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Colorful, fun, non-toxic, eco-friendly lunch boxes. The waste-free New Generation Lunch Box saves time and money!
Why Go Green?
“Green” is the new buzz word. Everything is “going green.” From “green cars” to “green toys” to “green homes,” becoming environmentally responsible is the way to go. Gone are the days of using plastic bags as if they are grown on trees. Wasteful use of plastic is “out” and eco-friendly, environmentally responsible ways of living are “in." As parents, and even for those of us who are not parents, it is our obligation to keep our planet as healthy as we can for future generations. We can all do our part by making simple changes that require very little effort.
The first thing we need to do is become educated about what plastic bags are doing to our planet. Here are just a few staggering facts and statistics:
- 1000 years: Some scientists estimate that it can take up to 1000 years for one plastic bag to decompose.1 However, the estimated number of years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill is somewhat disputed. Because plastic bags have been around for roughly 50 years, there is no way to know exactly how long this process will take.
- 500,000,000,000 and 1,000,000,000,000 (look at all those zeros!): The number of plastic bags used worldwide each year.2
- 80% of all plastic bags are used in North America and Western Europe.3
- 100,000,000,000 plastic bags are thrown away by Americans each year.3
- 60,000: The number of plastic bags used in the U.S. every five seconds.4
- Over 100,000 seabirds, dolphins, whales, and other sea animals are killed each year by plastic bag use.1 These animals often mistake plastic bags for food and die after ingesting them because the bags have obstructed their digestive systems. Or the sea animals get entangled in them and suffocate or starve to death as a result.
- Roughly 12 million barrels are oil is used annually to make the plastic bags that Americans consume.5
- On average, there are four plastic bags used each day to make lunch for one child. This adds up to almost 1000 plastic bags used each year for one child’s lunch! For this one child, they will use 9000 plastic bags while they are in school from kindergarten through 8th grade!6
EMPOWERMENT: ANOTHER REASON TO GO GREEN
The power of empowerment is underrated. Children and adults alike love to feel like they are doing good, helping out, and contributing to a greater good. Teaching our children what it means to say NO TO PLASTIC BAGS gives them a sense of pride that they are doing their part in this world. Use your quest to end the use of plastic bags in your child’s lunch as a teachable moment. Include your child in on the decision to eliminate plastic bag use in their school lunch. Empower them to be thoughtful decision makers. Often times, empowered children become inspired adults.
References
1. Lapidos, Juliet. "Will My Plastic Bag Still Be Here is 2507?" www.slate.com. N.p., 27 June 2007. Web. 19 July 2010.<http://www.slate.com/id/2169287>.
2. "Evironmental Impact of Plastic Bags." www.Natural-Environment.com. N.p., 10 Jan. 2008. Web. 18 July 2010.
<http://www.natural-environment.com/blog/2008/01/10/environmental-impact-of-plastic-bags/>
3. Halweil, Brian. "Good Stuff? - Plastic Bags." www.worldwatch.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2010.
<http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1499>.
4. Root, Jessica. "60,000 Plastic Bags are Being Used This Second: Help Slow it Down." http://planetgreen.discovery.com. N.p.,
16 Apr 2009. Web. 18 Jul 2010. <http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/plastic-bag-facts.html>.
5. Lohan, Tara. "The Great Plastic Bag Plague." www.alternet.org. N.p., 5 Sept. 2007. Web. 18 July 2010.
<http://www.alternet.org/environment/61607/
6. Market Research, 2010.
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