Home Care Long Island NY
Did you know that it can take 100-500 years for a single plastic bag to disintegrate? When you consider how often we use plastic bags for groceries and other shopping, it is easy to see how these can really add up in landfills and stay there for a very long time. Not only do they take up space in landfills, they also end up in places like oceans, rivers, lakes, forests, and other places in nature where they can destroy habitats and hurt animals. For something that is usually used only once and only for few minutes, it hardly seems worth it. July 3rd is observed as International Plastic Bag Free Day to help inform the public about the harm that using single-use plastic bags does to our environment.
If you and your loved one use plastic bags, but would like to cut down on waste and be more “green”, there are many things you can do. Read on for some simple things you and your loved one can do in their home to create less waste in the form of plastic bags.
- Use Reusable Shopping Bags
This is one of the best ways you can help to stop the plastic bag problem that we have in our world. Reusable shopping bags are usually inexpensive to buy and come in all kinds of colors and patterns to fit your loved one’s style. If you have a few on hand, just remember to bring them with you to the grocery store, market, or mall and use them to carry your items home. When you do this consistently, you can virtually eliminate all of the plastic bags from your garbage can.
- Recycle Single-Use Bags
Many grocery stores and department stores have bins where you can recycle your single-use plastic bags. Carry yours and your loved one’s items home in the plastic bags and then simply return the bags on your next trip out. These bags can be melted down to make other items so they are kept out of landfills and the natural environment.
- Reuse Plastic Bags Yourself
If you do get some plastic bags while shopping, you may find that you and your loved one will have a use for them at home. You can use them for trash can liners, storage, transporting things, and to clean up after your loved one’s pet.