The Classic City Rotary of Athens Eco Passport is a year-long initiative to encourage members to engage in eco-friendly activities and promote environmental awareness. Members earn points by completing various sustainable actions, such as recycling, composting, attending environmental talks, and participating in service projects. ECORotary@sosuin.org
🍃 Opt for Paper Bags Instead of Plastic in Athens-Clarke County! 🍃
Eco Passport Item # 2 – “Opt for paper bags instead of plastic”
By Salome Alvarez, Southern Sustainability Institute, Athens, GA
Email: Blog@sosuin.org
Making environmentally friendly choices is crucial to keeping Athens-Clarke County beautiful, and one small, impactful step you can take is opting for paper bags instead of plastic. Here’s why this simple switch matters for our community and the planet:
Why Choose Paper Bags?
- Biodegradable: Paper bags break down much faster than plastic, which can linger in the environment for hundreds of years. A paper bag decomposes in about a month, while plastic can take up to 1,000 years to break down!
- Recyclable: Paper is one of the most easily recyclable materials. When you choose paper, you’re choosing a bag that can go back into the recycling loop and be reused for other products, reducing the demand for new resources.
- Renewable Resources: Paper bags are made from trees, a renewable resource, unlike plastic bags which are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. Many paper bags are also sourced from sustainably managed forests, ensuring that trees are replanted and forest ecosystems are preserved.
Plastic Bags: A Growing Problem
Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges we face today. Plastic bags often end up as litter, polluting our parks, rivers, and oceans. Wildlife can mistake plastic for food, leading to tragic consequences for local ecosystems. In Athens-Clarke County, our local waterways are no exception, and plastic bags are a significant contributor to litter in our rivers and creeks.
Switching to paper bags is a powerful way to reduce plastic waste, keeping our community and natural environment cleaner and healthier for future generations.
How Can You Help?
- Bring your own paper or reusable bags when shopping.
- Request paper bags at stores instead of plastic, especially when offered a choice.
- Recycle your used paper bags in your curbside recycling bin or at a local recycling center, keeping the materials in use.
- Support local stores that encourage eco-friendly practices like using paper bags or offering incentives for bringing reusable bags.
The Local Impact
Here in Athens-Clarke County, every action matters. By choosing paper over plastic, you’re helping to reduce waste in our landfills, limit plastic pollution, and protect our local wildlife and waterways. It’s a small step that adds up when we all participate!
Want to Learn More?
For more information on local sustainability initiatives and how you can reduce waste in Athens-Clarke County, visit the Athens-Clarke County Sustainability Office.
🌎 Together, we can make Athens a cleaner, greener place to live! Let’s opt for paper bags and help create a more sustainable future—one bag at a time!
