ATTENTION, SHOPPERS: Plastic and paper bags are out. Reusable bags are the new go-to, and here’s why.

1. Most recycling facilities refuse to take plastic bags.

Turns out that it actually costs more to recycle a plastic bag than it’s actually worth… So most facilities won’t recycle them. In fact, the Waste Management reports that only 1% of plastic bags are recycled. The rest go straight into our landfills and oceans.

2. Rough estimate, but the people in the US use about 100 billion plastic bags each year.

To put that in perspective, that many bags could circle the Earth 1,330 times. That’s a lot of plastic. That also means that the average American uses between 350 and 500 bags each year - more than one a day.

3. Plastic bags are made from nonrenewable resources.

1 part petroleum + 1 part natural gas = a recipe for disaster. The US uses over 12 million barrels of oil to produce its year’s supply of plastic bags. Know what else all that oil could do? Fly a jet from Louisiana to London 263,808 times. Keep every single car in the US running for 3.9 hours. Power the entire country of Ghana for 20 days. That’s a lot of oil.

4. Sea animals are mistaking floating bags for jellyfish and other tasty treats.

They’re so lightweight that plastic bags are being blown into our oceans (10% of ocean pollution is solely plastic bags). It’s estimated that 1 million birds, 100,000 turtles and various other sea animals die each year from ingesting plastic. Because once they eat it, it blocks their digestive tracts, and they literally starve to death...

5. Plastic bags have been found polluting places where humans don’t even live.

It was reported that plastic bags have been found as far north as the Arctic Circle and as far south as the Falkland Islands. Humans don’t even live there, just cute polar bears and penguins, and we all know they aren’t using those plastic bags.

6. Paper bags aren’t any better… Only 20% of those are actually being recycled.

Despite the fact that recycling facilities don’t refuse these, and they are 100% recyclable, the majority of them are still ending up in the landfill.

7. It takes 13% more energy to make one paper bag than to make two plastic ones.

The US chops down more than 14 million trees each year to make the amount of paper bags that we go through. Plus, the production process emits just as many toxins into the atmosphere as the plastic bag production process.

8. Reusable bags last a really long time.

Like a really long time. Even if you kept your plastic bags and used them for other tasks, a reusable bag could still outlast more than 700 of them.

9. If every person in NYC used one less plastic or paper bag each year, it would cut down waste by more than 5 million pounds.

Not only that, but just one person making the switch to a reusable bag for the rest of their lifetime saves more than 22,000 bags from going to the landfill. 22 THOUSAND.

10. Reusable bags make grocery shopping a little bit more fun!

They come in a variety of colors and patterns, meaning you’ll want to hit the grocery store just to show off your new bags!

Exciting news is that we just introduced reusable tote bags! They’re 100% organic cotton, so they’re durable and ethically sourced. Plus, you know they look awesome. Check ‘em out!

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10 Reasons To Go Reusable

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10 Reasons To Go Reusable

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