Plastic Bags

I went out for a walk with my son with my son in some local parks today. We walked alone Duck Creek and Spring Creek. The creeks cut through the rocks and soil so they run about 30 feet below the level of the ground in park. During a heavy rain event these creek can rise the entire 30 feet of the creek walls. When the creeks are running heavy there is a lot of debris in the water. One type of debris is plastic grocery bags. These bag get caught on the roots and tree branches that line the walls of the creek. After the rain runoff recedes, the plastic bags remain. There must be thousands plastic bags that line the 1 mile or so of creek we walked past. I know this type of thing is happening to creeks all around the country. The plastic bags are an eyesore and I know these bags aren't good for the environment. But what can be done stop this plastic bag scourge?

The answer is simply. Use reusable cloth bags to bring items home from supermarkets and discount stores. These cloth bags are very durable, hold more items than plastic bags and don't break like plastic. I can easily carry two gallons of milk in one cloth bag. A bonus is that the cloth handle is easier to grip and easier on the hands. Its easy to remember to bring the bags to the store. I just throw them in the trunk of my car after I empty the bags at the house.

Using reusable cloth bags is one simple, easy and inexpensive way to help the environment. It will also improve the looks of our creeks.