Recycling plastic bags not the answer
I've seen and heard about the plastic bag recycling collections going on at local supermarkets and some of the big box stores lately. It seems like such a great idea, just bring your bags back and they'll take care of them, no need to worry about dragging those reusable bags around.Well, this slideshow from the Pocono Record does a great job reminding us that reusable bags are still the way to go.
- Less than 1% of plastic bags are recycled each year and it costs more to recycle a plastic bag than to make a new one.
- According to San Francisco's Department on the Environment, it costs $4,000 to process and recycle one ton of plastic bags, which can then be sold for $32.
- Plastic bags account for more than 10% of debris washed up on the U.S. coastline, according to the National Marine Debris Monitoring Programming.
See the entire slideshow for a reminder of the havoc on wildlife that plastic bags can wreak. What you can do about it? Answer is simple, use those reusable bags!
Thanks to Earth Friendly Shopping for the link!
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