Reusable Bags

When you go to the store, you need something to carry your food home. Many stores used to give out thin plastic bags for free. Those bags were used once and then thrown away. Reusable bags are made to last, so you can use them again and again.

The Problem With Plastic Bags

Plastic bags can harm our planet. They blow around as litter and fill up landfills. Some end up in rivers and oceans. Sea turtles sometimes eat them because they look like jellyfish. Plastic bags can take hundreds of years to break down.

Why Reusable Bags Help

A reusable bag is made of cloth, canvas, or strong recycled material. You can fold it up and keep it in your backpack or car. One reusable bag can take the place of hundreds of plastic bags over time. Using them means less trash and a cleaner Earth. Many cities and towns now ask people to bring their own bags to the store.

Fun Facts

• Some countries, like Kenya and Rwanda, have banned plastic bags.
• A good cloth bag can last for over 10 years of shopping.
• Americans used to throw away over 100 billion plastic bags each year.

Did You Know?

It can take a single plastic bag more than 500 years to fully break down in nature.