It is always great news to hear that corporations large and small, are doing whatever they can to make a difference to our planet and the environment we all live in. Actually it is even better when those companies are small companies, highlighting the fact that it does not take a lot of money, nor resources to do what we can to help the situation.
If we look around society today we can clearly see the numerous ways in which people abuse our environment. Every day we see more and more people conducting business and their personal lives in such a way that is detrimental to our environment, and this is even more reason for the other, more responsible and caring people, do what they can to combat that negative impact.
One of the latest concerns to hit the world stage is the use of “plastic shopping bags” as opposed to environmentally friendly, reusable bags. The effect these plastic shopping bags has on our environment is tremendous, and we need to be doing everything we can to replace this habit with something less harmful.
As reported prviously, the use of natural fiber in the production process of reusable shopping bags is a great benefit to our environment. We now see supermarkets and grocery stores, removing plastic bags altogether from their stores in favour of fabric bags that can be used over and over again by shoppers. There are also stores that have not gone to this extent yet, but instead are imposing tarrifs on the use of the plastic shopping bags. These can range from 5 cents to 20 cents per bag, and the idea is to discourage shoppers from using them.
It is about time we all realised the importance of protecting our waterways, and our parks, landfill, etc. Every day there is clear evidence of these plastic shopping bags getting into drains, the ocean, creeks and waterways. We see them floating around the street in the breeze, and we see many animals injured or killed as a result of careless disposal of the bags.
To shop with the confidence of knowing that the bag you use, is environmentally friendly, is a truly great step in the right direction. When you know that the store or company you bought your bag/s from is also doing whatever it can to protect the environment, by supporting environmental projects, this is even better. If we all do what we can, this planet we all live on, will return in some way to the glory it once presented, and we will all be able to hold our heads high, in that – we did what we could to make this a better place for our children, and their children, etc.
Today it could be that you change your pattern, to throw away all of the plastic shopping bags you have, and vow never to use them again. Today may be the day you decide that you will use environmentally friendly reusable shopping bags, to help improve our planet. If today is your day, I congratulate you on that decision.
Shoppers in the United Kingdom are currently using over 10 billion carrier bags per year with a high percentage of these bags ending up in landfill sites after only a single use. Many companies are now incorporating the policy of asking their customers if they need a shopping bag for the short term or a ‘bag for life’. By purchasing a bag for life, shoppers are not only making a saving by using the same bag over and over again, they are also doing their bit to improve the environment we all live in.