Single-use plastic bags have been around for as long as I can remember, on the time of my little life of 22 years. However, the environmental impact of plastic bags has been a concern for a few years now.
They were first replaced by paper bags for fruit and vegetable harvesting and by so-called "reusable" shopping bags for the cash register. Currently, fabric bags are the most popular and rightly so.
But why do we need to change those single use or reusable plastic bags? I explain it all in the blog below, happy reading!
CONTENTS
1. Plastic, paper or tote bags can be replaced by fabric bags
2. Shopping with bulk bags and glass jars
3. The bakery with its bread bag and its baguette bag
4. The planet thanks you warmly for choosing reusable products
1. Plastic, paper or tote bags can be replaced by fabric bags
The word reusable is now used at every opportunity since January 2021 when all single-use plastics have been banned.
Some change their packaging by replacing it with cardboard, others do greenwashing by simply adding "reusable" on plastic cutlery and plates for example. Keep your eyes open.
Single-use plastic bags have been replaced with paper bags for fruits and vegetables in supermarkets, and bags at the checkout have become more robust plastic tote bags.
These improvements are a big step forward in reducing the presence of plastic in waste, if not reducing waste altogether.
However, it remains a waste in the end. If you store them or when the handle is loose, when there are holes, we end up throwing it away. The same thing when you come back from the supermarket, the paper bag often ends up in the trash. So it remains a single-use paper.
But instead of having a collection of tote bags for all the times you forgot to take them with you, not to mention the accumulation of paper bags under the sink for those who keep them, why not switch to wicker baskets and fabric bags ?
The manufacture of plastic is a very energy-intensive process and a major emitter of greenhouse gases. Paper consumes less energy but is usually burned in a power plant and not reused.
The advantage of fabric is that your bag can be repaired almost indefinitely and the fabric has recycling channels.
So that you don't forget it on shopping day, put your fabric bags in your wicker basket in the trunk of the car so that even if one day you improvise some shopping, you are equipped!
2. Shopping with bulk bags and glass jars
Shopping, a weekly or even daily obligation for some. It can be seen as an ordeal or as a moment of pleasure. It's all a question of organization!
To help you in this way, do not hesitate to read the blog «How to do my zero waste shopping? tips and tricks» . It will be very useful.
Of course, once your organization is well established, it will become automatic and you won't even have to think about it before leaving. As with everything, the brain learns and records.
Mentalities are changing with time, people are opening up to new practices and are beginning to accept the use of reusable containers and bags.
Bulk bags live up to their name, it is mostly to be used in bulk stores to be able to take your condiments, legumes, pasta, beauty products, vegetables and fruits to avoid having to use the paper bags.
If you want to make your life even easier, think about glass jars. To learn more about this topic, you can visit our blog « Why store in glass jars ? ».
3. The bakery with its bread bag and its baguette bag
Now that bulk bags are a thing, something new is coming to town! To replace the plastic paper bags of the bakeries which cannot be recycled, there are now bread bags and baguette bags.
These are solid fabric bags that are quite strong and can easily be stored in the bread box as you do with paper bags, or hung on a hook if you run out of space. In this case, wrap your bread in a beewrap (waxed fabric) to prevent it from drying out too quickly.
More and more bakeries are starting to accept them. It's hard not to understand and respect the process of reducing waste on the earth we all occupy! They are practical and pretty, presentable, multipurpose and durable.
Maybe soon, you won't even have to buy them yourself and they will be directly available in your local bakery...
4. The planet thanks you warmly for favouring reusable materials
To best express how the planet feels, National Geographic sums it up perfectly :
Global plastic manufacturing has grown exponentially from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons in 2015
By 2050, all seabird species will regularly eat plastic
Since 2015, 6.9 billion tons of waste have been produced, of which 9% has been recycled, 12% incinerated and 79% has been accumulated in nature or in landfills
The packaging market is the main market for plastics nowadays
700 species of animals have already ingested or been trapped in plastic.
It is high time to act, to change and to ban plastic from our lives. If we don't, the planet will banish us.
Think about the future of your children, what planet do you want to leave them? We chose change, improvement, a healthier and purer Earth. We don't want to put everything on their shoulders, we want to help them. To learn more listen to or read our « WHY ? ».
To conclude...
I hope you enjoyed this blog and that it has helped you understand the importance of reusable and fabric, without plastic. The world needs us.
See you soon !
Loulou the kangaroo
