The time has come for retail outlets to abandon the disposable plastic shopping bag. Not only do plastic shopping bags end up all over the streets of towns and cities, they end up in lakes, rivers, and the ocean, where they choke marine life and birds.
Whatever the convenience offered by plastic shopping bags, their destructive impact is just too much.
Re-usable shopping bags are now available from most retailers for a small fee, normally around $1 per bag. Buying five bags creates enough reusable carrying capacity to suit most families. A $5 investment per family to eliminate the negative impact of disposable shopping bags isn’t too bad.
Re-usable shopping bags normally come in cloth, polypropylene, or canvas. Whichever material you choose, it’s a good idea to look after your shopping bags to make sure they last as long as possible.
After taking groceries home, particularly meat, remember to wash your re-usable bags to remove food-born pathogens.
Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/top-10-safety-tips-for-reusable-green-grocery-bags-that-may-be-hazardous-to-your-health