Stop using plastic bags in stores

<p>Plastic is an incredibly durable material we use everyday. However, because it is so durable, it is a threat to our environment. Plastic waste plagues our soil and our water, leaking poisons out into the ground as well as gets consumed accidentally by fish and other marine life.&nbsp;</p><p>Most plastic containers and products are designed to only be used once to begin with, filling up landfills and creating air pollution when incinerated. The plastic waste we've created cannot even be clearly accounted for, it shows up on the top and bottom of the ocean, in the Arctic ice even.&nbsp;</p><p>By saying no to plastic bags in grocery stores, we take a step closer to being plastic free and using alternatives (reusable bags for example can replace the bags you would normally receive after each purchase). With all the plastic waste currently on Earth, we have no time to spare.&nbsp;</p><p>With the amount of plastic being produced worldwide steadily increasing with demand, while we don't have a main new material to replace plastic, we can at least try to reuse and promote ideas of recyclable materials instead.</p><p>If plastic is made to be recyclable, we can create more jobs, "Studies show that a national goal of recycling 75 percent of the nation&rsquo;s waste can create 1.1 million jobs by 2030". On top of this less energy is needed to recycle materials compared to incineration, as well as skipping all the toxic fumes and waste that leak from these practices. We do ourselves a favor as well as a favor for the planet by standing up against overconsumption of plastic.</p><p>By banning plastic bags from stores, we reduce the #1 consumer of plastic waste considerably, creating a healthier environment and move towards a greener way of living for everyone on Earth.&nbsp;</p>