International Plastic Bag Free Day: What People Must Know About The Movement

The International Plastic Bag Free Day, observed on July 3 every year, is a day dedicated to celebrating and recognizing the global movement against single-use plastic bags.

It is a part of a much larger crusade called Break Free from Plastic, which is centered around making the world safe from plastic pollution.

The International Plastic Bag Free Day movement is worth fighting for, and not just on July 3, but every day. Here's why!

Single-Use Plastic Bags Are Bad For Earth

1- Single-use plastic bags and plastic in general, are awful for the planet. About one million plastic bags are used every minute across the world.

2- People use plastic bags for an average of 25 minutes then throw them away. However, these bags take about 100 to 500 years to disintegrate. In other words, plastic bags outlive human beings and are only used for a couple of minutes.

3- The discarded plastic bags end up in landfills and often escape to the ocean where they largely contribute to marine disasters. Millions of animal deaths occur every year due to plastics -- it usually happens when marine animals get entangled in plastic bags and other objects made of plastic. In some cases, these pollutants even block the creatures' digestive system.

4- Materials made from plastic can hamper animals' movement, pierce their organs, and even affect their urge and ability to eat, causing them to starve and die. Although there are other scenarios that lead to animal death, plastics remains a risk for creatures that don't even use them.

5- Plastics can also harm humans, especially when they contaminate food sources, agricultural soil and water supply. Moreover, plastics can enter the human body as microplastic. This exposure leads to health risks due to the toxins present in plastics.

Good Habits You Adopt On International Plastic Bag Free Day

The following are some simple steps you can take on this day and beyond to help save the planet from plastic pollution.

1- Stop using plastic bags- The best way to celebrate this day is to take action against the use of plastic bags. Start by making small changes in your lifestyle like bringing your own reusable bag while grocery shopping. A bag made of cloth is bound to last longer, plus you can easily wash them whenever they get dirty.

2- Reuse and upcycle- Plastic bags are used everywhere, so it's very likely that you have a stash of plastic bags in your house. Instead of simply storing them or throwing them away, try to reuse them whenever you can.

3- Check alternatives- Finding alternatives to plastic bags is easy. However, you have to keep in mind that the fight against the use of plastic bags is just a fraction of a broader movement. Educate yourself about the alternatives you can use to really minimize your use of plastic in general.