| Recycling plastic bags is probably one of the | | | | as possible of those no longer in good condition |
| easiest ways we can help our environment stay | | | | for shopping. |
| clean. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle is the | | | | Remember Your Green Bags When You Go |
| contemporary catch phrase used to encourage | | | | Shopping |
| more people to think about the environment and | | | | The next problem has happened to everyone at |
| how they use everyday items. Perhaps the other | | | | some stage, get to the checkout and the bags |
| word belonging to this group is re-educate, as the | | | | are at home or in the car. What choices are |
| message may be a little slow to impact on people. | | | | there? Buy more green bags, or use the single |
| Most people would quote the Reduce, Reuse, and | | | | use bags at the checkout. Best case scenario is |
| Recycle if you asked them how we can deal with | | | | to remember your green shopping bags every |
| excess plastics and landfill usage in our society. | | | | time you go into a shop. |
| You may be a little more hard-pressed to get | | | | * Here are some ways you can make sure you |
| actual details about how they are doing this. | | | | get your reusable bags to the supermarket every |
| Australia is looking to solve this plastic bag excess | | | | time: |
| use problem by promoting the use of the green | | | | * Keep them in the car – a dash to the car |
| NWPP (non woven polypropylene) bag as a | | | | may be possible |
| reusable and recyclable alternative. | | | | * Keep them in a bag that you take with you |
| Indeed the handy green bags have been adopted | | | | every time you shop |
| by many people, but there has been some | | | | * Buy compact fold away alternatives for your |
| debate over how environmentally friendly they | | | | handbag |
| are. Regardless of this the bags do reduce the | | | | * Make that the first thing written on your |
| amount of single use plastics bags by a large | | | | shopping list |
| amount, which is the first important choice to | | | | Ask your family to help remind you – make a |
| make, how to reduce our use of plastics. | | | | reward game out of the person who asks you if |
| Did You Know Those Plastic Fence Posts Are | | | | you have them before you leave home. |
| Recycled Shopping Bags? | | | | Once you form the habit of using the bags it will |
| It’s true and there is a wide range of | | | | never be problem. |
| products now made completely from recycled | | | | Why Recycle Plastic Shopping Bags? |
| plastics, including plastic bags. The reusable green | | | | Any way that Reduce, Reuse and recycle can be |
| bags can be deposited in supermarkets for | | | | applied helps to reduce landfill and lessens the |
| recycling, so ask at your local shops about | | | | greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. |
| accessing the bag-recycling program. | | | | Reducing is a great way to start. Identify ways |
| Here are some more ways recycled plastic is | | | | you can just use less plastic in your daily life. Small |
| used: | | | | day to day efforts will add up to a major change: |
| * Garden edging | | | | * Use multi-use shopping bags |
| * Plastic stakes | | | | * Choose items without plastic, or with the least |
| * Outdoor seating | | | | amount of plastic packaging |
| * Play equipment | | | | * Buy items made from recycled plastic |
| * Round Plastic Bollards | | | | * Find alternatives for using plastic ‘cling’ |
| The most important parts of the recycling | | | | wrap, freezer bags, and other single use plastics |
| process are ending the cycle by returning used | | | | * Clean and recycle all the plastic you can |
| plastic for recycling and purchasing recycled | | | | Reusing is the next most important. Whatever |
| products. When products are sold it then creates | | | | you can reuse instead of throwing away is good. |
| demand for more to be made and therefore | | | | If you can wash and reuse then do that for as |
| more waste plastic needed. | | | | many times as possible. When you can’t |
| Considering the amount of plastics coming through | | | | reuse then recycle as much as possible. |
| to consumers and business there is relatively little | | | | Recycling can sometimes be counterproductive |
| proactive effort in the presenting of green bags | | | | when it comes to the process of recycling. But if |
| for recycling. The bags are being used quite | | | | we then buy the products to reuse like garden |
| extensively across Australia, but it would seem | | | | furniture, fence posts, and play equipment then |
| that taking bags back in to be processed isn’t | | | | we have made that process worthwhile. |
| happening as much as it could. | | | | Let’s do our best to get those bags and |
| If these bags made of plastic as well end up in | | | | plastic into the recycling bin, remember to take |
| landfill it can almost defeat the purpose of using | | | | our green bags into the supermarket, and help to |
| them in the first place. Try and return as many | | | | lower the carbon footprint left by each of us. |