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Recycling: It's in the Bag
Posted 8/31/2012 Updated 8/31/2012
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by Aisha Robins
65th Civil Engineer Squadron Environmental Element
8/31/2012 - LAJES FIELD, Azores -- Consider for a moment the simple plastic shopping bag. It has become part of our global culture for anyone born after 1982. Before that, grocery store baggers would always ask, "paper or plastic?"
In 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that the global annual use of plastic bags is between 500 billion and one trillion. By now that number has reached or exceeded the upper limit of that range. Of this staggeringly high amount, only 1 percent of these plastic bags are recycled.
The advantages of plastic bags, that they're light weight and they hold liquids as well as heavy contents, are also the reasons they are such a danger to the environment. Because they are "as light as air," the wind blows them to streams, rivers, and natural habitats, which harms birds, fish, and mammals. And because they are so durable, they take hundreds of years to decompose.
So what can we do?
Actually, there are several solutions. The best is to use non-plastic totes for groceries. However, since we usually go to the store with long shopping lists, this isn't often practical.
The next best solution is to take our plastic bags to the store to re-use.
Third, we can recycle at home by using plastic bags for trash cans, putting other recycling items into, and cleaning up after our dogs.
Fourth, we can make sure plastic bags make it to the recycling bin.
And when we buy one or two small items, we can tell the checker that we don't need a bag.
Any combination of these will help.
The next time you're in the base exchange, ask them about their policy on taking a few cents off your purchase when you BYOB (bring your own bag).
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