One substantial problem that our world faces and tries to combat today is climate change. A significant cause of this issue is single-use plastics such as plastic bags, plastic water bottles and straws. Luckily, our society has found many alternatives to replace these single-use plastics. Many people argue single-use products are more convenient for their day-to-day life; however, reusable items are often overlooked and can be just as convenient.

Single-use plastic bags, usually found in school kids’ lunch boxes, eventually end up in landfills or the ocean and can take hundreds of years to break down. Recently, the use of reusable bags to store snacks, sandwiches and chips has become more popular, but many who refuse to use them argue that they are too expensive. While the cost of reusable bags upfront may be more expensive than a box of single-use snack bags, it ends up being an investment that saves money in the long run. You can find reusable snack bags on Amazon ranging in prices, but most of them cost around ten dollars for eight reusable snack bags. In contrast, a box of Ziploc sandwich bags from Walmart costs roughly $8.80 for 40 of them, making each bag 22 cents. However, by using reusable snack bags, you can save up to 500 plastic bags per one reusable bag from ending up in landfills and the ocean, along with saving a good amount of money. 

Another way to reduce your plastic footprint on the Earth is to get paper bags or bring your own reusable shopping bags instead of putting your groceries into plastic bags. One alternative to plastic shopping bags is bringing reusable bags from home, but if it is unattainable to get reusable bags, many grocery stores like Hy-Vee offer paper bags with no extra charge. This way you can help the environment be less polluted with no charge.

The thought that living more sustainably is too expensive is a large misconception. In the long run, sustainable living will actually provide relief for both your bank account and the Earth While in many instances the cost may be greater upfront, living sustainably will pay out if you stick with it. 

According to Live Science, if we don’t act fast and learn how to live more sustainably, our world is in danger of extinction. Even by changing one simple habit like using reusable shopping bags or snack bags instead of single-use plastic bags, we are taking a step in the right direction to a more sustainable Earth.