Why reusable bags are good for the environment

When we go to our local supermarket or on a frenzied shopping spree for new clothes or gadgets for the home do we stop to think what damage we are doing to the environment? Did that stop and make your think? I thought it might.

When the majority of us go shopping we give little thought to the damage the plastic advertising bags we get from the shops we purchase our goods in do to the environment. Most of these bags are non-biodegradable and when thrown away into our bins we give little thought to what happens to them after that. Let me tell you. They go to the landfill sight and take many years to rot away. As you can well imagine there will be a lot of bags clogging up our planet.

Some shops are now getting more planet friendly and will give you biodegradable bags instead of the conventional plastic. Also supermarkets and some other shops will charge you a fee for plastic bags. The aim behind this is not purely profit based. It is to stop and make you think do I really need this bag. Some shops also offer you a re-using scheme, where if you take your plastic bags back to the store each week to re-use they will reimburse you in some way. Either by giving you money off coupons or some other incentive.

If you are really environmentally conscious you will probably take several re-usable bags out with you when you go shopping. Many stores now offer you the chance to buy re-usable bags from them. This not only helps the planet but also the store you buy them from still get free advertising.

Reusable bags come in many shapes and forms. Probably the most environmentally friendly one is a cotton bag. Cotton is a natural fabric so does not take anything from the environment to produce. These bags come in many shapes and colours and are usually quite inexpensive to purchase. Also on a bonus side cotton is a very light fabric, so you can easily fold them up into a tight ball and stash them away in your handbag if you are a lady, or in your coat pocket if you are a man. If you are looking for something slightly stronger, why not buy a jute bag. This also is a natural fabric so is environmentally friendly. Jute is usually left in its natural beige colour. This does not mean they are boring though as many have logos emblazoned across them. Both of these types of bags can be bought either as shoulder strap type bags, or as a carrier type bag with smaller handles. If you are a man you may prefer to buy the backpack type. If looked after these bags could probably last you a lifetime. If you get fed up of them or they do break you can throw them away and not have a guilty conscience.