Do you buy disposable plastic shopping bags? Check how much you can save by choosing ecological solutions.

We all know that plastic bags are harmful to the environment, take several hundred years to decompose, remain in landfills and litter the seas, fields, forests and oceans. Only some of us know that the European Union, in the fight against the plague of plastic bags, has issued a directive requiring the introduction of a recycling fee for plastic bags. Not all of us are aware that we can avoid paying the recycling fee associated with purchasing a plastic bag. There is a very simple way to do this - stop buying plastic bags and buy reusable bags. Ecological bags have many advantages - they are not subject to recycling fees, they do not decompose for years, they do not remain in seas, forests and oceans, and, above all, their service life is long. Thanks to this, we will be able to enjoy the usefulness of an ecological bag made of cotton for years, and a side effect of this action will be savings resulting from reducing the costs of purchasing disposable bags.

Visible savings

Plastic bags available at checkouts cost about 50 cents each, in some supermarkets the cost is much higher. It should be emphasized, however, that part of this amount is a recycling fee of at least PLN 20 for each plastic bag, and over the years this fee may increase up to PLN 1 per bag. If we add the minimal cost of bag production that stores add, and the margin, the cost of a single-use bag becomes significant. Shopping is an activity that we perform cyclically, several times a week, with greater or lesser frequency depending on demand. Therefore, it is easy to calculate that you can achieve significant savings for your home budget here. Assuming that a family of four does basic shopping in the form of bread, milk, rolls and similar items every day and uses from one to two plastic bags during such purchases, they use 5-10 plastic bags per week. Additionally, at least once a week, I make larger purchases, which require 5-7 plastic bags to pack. It is not difficult to calculate that in this arrangement, an average family spends from PLN 5 to PLN 8.50 per week on plastic bags, assuming the minimum cost of a plastic bag is PLN 0.50/pcs. Therefore, they spend from PLN 20 to PLN 34 on plastic bags per month, which translates into a yearly sum ranging from PLN 240 to PLN 408. For a family of four, this is a significant sum that can be invested elsewhere.

It should be emphasized that the calculations assume minimal costs for plastic bags; if the recycling fee is raised to PLN 1, as announced by the European Union, the total amount spent on plastic bags will increase dramatically. However, ecological bags are not subject to the recycling fee.

Investment in savings

To avoid paying fees for plastic bags, just invest in reusable bags and use them when shopping. A reusable ecological bag costs about PLN 3-5. Looking at the above calculations, you can see that it will quickly pay for itself, and if used regularly, it will start to bring savings. In addition to savings, it is also worth emphasizing other advantages of an eco bag: first of all, it is much more aesthetic than a plastic bag, it is more durable, so it will serve us for years, and we can also order such a bag with personalization. Therefore, instead of overpaying for plastic waste, invest in eco bags made of natural materials, with a print of your choice and enjoy a fashionable eco gadget and savings appearing in your account. Your home budget, Mother Nature and future generations, whose fate is certainly not indifferent to you, will be grateful to you for changing your habits.