Perhaps it is not the biggest environmental menace compared to global warming, oil spills or the ozone layer but the humble plastic carrier bag is responsible for a considerable amount of problems and damage to the environment.
Not only do carrier bags not degrade, lingering in the environment and posing a threat, not to mention an eyesore but carrier bags are produced and discarded in the millions.
And the damage they can do is untold but they take centuries to biodegrade and are swallowed by animals such as swans. And there are an imaginable number of carrier bags lingering in the environment each day in the UK alone 10,000 are discarded. And all these bags will be around for years too.
Recent push by supermarkets
But fortunately as people get more eco friendly and environmentally aware the tide is turning. Supermarkets have made big efforts to reduce the number of bags we rely on by pushing reusable shopping bags or charging for carriers.
And there are a whole host of reusable and bio-degradable plastic bag alternatives available on the eco friendly market too. And the numbers of different styles and designs is increasing all the time as more and more people shun the plastic carrier bag:
Stylish and eco friendly
So don't think that a reusable shopping bag is going to look dowdy and dull there are some fantastic looking shopping bags out there:
Merchandising
And many business are taking advantage of this move for eco friendly shopping bags and are creating their own branding and designs.
And the designers too are getting involved and creating eco friendly shopping bags with green messages: