Benefits of Recycling Plastic Bags

Besides clearing out space under your sink after you clear them out, there are a number of benefits to recycling your old, plastic bags.

• When one ton of plastic bags is reused or recycled, the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil is saved.
• Plastic bags do not biodegrade, they photodegrade, which means they slowly break down into smaller and smaller toxic bits that can contaminate soil and waterways.
• The toxic chemical ingredients needed to make plastic produce pollution during the manufacturing process. If we use less plastic bags, we will help decrease this pollution.
• Countless bags end up in the ocean, where marine animals can mistake them for food. A wandering grocery bag looks suspiciously like a jellyfish, the main food source for many turtles.