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Health & Fitness

Top 10 Reasons to BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag)

1. There Are No Free Plastic Bags. According to Worldwatch Institute, the U.S. uses 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. Estimated cost to retailers: $4 billion. Consumers pay for bags indirectly as their cost is added to the purchase price.

2. Very Low Recycling Rate. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that only 12% of all plastic bags are recycled.

3. Made From Non-Renewable Resources. Industry figures show 90% of all grocery bags are plastic. These bags are made of polyethylene, a petroleum product. Their production contributes to air pollution. The amount of petroleum used to make 9 plastic bags would drive a car about 1/2 mile. 

4. Non-Biodegradable. According to the EPA, it takes as long as 1,000 years for polyethylene bags to break down in a landfill. 

5. Main Source of Stormwater Pollution. Plastic bags are a main source of stormwater pollution and frequently clog pipes and drainage ditches, adding to the cost of stormwater management operations.
6. Significant Litter Problem.  Based on information from the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), an estimated $34 million to $107 million is spent each year to manage plastic bag litter in California alone. Almost half (47%) of the wind-borne litter escaping from landfills is plastic—and much of it is plastic bags.

7. Entering the Food Chain. Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade—breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits, contaminating soil and waterways. They then enter the foodweb when animals ingest them. 

8. Harming Wildlife. Hundreds of thousands of marine animals and birds are killed every year when they ingest or become entangled in plastic bags.

9. Paper Has Limited Advantages. It requires 13% more energy to produce one single paper bag than to produce two plastic bags. Paper bags weigh nearly ten times their counterparts in plastic, requiring more fuel to ship them out to stores, and some 14 million trees are cut down annually to make them.

10. Reusable Bags Outlast Plastic Bags. High qualityreusable bags outlast plastic bags. Keep a few in your car so you'll always have one when you need it. Make even the most ordinary errand extraordinary with a fun, reusable bag that shows some personality!

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