Reduce - Recycle - Reuse
The Problem
When you drive down the highway or walk on a beach you see the result of plastic bag abuse. Plastic bags blowing in the wind, hung up on fences, trees and snagged in the weeds. We have become dependent on plastic, it is a durable, lightweight and low cost material. Because of these same attributes plastic causes a problem for the environment.
There are many "choices" we (you and me) make every day. We all need to begin making better choices in our daily lives and how we treat our world. Recycling helps and reusing our shopping bags every time you go to the grocery store, mall, library, give a gift, or need to tote anything anywhere will greatly reduce the plastic blight on our great mother earth.
When you use one of our inexpensive, strong, durable, attractive, reusable shopping bags you reduce plastic bag use by as much as 1200 per year. Our mission is to provide an affordable earth-friendly, low-impact means to reduce plastic bag use. This is another reason our reusable shopping bags are so reasonably priced. Beginnings Tote Bags wants to show that even the small choices we make are a beginning and together we all can make a big difference.
The Wall Street Journal states that it requires 12 million barrels of oil to produce the 100 Billion plastic shopping bags used annually by the people in the Unites States.
Algalita Marine Research Foundation states that these plastics, flushed down streams and ultimately into the ocean, are carreid by currents and can circulate continually in the open ocean. Broken, degraded plastic pieces outweigh surface planton in the central North Pacific by a factor of 6 to 1.
Because these plastics float in our oceans and are carried by currents they collect in "Garbage Patches" equivalent in area to twice the size of Texas. One of five such "patches" exists in the North Pacific between Hawaii and Japan and is referred to as the "Eastern Garbage Patch"
Each one of our attractive bags will hold approximately the contents of 3 plastic bags or the contents of two paper grocery sacks. Make a statement that you care about our future on this planet, that you care about what we leave behind for our children and how we treat the wild life we are entrusted to care for. Beginnings Tote Bags has made a commitment to contribute a portion of our profits for Ocean clean up and sustainable energy research.
Paper is not Better
Paper Bags Are Not a Better Choice
For a long time, paper bags have been considered less harmful to the environment than plastic. However, when you consider their whole life cycle you find a different story.
Yes, paper bags are made from a renewable source and they are biodegradable. But look at paper bag manufacturing, usage, and even disposal problems, and you will see why they are not a better choice.
This comparison shows the difference between paper and plastic.
emits 70% more global warming gasses
creates 50 times more water pollution
uses 4 times more raw materials
consumes 3.5 times more energy
Life: Once used, paper bags are less likely to be re-used. They are not durable and tear easily. They basically are made for a usage of only one time.
Death: 80% of paper bags end up in our landfills. They then do not biodegrade because there is a lack of oxygen. They are also costly to landfill and take up a larger amount of space by weight and volume than plastic bags do.
The best choice
To stop pollution, to reduce the burden on our raw materials, to reduce global warming gasses, to protect our wild life, to reduce water pollution and to reduce energy consumption, buy Beginnings Tote Bags non-woven polypropylene, reusable shopping bags. Begin to make a difference today. Reduce - Recycle - Reuse. See the comparison chart below for the energy used to produce different types of bags and their impact on our natural resources.
Bag type use comparison per year
Type of Bag used for groceries and other purchases |
Expected Number of Units used per year |
Lbs. of Material Used in Production |
kg of CO 2 Emmissions from production |
* Energy use in Production |
Lbs of Waste per year |
Single use plastic Shopping Bag |
520 |
6.86 |
6.08 |
210 |
0.034 |
Recycled Plastic |
520 |
6.86 |
4.79 |
117 |
0.034 |
Paper Bags |
520 |
48.73 |
11.8 |
721 |
0.24 |
Biodegradable - Starch Based |
520 |
14.3 |
6.61 |
61.3 |
0.071 |
Woven Cotton Bags |
9.1 |
2.5 |
2.52 |
160 |
0.012 |
Reusable PP Non Woven |
4.15 |
1.06 |
1.96 |
46.3 |
0.005 |
*the units of measure are MJ (megajoule), the approximate amount of energy needed to heat 3 liters of water to the boiling point.
Source: Plastic Shopping Bags - Analysis of Levies and Environmental Impacts,
Link: http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/publications/waste/plastic-bags/report-2002.html
World Wide Action
Listed below are Links to the information about actions that have been taken by other countries to deal with the blight of the ever present plastic shopping bag. Follow the links below if you would like to see the complete article. As you read, you will see that the United States is way behind and needs to catch up.
China
DPA, HONG KONG
Saturday, Dec 22, 2007
Hong Kong shoppers will be paying a levy on plastic bags by the year 2009 following the approval of a new bill aimed at helping the environment.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2007/12/22/2003393701
England
A call was made today for a national 10p levy on carrier bags handed out by shops and supermarkets. The aim is to reduce the number of disposable bags being issued, about 1.6 billion a year in London, as well as the amount of non-recyclable waste sent to landfill sites.
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/consumer/caring/article.html?in_article_id=428253&in_page_id=511
Ireland
The Plastic Bag Environmental Levy is a charge on plastic shopping bags that was introduced throughout Ireland on 4th March 2002. Revenue generated from the Plastic Bag Environmental Levy will go into the new Environmental Fund. This fund will be used to support waste management, litter and other environmental initiatives.
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Laws/Plastic-Bag-Levy-Ireland4mar02.htm
Australia
Keep Australia Beautiful has called on the State and Territory Governments around Australia to introduce a 10 cent fee on plastic shopping bags to help fund environmental projects and to reduce their unnecessary use. http://kab.org.au/_dbase_upl/060718e_plastic_bag.pdf
Scotland
An Act of the Scottish Parliament to provide for a levy on the provision of plastic bags to customers; to provide for the levy to be used by local authorities for environmental purposes; and for connected purposes. The levy is 10 pence for each non-exempt plastic bag provided to a customer.
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/43-environmentalLevy/b43s2-introd.pdf
Kenya
Nairobi, 23 February 2005– Flimsy plastic shopping bags should be banned and a hefty levy slapped on thicker ones to rid Kenya of an increasing environmental and health menace, a report released today urges.
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=424&ArticleID=4734&l=en
South Africa
Cape Town - The Customs and Excise Act would be amended to cater for a new levy on plastic bags, which would be the first environmental levy in South Africa, Martin Grote, the chief director of tax policy in the treasury, http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=267079
"We have not inherited this world from our ancestors, rather borrowed it from our children"
Native American Proverb
