to make a difference:

• Reuse
• Reduce
• Recycle
• Compost

To begin with, every home should have a compost. There are worm composting systems for apartment dwellers that fit easily under the sink or on balconies, so those who don't live in a house with a yard no longer have a valid excuse for not composting.
Most cities and towns have recycling at the curb programs and yet many people continue to throw recyclables into the trash. Take a little extra time to know what materials can be recycled where you live.
By reusing, reducing, recycling, and composting, people will greatly decrease the amount of garbage produced per household each year. For items that must be thrown out, use environmentally-friendly alternatives to plastic.

Alternatives to Plastic Bags for Shopping:

With a little planning, it is possible to visit the shops and never use plastic bags. Shoppers should store keep reusable bags in their cars, in bike carriers and purses so they never find themselves in a position where they are forced to use polyethylene. Should this happen, ask for paper bags at the check-out. The following is a list of some easily available plastic bag alternatives:

• Cloth bags
• Hemp bags
• Nylon bags
• Baskets
• Pushcarts/walkers
• Backpacks

In the end, it is up to the consumer to make environmentally responsible decisions. With a little thought and minimal effort, it is possible to eliminate the use of plastic bags in the home.  

Say No to Plastic Bags

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10 Alternatives to Plastic Bags

Some of the ill effects of plastics are:

• Plastic bags kill at least 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles every year.
• It takes almost 1000 years for plastics to decay and mix with soil.
• Plastics with a thickness less than 35 microns are the most harmful ones to the nature. They are mostly dished out by the retailers and take away food outlets.
• Food is not safe in these and is prone to cross contamination.

The various other alternatives:

1. Use biodegradable bags made from fabrics.
2. Ladies can fold a cotton bag or two in to their purses which can be used to quench their sudden urge for shopping.
3. Nylon bags can be used and reused several times.
4. Donate old news papers and magazines to small scale institutes that cut these old papers in to paper bags and packets.
5. Use a wicker basket. (They can make a fashion statement today.)
6. Educate the local retailers on the ill effects of use of plastics.
7. Insist your local retailers to use plastic bags of thicker variety if at all he has to use.
8. Offices can distribute canvas bags as New Year gifts instead of diaries and other sweet nothings.
9. Better still buy a foldable shopping trolley. When you can buy a stroller for your new born this is not impossible you see.
10. The common man is already burdened with spiraling prices, so I don’t wish to suggest to the government to impose a plast-tax. Mere ban will fail, as it has in the previous.

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Ten Tips for Avoiding Plastic

Plastic is everywhere. It’s used in our shoes, for packaging our food, in our appliances, and in hospitals, restaurants, and gas stations. Plastic, if anything, makes the world go round. In fact, it is because of plastic that we are able to communicate across the globe, either with the internet or with cell phones. As we know, however, plastic s can contain hazardous chemicals that leach into water supplies. Also, the over use of plastic has generated an enormous amount of waste, actually creating a plastic island in the pacific.
Many see scouring the ocean an impossible task; we would kill far too many sea creatures, and there is simply too much plastic. However, stopping the plastic at its source is still an option. We as consumer must say no to the ‘throw away’ mentality. Here are a few tips for cutting your plastic use, and lessening the burden on our oceans and rivers.

1. Reusable Bags at the Store:

First  on the list, reusable bags are in the spotlight. Whenever you go to grocery story, whether its once or twice a month, chances are you use about 15-25 plastic bags. Just imagine the hundreds of people seen every day, all using that same amount; we’re talking thousands upon thousands of plastic bags.
To beat this, reusable bags are a necessity.cotton,nylon bags are alternatives..

2. Reusable Bags in the Home:

Chances are, you’ve already got a ton of these little baggies around the house. First, check with your local waste management service to see if it’s recyclable. Otherwise, reuse them in the home! They can double as small trash bags for the bathroom or waste baskets around the house, and they can even be used as a shipping stuffer instead of peanuts!

3. Get a Water Filter:

If you want to be plastic conscious and reduce your impact, stop drinking bottled water. Billions of these bottles are in the ocean already, and the number will continue to grow until the demand is gone. So go get a water filter! They’re cheap, easy to use, and use a fraction of the plastic for the same job.

4. Carry a Reusable Water Bottle:

Clearly related to the last one, getting a water bottle is essential for your day-to-day needs. Whether you use it for water, tea, or juice, having a reusable bottle helps cut down on plastic use tremendously.

5. Avoid Soda and Plastic Bottled Beverages:

Besides being filled with sugar and containing no real nutritional values, soda also demands a massive supply of plastic for its packaging. Altogether, this combination is bad; it pollutes the earth, it pollutes our bodies. Avoid it at all costs.

6. Buy in Big Quantities:

When you have to buy things packaged in plastic, buy bulk. Usually, this will mean fewer and smaller packages, and overall less plastic waste.

7. Avoid plastic wrapped Food:

Instead of going to your cheese, meat, or bread isle, visit the bakery and deli. There, they have paper wrapped foods. Get milk from the carton instead of the jug, and look for chips that come in paper products. By declining to buy plastic wrapped eggs, cheese, meats, and dairies, you can cut a huge chunk of plastic out of your daily use.

8. Avoid Plastic Products:

In general, avoid plastic products altogether – whether they are food or not. Always opt for the product wrapped in cardboard or paper. Also, be conscious of how your getting rid of your old plastic products! Things like e-waste can be just as bad as a plastic island.

9. Use Tupperware:

So, yes, this is a plastic, but if it means you’ll never buy lunch outside your home, it’s a good investment. One set will do, no need for 100 alternate containers. Bring these with you to work and prevent yourself from buying plastic wrapped foods or goodies.

10. Recycle:

This is a must if you use plastic. Only 5 percent of the worlds plastics are recycled, partially because the difficulty it poses in recycling. Demand technology investments, recycle your products, reduce your use.

Try these few tips out on your day-to-day and prepare to bust your plastic use!

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