BYOB is Gaining Momentum in 2010

Have you remembered to BYOB in 2010? This is a question everyone must ask themselves. We are halfway through 2010 and there has never been a more crucial time to bring your own reusable green bags. When you BYOB, rather than using single-use plastic or paper disposable bags, you immediately become a part of the solution to the massive urban litter problem associated with disposable shopping bag waste. As of June 23rd 2010, it is estimated that nearly 238 billion plastic bags have been consumed in 2010 alone. What’s even more alarming is the impact that plastic and paper disposable bags are continuing to have on the environment.   As we continue to follow the progress of large-scale efforts to reduce the use of plastic and paper disposable bags and the associated waste, we’ll find that many options are available to all of us individual consumers in order to make sure we are a part of the solution to this problem.
The good news is that BYOB momentum is growing rapidly in 2010. If you haven’t heard yet, the California legislature has proposed a bill; AB 1998 (to be voted on by the Senate in August), which would ban single-use bags sold in supermarkets, drugstores, convenience, and liquor stores and take full effect by 2013. Even “The Governator”, Arnold Schwarzenegger, said that he would sign the bill if it makes it to his desk.   This would be a gigantic victory for all friends of the environment to have the most populated state, in the 3rd largest country in the world, to put a ban on single-use plastic bags. Considering that China first cracked down on plastic bags in 2008 and Ireland legislative efforts to reduce plastic bag usage began in 2002, it is so wonderful to hear that California lawmakers have brought this bill to the table.
In the USA,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], cities from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Washington DC have passed or enacted laws that either tax consumers for the use of plastic bags or ban them altogether, but California would be the first US state to take action if this bill were to pass. Believe it or not, even legislators from the state of Texas have proposed legislation that would add a 7-cent tax per single-use bag.   It’s so exciting that there’s a possibility that both Texas and California could soon have laws in place to fight the plastic bag epidemic. Efforts by individuals and governments to reduce large-scale use of disposable shopping bags is a great way to motivate people and spread the word about the positive benefits of eco friendly reusable bags.
Plastic bags can take up to 1000 years to biodegrade completely, and before that it just breaks down in to smaller and smaller toxic pieces that end up in our food, water, and soil. Biodegradable bags are a great alternative, once discarded in landfill sites, the exposure to sunlight, oxygen and heat will convert these bags into water, carbon dioxide, mineral salt and biomass. Like a fallen leaf, it will disappear over time and leave NO HARMFUL RESIDUE in the soil. Plastic bags end up in our landfills and often get tangled and cause permanent damage in waste management machinery. Millions if not billions of other bags end up as urban litter and usually find their way in to rivers, lakes, streams, and the ocean. Animals, especially marine animals, get entangled in plastic bags, and/or ingest them and often suffocate or starve to death.
So the solution brings us back to BYOB, which is incredibly easy. Just remember to use eco friendly reusable shopping bags or wholesale recycled bags, or reuse an old bag, period. Be sure to keep extra reusable bags in the trunk of your car or in your backpack, because you’ll want to make sure they are accessible when you need them. You can also give them to your friends as a reminder to BYOB. Of course, always remember to recycle whenever the opportunity presents itself, recycling is always a victory for the environment. Adopting a BYOB habit in our individual lives and businesses is really the best way to ensure we are truly part of the solution rather than the problem. Now is the time to go out and lead by example.

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