Many of us can take little steps in our daily lives to improve the environment. A recent Gallup poll explained that 9 in 10 Americans recycle newspaper, glass, aluminum, etc. That being said, it is also stated that Americans are not any more environmentally friendly than we were at the turn of the century.
This may be due in large part that the environment is such a large scale issue, it is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed or incapable of fixing the whole thing. The media and general retailers have been taking steps to change this, such as selling reusable shopping bags. Stores from Jewel to TJ Maxx sell reusable shopping bags for about $2. My parents have definitely hopped on this band wagon and we own about 10 bags. When I go to Jewel on Sunday with my dad I often notice that we are one of only a few people using the bags so in my observations I have not noticed the trend catching on a whole lot.
How much of a difference are these few bags really making? How many of you utilize them? How can they be incorporated into everyone's life?
I don't usually use them personally but would not mind seeing more of it?
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to believe that 9 out of 10 people recycle. One of the biggest populations that does NOT recycle is college students.
ReplyDeleteI don't recycle, but I'll tell you why. It's not that I don't want to, or don't want to take the time to do it. I can't afford to do it. Recycling in the townhome association that I belong to is 5 times the cost of regular garbage disposal. I just don't see paying that much to recycle, when I can get by with regular garbage service. It sounds heartless, right? Maybe if I wasn't in college and could take on extra expenses like that...But for now, I can't afford to.
If recycling companies and organizations could make recycling efforts more cost efficient and less a burden, I think a lot more people will jump on that bandwagon.
My mum recycles, but there are strict regulations in her subdivision on recycling. Such as...glass products have to be in a green tub and cans have to be in a red tub. My mum was so frustrated when she went shopping to find the exact size and color tub that was required to have your items recycled.
I DO USE REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS!! I love them! I think the trend is caught on a lot more than we think. When I first started using them, I would always forget to bring them with me, so it defeated the purpose, but I put a couple reusable bags in the quad of my truck and that way I don't forget to use them.
THE DIFFERENCE THEY MAKE? I think because grocery stores are now moving towards more Self-Scan units, consumers are bagging their own groceries and generally, they don't know how to bag their groceries successfully--unless they had a bagger job back when they were 14. I see people at Self-Scans all the time placing items in different bags and not combining them.
Great post! Thanks!