Contents:

• How do plastic bags harm our planet?
• Shopping without plastic bags

According to estimates by the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the average resident of our country uses an average of about 300 single-use plastic bags per year. Although more and more of us are trying to limit our use of plastic bags, this number is still alarming. This is especially true when we consider that the lifespan of this piece of plastic is very short—for example, we put apples in one single-use bag , carrots in a second, and a loaf of bread in a third. We come home, unpack our groceries, and the bags end up in our basket. Each of them, after being sent to a landfill, will remain in the ground for 100 to 500 years, releasing pollutants that are harmful to the environment.

How do plastic bags harm our planet?

Currently, we have two types of plastic bags to choose from in stores: paid bags, available at the checkout, with a thickness of 15 micrometers, which have been subject to a recycling fee since 2019; and free bags, called "teardrops," designed for packaging food items offered in bulk. These bags are thinner and can be found at fruit and vegetable stands or, for example, with bread. We use them with great pleasure, especially when we forget to bring our own packaging from home, which is a shame, because their environmental impact is not insignificant:

• Bags made of polyethylene, type LDPE, can release harmful substances,
• the polyethylene from which the tear-off bags are made is made from coal, the extraction of which contributes to excessive greenhouse gas emissions,
• Plastic bags are a disposable product, which is why they are already harmful to the environment and also takes 100 to 500 years to decompose.
• Although plastic bags are theoretically recyclable, their recycling is not profitable for manufacturers, simply because producing a new plastic bag takes a second and is cheaper.
• Plastic cannot be recycled indefinitely – after further processing, the fibers shrink and the resulting raw material is of lower quality,
• Food stored in plastic bags spoils faster, which can contribute to food waste.
• Plastic bags contribute to the deaths of various animal species: birds, fish, turtles, and seals. Animals that mistake them for food can swallow them, completely blocking their digestive tracts, or become entangled in them and suffocate.
• Countless plastic bags end up in rivers, seas, and oceans. Every year, 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans, meaning that by 2050, there will be more plastic waste than fish if we don't reduce it already.

Shopping without plastic bags

Going shopping with your own reusable cotton or linen bag is the easiest way to avoid plastic packaging, and thankfully, it's becoming more and more common. Heavy items like fruit, vegetables , or nuts can be packed in nylon or cotton bags , which are also reusable. Beautiful, traditionally crafted wicker baskets are becoming increasingly popular. Ideal for bread is a bag made of linen, a breathable material with antibacterial properties. Although plastic bags are one of the biggest sources of plastic pollution, it's actually very easy to replace them with reusable bags and eliminate them from our environment entirely.