While plastic bags may have been around for a while, it was not until more recently that they began to be commonly used in homes. Reclosable plastic bags are a much newer invention, and they did not show up on the scene until the late ’80s. Nowadays most people would wonder how they ever did without them! There is an ongoing debate as to whether it is better for the environment to use plastic wrapping and bags (which do take a long time to properly break down) or if it is better to chop down trees to make paper, and thus deforest even more of the earth. One popular movement these days is that of encouraging people to recycle and reuse these bags. This creates less plastic waste material, and it saves our forests.

Some countries have also placed a tax on the plastic bag, meaning that you can no longer obtain free bags with your shopping, instead you have to pay for one if you want one. Living in a country where this is a common practice, I do have to concur that it does help cut back on the amount used and you will often see people at the checkout counters with their recycled bags or other regular shopping bags, even though the cost to buy one is minimal. In Ireland, a tax that was placed on plastic bags in 2002 reduced that country’s usage by 90%!

With over 600 billion plastic bags used worldwide per year, (that is close to 1 million per minute, by the way), there is also a big push to use reusable bags, some of which are made from recycled plastic or cotton. Africa has this down to a fine art. Apparently entrepreneurs there are collecting wind-blown bags that are made from plastic and weaving them into other items such as hats and bags.

One of the best ways to help the environment is by not littering it with bags and other wrapping. If you buy and use reclosable bags, make sure that you dispose of them properly, and reuse them as often as is practical and possible.

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