July 3rd is International Plastic Bag Free Day. It’s one of the most important international holidays, as it brings attention to a huge issue in today’s society: single use plastic.
Plastic bags take 20 years or more to break down. We use about 500 billion plastic bags each year worldwide, which works out to about one million each minute.
Plastic Bag Free Day serves as a reminder of the damage we’re doing – and the simple solution to correct the issue.
Why avoiding plastic bags matters
On average, plastic bags are used for just 15 minutes before being discarded. When you consider how that bag will sit for 20 years before breaking down, it’s almost unbelievable that plastic bags are still the norm. Plastic Bag Free Day brings the world’s attention to this issue, which on its own is a very worthy cause. However, it also sparks a larger conversation about the state of single use plastics today. Consider the lifecycle of common plastic items:- Plastic bags – 20 years
- Coffee cups – 30 years
- Plastic straws – 200 years
- 6-pack plastic rings – 400 years
- Plastic water bottles and cups – 450 years
- Coffee pods – 500 years
- Disposable diapers – 500 years
- Plastic toothbrushes – 500 years
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How to celebrate Plastic Bag Free Day every day
Ready to skip plastic bags for good? Keep reusable bags in your purse, backpack, or car so you’re never without. For singular or small items, you can always just decline the plastic bag and carry the item in your hands. Here are a few bags I recommend:
- Foldable shopping bag to carry in your purse or backpack
- Canvas bag for general shopping
- Large canvas bags for grocery shopping
- Mesh bags for larger produce items
- Thin mesh bags for smaller items like herbs
