Have you remembered to BYOB in 2010?This is a question everyone should ask themselves.  We are flying through 2010 and there has by no means been a more vital period of time to bring your own reusable and/or recycled grocery bags. When you BYOB, instead of using single-use plastic or paper disposable bags, you instantly become a part of the solution to the immense urban waste problem associated with disposable shopping bag waste.  As of July 1, 2010, it is estimated that more than 240 billion plastic bags have been consumed in 2010 alone.  What ís still even more alarming is the impact that plastic and paper single-use bags are continuing to have on the ecosystem.   The purpose of this article is to look at the most recent news regarding large-scale efforts to cut down on the use of plastic and paper disposable bags along with the associated litter, and chat about what alternatives are available to each of us individual consumers in order to make certain we are a part of the answer to this problem.  

The excellent news is that BYOB momentum is rising quickly in 2010.  Provided you havenít heard yet, the California legislature has written a bill; AB 1998 (to be voted on by the Senate in August), that would prohibit single-use bags sold inside supermarkets, drugstores, convenience, and liquor stores and take full effect no later than 2013.  Even ìThe Governatorî, Arnold Schwarzenegger, said that he would sign the legislation if it makes it to his desk.   This certainly could be a gigantic victory for all friends of the natural world to have the biggest state, within the third biggest nation on the planet, to place a prohibition on single-use plastic bags. Considering that China initially cracked down on plastic bags in 2008 and Ireland legislative efforts to reduce plastic bag consumption began in 2002, it is so amazing to hear that California lawmakers have presented this possible law to the table.  

In America, cities from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Washington DC have approved or enacted legislation that either tax patrons for the use of plastic bags or outlaw them altogether, but California would be the first US state to take action if this possible law were to be approved.  Believe it or not, even legislators from the state of Texas have proposed possible legislation that would affix a 7-cent tax per disposable bag used.   It is so amazing that there is a possibility that both Texas and California could soon have policies in place to fight the plastic bag epidemic.  Actions by persons and governments to cut down large-scale use of throw-away grocery bags is a good method to inspire people and spread the word about the overwhelmingly positive benefits of environmentally friendly reusable shopping bags.

Single-use plastic bags can take up to a thousand years to biodegrade totally, and before that it just deteriorates down in to smaller and smaller poisonous pieces that end up in our food, water, and soil. Biodegradable green reusable shopping bags, are a great option, once thrown away in landfill sites, the exposure to daylight, oxygen, and heat will convert these bags into liquid, carbon dioxide, mineral salt and biomass.  Similar to a fallen leaf, it will perish over time and leave NO Harmful Residue in the soil.  Plastic bags finish up inside our landfills moreover frequently get tangled and cause permanent damage in waste management equipment.   Hundreds of millions if not billions of additional bags end up as urban litter and usually find their way in to rivers, resevoirs, streams, as well as the ocean.  Animals, especially aquatic animals, get entangled in plastic bags, and/or consume them and regularly asphyxiate or starve to death.  

So the remedy takes us back to BYOB, which is incredibly simple.  Just remember to use ecologically friendly reusable shopping bags or recycled green shopping bags, or reuse an older bag, period.  Be sure to keep extra reusable bags within your car and/or within your knapsack, as you will want to ensure they are handy as soon as you require them.  Also remember to clean your bags after use, particularly after transporting uncooked foods and cleaning supplies.  You may also offer them to your friends as a reminder to BYOB.  Of course, always remember to recycle every time the chance presents itself, recycling is always a victory for the natural environment.  Adopting a BYOB habit in our individual lifestyles and businesses is in truth 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.