ESLC offers tips to“Love the Land” with a more green lifestyle
Reusable grocery bags a simple first step toward eco-friendly living Queenstown, Maryland – February 25, 2008 – As part of their recently launched “Love the Land” campaign, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC), a private, nonprofit land conservation organization, reminds residents to use reusable bags during their next trip to the grocery store. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans use 380 billion plastic bags annually, with only about one to three percent of those recycled. These plastic bags, which are made of polyethylene (HDPE) that take years to break down – overwhelm our landfills, increase carbon consumption, clutter waterways and landscapes and kill thousands of marine and land animals that mistakenly ingest them when foraging for food. As more Eastern Shore residents are looking for ways to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, getting started with small steps – such as using reusable grocery bags – is a good way to ease into a more green routine. ESLC urges residents to try becoming a “Bring Your Own Bag” household as a good first step toward becoming a more environmentally responsible citizen. “Every reusable bag you take with you to the store you use has the potential to eliminate hundreds, if not thousands, of plastic bags over its lifetime,” said Kristine George, ESLC’s Director of Communications. “A family that goes to the grocery store once a week can eliminate about 720 plastic bags a year if they adopt reusable bags instead. That’s a pretty easy step to take that can make a pretty incredible impact.” ESLC offers the following easy tips to adjust to life as a BYOBer. Make a pledge to use only reusable bags when you shop and purchase enough to accommodate your usual shopping needs. Urge your friends to do the same and use an inexpensive stylish reusable bag to package the