This document discusses the benefits of using reusable bags and provides statistics about plastic bag usage and its environmental impacts. It notes that using reusable bags over a lifetime can remove over 22,000 plastic bags from the environment. Plastic bags take 15-1000 years to break down and kill 100,000 marine animals annually. The document encourages readers to start using one reusable bag to help reduce plastic bag usage and environmental harm.

1. REUSABLE
BAGS!
Hannah Thome

2. WHY USE REUSABLE BAGS?
 Did you know that one person alone using reusable bags over their
lifetime would remove more than 22,000 plastic bags from the
environment?
 Using Reusable bags helps save the environment! By simply
changing one habit you can help save the world!
(Taylor & Villas-Boas,2016)

3. SOME STATISTICS
 It takes anywhere between 15-1,000 years to break down plastic
depending on the environment.
 Every year there are approximately 100,000 marine animals killed
from suffocation and ingestion of plastic bags.
 10% of U.S. coastlines wash-up is made up of plastic bags.
(Bollinger & Karmarkar, 2015)

4. WHAT CAN YOU DO?
 The overall goal is to only use reusable bags never use a plastic
bag again. However, this is a lot easier to say than it is to actually
complete.
 I ask you to just use one reusable bag. GIVE IT A CHANCE!!
 You can help save the world!
 If you like it, then get more and over time you can stop using
plastic bags!

5. HOW CAN THIS EFFECT YOU?
 In order for people to make plastic bags the process takes a lot of
nonrenewable resources. Oil and natural gas are just two of the
many. You use oil and natural gas to fuel your car. If we keep
using plastic bags at the rate we are today gas prices could rise
significantly. Eventually we may run out of these nonrenewable
resources all together.
 Plastic bags are killing our marine animals at very high rates. If
marine animals become extinct the food chain will experience
changes. This could mean that many more animals could die and
we as humans will lose a food source.

6. HOW TO GET INVOLVED
 Just start using reusable bags!
 You can find them at most grocery stores.
 They are not very expensive, some stores even give them to you
for free if you ask!
 Once you start your friends will start using reusable bags too!

7. GO REUSABLE!
 Get one reusable bag and start using it!
 Get your friends to use reusable bags too!
 You can help save the world!

8. REFERENCES
 Taylor, R. L., & Villas-Boas, S. B. (June 2016). Bans vs. Fees:
Disposable Carryout Bag Policies and Bag Usage. Applied
Economic Perspectives and Policy, 38, 351-372. Retrieved from
http://
apps.webofknowledge.com.proxy.library.ohiou.edu/full_record.d
o? product=WOS&search_mode=GeneralSear
ch&qid=16&SID=4Av4jc8WAuyAcIgwTIc&page=1&doc=1
 Bollinger, B., & Karmarkar, U.R. (July 2015). BYOB: How Bringing
Your Own Shopping Bags Leads to Treating Yourself and the
Environment. Journal of Marketing, 79, 1-15. Retrieved from http://
apps.webofknowledge.com.proxy.library.ohio.edu/full_record.do
product=WOS&search_mode=GeneralSearch&qid=6&SID=4Av4jc8
WAuyAcIgwTIc&page=1&doc=2