INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC BAG FREE DAY

International Plastic Bag Free Day is July 3 on the National day Calendar and we are encouraging people to try to cut down on the use of plastic bags. Today, let's all make a little extra effort to help save our environment.

#PlasticBagFreeDay

Most people only use a plastic bag one time, then throw it away. Single-use plastic bags have motivated some cities to ban them altogether. Places that have banned disposable plastic shopping bags include:

Leaf Rapids, Manitoba
San Francisco, California
Los Angeles, California
Portland, Oregon
Seattle, Washington
Mexico City, Mexico

Other places have either put a ban or implemented regulations on the use of any kind of plastic bag. Places taking these measures include Hawaii, North Carolina, Italy, China, many countries in Africa, and some states in Australia and India. Overall, about 127 countries regulate plastic bags in some way. These regulations include phasing out plastic bags and providing incentives for reusable bags, too.

Despite these regulations, plastic bags continue to be a massive problem for our planet. Each year, 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean harming fish and wildlife. When plastic enters the food chain, it can also harm human health.

5 Facts About Plastic Bags

It takes between 100 and 500 years for plastic bags to disintegrate.
We make 5 trillion plastic bags each year.
The average person uses a plastic bag for 25 minutes.
Every minute around the world, we use 1 million plastic bags.
Plastic bags kill around 100,000 marine animals each year.

Besides being bad for the environment, plastic bags are also poorly designed and rarely get recycled.

7 WAYS TO HAVE A #PlasticBagFreeDay

Environmental organizations and concerned citizens hold events around the world. The events raise awareness of the negative impact that single-use plastics have on the environment.

Commit to cutting down on the use of plastic bags.
Save your plastic bags and take them to a recycling center.
Use reusable bags for shopping.
Educate others on the adverse effects plastic bags have on the environment.
Learn about how plastic bags can harm animals.
Encourage your community to reduce its reliance on plastic bags.
Watch a documentary on single-use plastics, such as A Plastic Ocean or Bag It.

While you're learning more about reducing plastic bag use, spread awareness for this day, too. Join the conversation on social media with #PlasticBagFreeDay or #BreakFreeFromPlastic.