Paper or Plastic... or Cloth?

I just read an email that my friend Mary K. forwarded to me about the dangers of using plastic shopping bags. The PowerPoint presentation that was included was quite informative and disturbing!

Consider the following facts:

• Between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year.
• Plastic bags have been found floating north of the Arctic Circle and as far south as the Falkland Islands.
• Over time they break down into smaller, more toxic petro-polymers which contaminate our soil and water.
• Plastic bags kill wildlife everyday.
• If we use a cloth bag we can save 6 bags a week, or 24 bags a month, or 288 bags a year, or 22,176 bags in an average life time.
• Many cities and countries are banning the use of plastic shopping bags.

I started using cloth shopping bags a couple of weeks ago and I absolutely love it! Plus, some of the grocery stores that sell them donate a portion of the proceeds to charity or another deserving cause (at least they do in Chicago). I urge you all to consider this and take action!