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11 Reasons to Stop Using Single-Use Plastic Bags

plastic retail bags

If you use one-use plastic grocery bags, then you know that they are not always the most convenient to have around. They can get heavy and bulky, and it's hard to find a place where all of them fit neatly together after years of shopping. There is also the issue of one-use plastic bags, which will never be recycled or reused because they are disposed of improperly. With so many other options on the market today, such as garment storage bags and wholesale kraft paper bags, there isn't any reason why anyone should still be using these single-use items!

1. They Break Easily 

One of the biggest reasons to stop using plastic bags is that they break easily. If one of these bags breaks, it becomes a massive inconvenience because all of the contents spill out and get lost. For this reason, many people will get creative by keeping their groceries in things like garment storage bags and wholesale kraft paper bags.

2. You Can't Put Much in Them

Another important reason to stop using plastic bags is that they're not very good for holding many items. This can be a severe issue if you've just bought many groceries. It becomes difficult to store many things in the bags because they don't hold much weight. The problem then becomes the increased use of bags by double-bagging and overuse of plastic bags in general

3. A Single Round of Groceries Can Use Over 15 Bags

When shopping for a typical round of groceries, you can quickly rack up over 15 one-use plastic bags. If you're someone who does a weekly or biweekly shop, then those numbers quickly add up to hundreds over the course of a year. This money and resources could be saved by switching to reusable grocery bags instead - even if you stick to strong reusable plastic retail shopping bags!

4. It is Impossible to Store Them All Forever

The bottom line is that while some people might want to store these bags for later use, it's ultimately impossible to do so. The lining of the bags will break down over time, rendering them useless, and after many years they may start to become brittle or degraded. Even if you try to keep them in your best storage spaces, like an airtight container or plastic bag, the product will still wear down over time.

5. They're Heavy and Bulky

One-use plastic bags are heavy and bulky, especially when filled with groceries full of rough edges and potentially sharp objects. This makes them difficult to carry around without potentially hurting yourself or others in the process of moving them out of the store or disposing of them properly outside. Many people try to find alternative storage solutions but often forget to bring their wholesale kraft paper bags to the store. 

5. They Can Destroy Plant & Animal Life

Sea Turtle with plastic bags

Besides littering and harming humans, one-use plastic bags can also damage plants and animals they happen to contact. Such creatures can get caught up in them and suffocate, resulting in death. Plastic bags also often end up on the ground and become a hazard for animals that might eat them or cut their paws on them while walking over. This is another reason so many countries have taken steps to ban the usage of such single-use items!

6. Quickly Degrade in Strength

The bottom line is that while some people might want to store these bags for later use, it's ultimately difficult to do so. After the first use of a typical single-use bag, the lining will be a lot weaker than it was initially. Therefore, you don't even get that much bang for your buck, considering that single-use bags don't even last. If you enjoy using plastic bags, consider getting some permanent plastic retail shopping bags built to last instead!

7. They Are More Expensive to Clean than to Produce

As reported, a single-use plastic bag will cost about 3-5 cents each to produce, which then impacts the cost of goods at supermarkets that use these bags. The cost of plastic bag cleanup is right around 17 cents per bag. As a result, the waste of single-use bags quickly adds up inexorably. 

8. They Are Not Biodegradable

One of the biggest problems is that these bags are not biodegradable, which means they will take an extremely long time to decompose. In some cases, it can even take up to 1000 years for one of these items to fully break down and be absorbed into the landfills. This is a major environmental issue considering how many of these single-use plastic bags we use per day and then throw away without further thought.

9. They Typically Have No Other Use Once Used for Groceries

Plastic grocery bags are thrown away, and their only use is typically to hold groceries. When the bag reaches its destination, it is generally thrown away and unable to be used for anything else. Although people have ambitions of reusing these single-use bags, they quickly end up with a large pile of them and find themselves unsure of what to do with them. 

10. They Often Contain Hazardous Ingredients That Harm the Environment

Many plastic grocery bags contain hazardous ingredients that can harm the environment when thrown out in the trash or wind up in nearby waterways. For example, plastic bags can contain antimony, which is a chemical that can be harmful to life.

11. There Are Better Alternatives

The reality is that we have already developed better bags to use for your shopping needs that don't come with the downsides of single-use plastic bags. Instead, try out garment storage bags, strong reusable plastic retail shopping bags, and/or wholesale kraft paper bags. 

Looking for a Place to Buy Shopping Bags?

Prime Line Retail is a great marketplace to check out if you want to find some great new shopping bags such as garment storage bags, wholesale kraft paper bags, or even stronger reusable plastic retail shopping bags. With tons of different bags in our inventory, we're ready to assist you in finding exactly what you need.