When I began to research this issue of single use bags I discovered some fairly shocking information. Let me give you a brief summary of how bags are impacting the planet. Nothing is safe from the dreaded single use bag. Here is a little glimpse of how these bags wreak havoc on our planet.

Our world uses up to a trillion single use bags every year. Did you even know that was a real number? In fact, it is such a surreal number it is hard to grasp. Basically, it works out to a million bags a minute.

It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales, seals and other marine mammals die every year from eating plastic bags that litter our oceans. After mistaking the bags for food and swallowing them, they either choke to death or their intestines become blocked.

In the landfill, plastic bags loiter for hundreds of years. They do not biodegrade but actually photodegrade. In the process the plastic breaks into tiny particles that contaminate the soil. Animals accidentally ingest them. Voila, now they are in the food chain.

The production of single use plastic bags requires, surprise, oil. And lots of it. 120 million barrels of oil every year to be fairly exact. JUST FOR BAGS. Another contributing factor of global warming.

So we should use paper bags, right? While I personally think paper bags are less evil than plastic, they are hardly guilt-free. It’s estimated that more than 14 million trees are cut down annually just for paper bags. Wait a second. I thought we needed trees to help filter carbon dioxide to help reduce global warming? Put the chainsaw down, and step back from the tree, mister…it’s time that you lioli!