Tote Bags

In conjunction with the last fashion oriented post, I'm going to give you some tips on tote bags to shop with. 


Why bother? Why not just use the plastic bags provided by your local grocery store?


The Stats:

• Somewhere between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are used each year.   
• Americans go through more than 100 billion plastic shopping bags per year. That's somewhere between a fifth and a tenth of all the plastic bags used internationally (and is completely disproportional considering the US population).
• Most of these bags are used once and thrown away. Only 1 to 3 percent of plastic bags are recycled. 

Why is this a problem?

• The production of plastic bags uses up natural resources, wastes energy, and creates pollution. After they're used, the bags wind up in the garbage where they endanger animals, exacerbate landfill waste, and release chemicals that seep from the plastic into the soil. All of this can be harmful to human health.  
• From a political perspective - consider that petroleum and natural gas are both non-renewable resources that are often expended in the production of plastic bags. Using them increases our dependence on foreign suppliers.
• From a biodiversity perspective - looking for and procuring these resources often involves drilling around fragile ecosystems. 
• Manufacture and transport of plastic bags uses resources and produces emissions that contribute to global warming. 
• Approximately 8 billion pounds of plastic bags and sacks are deposited in the US waste stream every year which uses up landfill space and contributes to air pollution (if they are burned).
• Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. But it's hard for that to even happen because landfills are so packed that the trash doesn't have enough water, light, or oxygen to undergo decomposition. 
• Small toxic bits of bags contaminate soil and water which enters the food chain when animals digest it. Water filtration is expensive. This cost can be reduced by eliminating plastic from water sources to begin with. 
• Every piece of plastic made in the last 50 years that entered the ocean is still there somewhere. 
• The chemicals used to make plastic bags are banned in certain European countries because they're dangerous to humans. 
• Living corals can be destroyed when a plastic bag comes their way. 
• Marine animals mistake these bags for food, try to eat them, and die as a result of choking or chemical consumption. 

Source:

• Sierra Club: The Problem with Plastic Bags

So what's the solution? 

• 1. Take the plastic bags you already have and reuse or recycle them. You can use them as trash bags in your home and/or you can bring them back to the store with you and use them as grocery bags. 
• 2. In the future, take reusable bags with you! 

On that second note, let's look at three tote bag options:

1) FEED Bags - These are Lauren Bush Lauren's brainchild. Not only are these bags durable and strong, but your purchase of one will help provide one child with school meals for a year through the UN World Food Programme. FEED also prides itself on using echo-friendly materials and fair-trade production. To learn more about FEED, click here.

2) Waste-Less Bags Variety Pack - These bags are colorful, cheerful, and well-priced. They also can be squished into your backpack, pocketbook, or car so that you always have one handy in case there's a spur of the moment grocery shopping trip. To purchase them from Amazon, click here.

3) Carry a tote that represents a cause/organization that you care about. For instance, carry your college's tote (can likely be purchased online or in your school's bookshop). Alternatively, carry a bag that tells others what kind of social justice or charitable work you're doing. For example, see the bag below that tells others about a health care worker's fight to help end AIDS.

Happy Shopping!