B.Y.O.BAG

It is estimated that ~100 billion plastic shopping bags are consumed each year in the USA, according to the Wall-Street Journal. Many of those plastic bags end up in landfills, the sea and other places where they don’t belong. Using a reusable bag could significantly reduce the amount of plastic bags consumed around the globe.

BYOB, or Bring Your Own Bag, is a strategy that encourages consumers to change their individual shopping habits, and raise awareness to the subject.

Here in America, the San Jose Council passed one of the nation’s strictest bans on plastic and paper shopping bags. This ban was made in response to the pressing issue of over million plastic bags per year making their way to the sea in the bay area only. San Francisco and Palo Alto soon joined the cause, as well as ten other US cities.

But not only in America such bans have been occurring. Many cities around the world enacted a ban on plastic shopping bags: Modbury (England), Mexico City (Mexico), Rwanda, Rangoon (Burma), Oyster Bay (Australia), Bangladesh and even various cities in India: Delhi, Mumbai, Karwar, Tirumala, Vasco and Rajasthan. 

Some countries in Europe, such as Italy, Belgium, and Ireland have chosen not to ban plastic bags, but to add taxes on them. Soon after, it has been reported that plastic bag use dropped by 94 percent.

Disposable bags have proven themselves to be harmful to the environment, as our poor planet is signaling us to stop. What can we do about it? We can Bring Our Own Bags to the store. Reusable bags are durable, fashionable and pollute less. 

Next time you go shopping - BYOB.