| While plastic bags may have been around for a | | | | have to concur that it does help cut back on the |
| while, it was not until more recently that they | | | | amount used and you will often see people at the |
| began to be commonly used in homes. Reclosable | | | | checkout counters with their recycled bags or |
| plastic bags are a much newer invention, and they | | | | other regular shopping bags, even though the cost |
| did not show up on the scene until the late '80s. | | | | to buy one is minimal. In Ireland, a tax that was |
| Nowadays most people would wonder how they | | | | placed on plastic bags in 2002 reduced that |
| ever did without them! There is an ongoing | | | | country's usage by 90%! |
| debate as to whether it is better for the | | | | With over 600 billion plastic bags used worldwide |
| environment to use plastic wrapping and bags | | | | per year, (that is close to 1 million per minute, by |
| (which do take a long time to properly break | | | | the way), there is also a big push to use reusable |
| down) or if it is better to chop down trees to | | | | bags, some of which are made from recycled |
| make paper, and thus deforest even more of the | | | | plastic or cotton. Africa has this down to a fine |
| earth. One popular movement these days is that | | | | art. Apparently entrepreneurs there are collecting |
| of encouraging people to recycle and reuse these | | | | wind-blown bags that are made from plastic and |
| bags. This creates less plastic waste material, and | | | | weaving them into other items such as hats and |
| it saves our forests. | | | | bags. |
| Some countries have also placed a tax on the | | | | One of the best ways to help the environment is |
| plastic bag, meaning that you can no longer obtain | | | | by not littering it with bags and other wrapping. If |
| free bags with your shopping, instead you have | | | | you buy and use reclosable bags, make sure that |
| to pay for one if you want one. Living in a | | | | you dispose of them properly, and reuse them as |
| country where this is a common practice, I do | | | | often as is practical and possible. |