Plastic Bag Impact

Most American households have an exponentially growing number of plastic grocery bags stuffed in various nooks throughout the kitchen. We use plastic bags almost daily, yet only a small percentage of them are recycled.

Letting the Cat out of the Bag: The Real Facts

• About 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed each year
• Only 5.2 percent of the plastic bags and sacks in the municipal waste stream were recycled in 2005
• Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal clean-ups according to the Center for Marine Conservation
• Plastic bags do not biodegrade, they photo degrade, which means they slowly break down into smaller and smallest toxic bits which can contaminate soil and waterways
• Plastic litter can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.

To find out where you can recycle plastic bags in your area, use the recycling locator provided.