“The statistics are disturbing:
99% of the 100 billion plastic shopping bags used in the US are never recycled,
with a single bag taking up to 1,000 years to fully break down. Retailers spend
a staggering $4 billion on bags each year – a huge waste of money that also poses
a major threat to the environment, from creating pollution to endangering the lives
of marine animals and wildlife."
Major corporations like Toyota, Wal-Mart, and BP are spending millions on
making the environment a top priority – and with good reason. Whether it’s Al Gore
showing us the impact of global warming, or rising gas prices pointing us to search
for alternative energy sources, we’ve all become aware of the need to protect our
natural resources.
Environmental Fact & Factoids
- The U.S. uses 100 Billion plastic bags annually, which
is the energy equivalent of 12 Million barrels of oil.
- Less than 1% of plastic bags are ever recycled.
- Each high quality reusable bag will eliminate hundreds
to thousands of plastic bags over its lifetime.
- Plastic Bags kill sea animals that mistake them for
food or become entangled in them.
- It costs California taxpayers $20.5 Million to collect
and landfill plastic bag waste each year. This does not include external costs,
e.g. pollution, risk and threat to marine life, economic loss due to litter, etc.
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