A seller of [reusable shopping bags](http://www.amazon.com/Pop-Design-Expandable-Eco-Friendly-Lightweight/dp/B00UHAMMDG/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1442708318&sr=8-22&keywords=shopping+bags) is fed up with the waste he sees going on in the world, and has just announced that he has taken a pledge to do all he can to improve the environment. If people only understood the harm we are doing to the planet, they would think twice about using plastic grocery bags to bring home their purchases when shopping," the retailer said.
He relies on statistics that show people across the globe use millions of plastic bags everyday, and most of those bags don't even make into recycling centers because the cost of recycling them is prohibitive. And most experts agree that it can take up to 500 years for a single plastic bag to degrade. Instead of ending up in landfills, many plastic bags end up in the ocean, says experts. In fact, it's estimated that there is a floating garbage dump in the middle of the ocean that is twice the size of the United States. And most of that trash heap is made up of plastic bags.
The impact of that is more than just the pollution, say the experts. They estimate that more than 1 million birds, turtles and other sea life die each year after ingesting plastic bags. They do it because they can't tell the difference between a plastic bag and food.
I have faith in humankind," says the expert, and I believe that if I do my part to get the word out about the importance of using reusable shopping bags, it can make a difference."
Indeed, the numbers back up his claims. When Washington, D.C. passed a plastic bag tax, it reduced usage by 60 percent. And when Los Angeles began to charge ten cents per bag, consumer use went down by 95 percent. And the city of San Jose was able to reduce its plastic bag usage when it enacted measures to cut down on the usage. The average number of uses per person went from 3 bags each time they visited a store to .3 bags.
The earth belongs to all of us," says the retailer, and we are responsible for kind of shape we leave it in for our children. I'm just asking the public to think before they go shopping. If everyone simply carried [reusable shopping bags](http://www.amazon.com/Pop-Design-Expandable-Eco-Friendly-Lightweight/dp/B00UHAMMDG/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1442708318&sr=8-22&keywords=shopping+bags) on their next grocery trip, think of the positive impact that could have on the environment."
