People hear all the time how bad these plastic bags are for the environment, but does anybody really know why? Each single-use high-density polyethylene bag takes over 1,000 years to disintegrate  once it is buried in the ground, and with over 500 billion bags used per year, they are quickly filling up our landfills. The bags that don't make it into the landfills often times end up in the seas and oceans where they are mistaken as food by sea turtles and other sea mammals.  The consumption of these bags lead to over 100,000 animal deaths a year.  These are deaths caused by human carelessness. 

One of the most simple and economical solutions to this problem is to purchase a couple reusable grocery bags. Though the initial cost of these bags may seem slightly overwhelming (prices typically range from $2-$10 per bag), the longterm benefits quickly make up for the price. 

Each reusable bag has the potential to eliminate over 1,000 plastic bags over it's lifetime.  With those numbers, we can help to save many of the sea animals who suffer horrible deaths due to the single-use plastic bags and we can help to eliminate a large number of bag that are going directly into our landfills. 

These reusable bags often time end up paying for themselves as well. Many grocery stores offer a $0.05-$0.15 credit per reusable bag brought in. Though that number may seem small, that change will quickly add up into dollars that will really help your wallet!

So the next time you head out to the grocery store, remember to bring or purchase a couple reusable grocery bags. They will help your wallet, help the environment, and with a wide variety of designer bags available, they can help keep you looking good while running everyday errands! Remember though, just owning these bags does not help the environment, you must remember to bring them to the store with you.