** Some of the images in this post may be disturbing to some readers. Viewer discretion is advised**
~I was originally planning to post this on Earth Day, but something of this magnitude shouldn’t be reserved for just one day. It’s astonishing how reliant we’ve become on plastic, so much so that Americans throw out 185 pounds of plastic a year. And it isn’t just in America: there is an average of 35 BILLION plastic water bottles thrown away a year, but only 25% of those actually get recycled…
If you were brave enough to do the math, it ends up being 8,750,000,000 bottles that actually get recycled. But what about the other 26,250,000,000?? They either end up sitting in landfills for the rest of eternity or…
inside the stomachs of birds, seals, turtles or other marine life. As intelligent as these creatures are, a turtle can’t always decipher between a jellyfish and a plastic bag. And the result is saddening
There are many steps we can take to turn this horrible phenomenon into a preventable measure. France and Germany are already a step ahead of us where they’ve banned plastic plates and cutlery.
But a small group of women from Union City, Tennessee are taking things to a new level of sustainability. Affectionately referred to as “The Bag Ladies”, these women take plastic bags and turn them into sleeping mats for the homeless and victims of natural disasters.
It takes about 600-700 bags to make 1 mat, in September 2016 they’ve made 88 mats, that’s 52,000 plastic bags they’re recycled!! Way to go ladies!
Since I can’t knit, I’m saving plastic in my own ways.
*Using a reusable water bottle instead of plastic ones
*Recycling
*Taking a reusable canvas bag to farmer’s markets and grocery stores
*If I forget to bring a canvas bag, I ask the bagger at the grocery store to give me paper bags.
*Using paper plates and bringing my own utensils to work for lunch
*Signing CARE’s petition to ban plastic bags in my town and neighboring towns
If you care about animals and the environment as much as I do, take these steps (if you aren’t already) to make the Earth a better place to live for animals and humans alike and PITCH THE PLASTIC!
*Bag Ladies (source): http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/story/33059644/i-am-local-6-bag-ladies-make-plastic-bags-into-beds-for-homeless
*For more information about CARE, find them on Facebook: Citizen Against Ruining the Environment -CARE
or e-mail them at carelockport@yahoo.com*
The Garden Goddess 