Plastic bags have a surprisingly significant environmental impact for something so seemingly innocuous. As well as being an eyesore (next time you are outside, have a look around - you'll be amazed at the number of plastic littering our streets and waterways), these shopping bags kill large numbers of wildlife each year. In the water, plastic can be mistaken for jellyfish by wildlife. This makes plastic bag pollution in marine environments particularly dangerous, as birds, whales, seals and turtles ingest the luggage then die from intestinal blockages. Disturbingly, it is claimed that plastic luggage are the most common man-made item seen by sailors at sea. The biggest problem with plastic luggage is that they do not readily break down in the environment, with estimates for the time it takes them to decompose ranging from 20 to 1000 years. One of the disquieting facts stemming from this is that plastic baggage can become serial killers. The incredibly slow rate of decay of plastic luggage also means that each bag we use compounds the problem, because the bags simply accumulate. It also clog drains and waterways, threatening not only natural environments but also urban ones. In fact, plastics in drains were identified as major factors in the severe flooding in Bangladesh in 1988 mcm drawstring bag and 1998. On top of the significant environmental costs, widespread use of plastic baggage is also costly in terms of dollars and cents. Apart from the price of the luggage themselves, which is four to six cents each, a great deal of money goes into collecting the bags (ie cleaning up!) once they've been discarded. In South Africa for instance eight billion plastic bags are used annually while in Australia six billion plastic baggage are used out of which 3.3 are supermarket plastic. ALTERNATIVES There are a range of alternatives. Some retailers offer paper baggage but then again paper comes from trees which may cause deforestation. Some major supermarket chains have cotton or calico bags available for sale at a very small price. mcm outlet These baggage can be kept in the car and used again and again. mcm travel bag The advantage of calico baggage is that they are stronger than the these hazardous baggage, and also much easier to carry. Also calico/cotton baggage can be re-used any number of times. It takes a little thought to get used to bringing your own bags, but it is an easy habit to fall into and it is such a relief not to have to pack the groceries away, and then find room to pack away the plastic luggage as well! You get best eco-friendly cotton shopping luggage, promotional bags, totes from a factory located in India at most competitive pricing in the world. So next time, hold your head up proudly as you refuse to use these and Replace it by a Cotton/ Calico bag and be proud that you have made a contribution to the future of the planet.