This document summarizes a study on reusing plastic bags to save money and reduce waste. Over three weeks, the author's household reused 60 plastic bags, saving $4.20. Extrapolating to a year, reusing 960 bags would save $67.20. More significantly, reusing plastic bags over a lifetime could eliminate thousands of bags from landfills, since each reusable bag replaces an estimated 1,000 plastic bags. While the financial savings are modest, the primary benefit is reducing environmental impact by preventing plastic bags from accumulating in landfills for hundreds of years. The study had some limitations but highlights strategies for plastic bag reuse and reduction.

1. Energy Conservation Project By Kevin Klott

2. The Questions How much waste will my wife and I save by reusing plastic freezer and sandwich bags? How much money will we save?

3. Data Collection Timeline: Three weeks Recording and Calculations: Sandwich and gallon plastic bags washed daily Money saved Grocery bags brought home

4. Methodology How much does a box of sandwich bags cost? $8.99 for a 125 count box of bags ($.07 each) How many plastic bags do we use every week? 20 bags How much money do we save a week? a measly $1.40

5. Data Collection Errors This study assumes we will always buy sandwich bags at $8.99. This study didn’t include the plastic bags we used but didn’t bring home.

6. Analysis of Data Three Week Total = 60 bags, $0.07 each, $4.20 dollars Six Month Totals = 480 bags, $0.07 each, $33.60 Yearly Totals = 960 bags, $0.07 each, $67.20

7. Data Comparison According to reusablebags.com, each reusable bag you use over a lifetime eliminates 1,000 plastic bags from landfills. Based on our three week average, and assuming we live for 50 more years, we will reuse 48,000 plastic bags. On average, in 50 years we will save 48,000,000 bags from going into landfills.

8. What does it all mean? According to www.wearewhatwedo.org, a plastic bag needs 500 years to decay in a landfill. The purpose of reusing plastic bags isn’t to save money, but to save the environment. Human error played a role in this study. As teachers, we use more plastic bags during the school year than summer months.

9. Plastic Bag Saving Strategies Sandwich and freezer bags are sturdy and can be used multiple times before breaking down. Bring reusable bags to the grocery store. Given that Anchorage no longer recycles plastic bags, donate your bags to dog parks around town that need them. Online resources: reusablebags.com and wearewhatwedo.org.

10. Questions for Further Study How many grocery bags are we saving each year by using reusable grocery bags? Identify other unique ways to use plastic bags until Anchorage begins recycling them again. The environmental effect of reusing non-recyclable plastic containers.