It doesn't take long to understand how our addiction to plastic started - it's a lightweight, versatile, and inexpensive alternative to materials of the past, but it has a dark side, too; plastic is having a damaging impact on our environment, especially the ocean.
That's why we launched tikós, our newest line of cuffs made from 100% ocean plastic. We want to not only shine a light on the growing issue with ocean plastic, but we wanted to encourage individuals across to globe to rethink their relationship with plastic. One easy change we can all make? Bring a reusable bag with us whenever we go shopping, instead of using a single-use plastic bag.
Even the smallest changes, like no longer using plastic bags, can have a ripple effect over time. Here are 5 reasons you should bring the bag:
1. We use trillions of bags every year.
An estimated four trillion plastic bags are used every year around the globe. The U.S. alone uses 14 billion plastic bags for everything from grocery shopping to checking out at our favorite retailers. Save the plastic and toss your goods into your purse, backpack, or a reusable bag. If you always seem to forget a bag, leaving one in your car or by the front door with your keys so you can easily grab it on your way out the door.
2. Only 1% of plastic bags are recycled.
Recycling is an easy and effective way to ensure plastic bags are reused to make new products. Unfortunately, they can wreak havoc on the equipment at recycling plants and can’t be tossed in our recycling bins. Instead, they must be brought to drop-off centers, like at grocery stores, for proper recycling. This extra step has proven to be detrimental to how often they’re recycled - only 1% of plastic bags are returned for recycling.
Not sure where to bring your plastic bags? Use this locator to find a local recycling drop-off location.
3. 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags every year.
Plastic bags are lightweight, making them easily blown into rivers and the ocean by gusts of wind. An estimated 100,000 marine animals are killed from plastic bags each year from both entanglement and ingesting them.
4. Plastic bags are made from dirty fossil fuels.
Oil is used to make plastic, giving the material a hefty carbon footprint. It’s estimated that approximately 12 million barrels of oil are used to make a year’s supply of the plastic bags used in the U.S. When you think about how the average American throws out 520 bags per year, that’s enough fuel to power a car for 60 miles of driving. Choosing to bring the bag doesn’t just protect marine life, it keeps fossil fuels in the ground instead of emitted into our atmosphere.
5. They stick around for decades.
Despite only being used for an average of just 12 minutes, plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to degrade. This incredibly lengthy lifespan means they are at risk of harming the environment for a long, long time.
Clean the ocean with a tikós cuff made from 100% recycled ocean plastic. Each design serves as a daily reminder to break our addiction to ocean plastic.