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The Facts about Reusable Bags

Paper, Plastic, or Reusable? The bag you choose does make a difference!

Did you know that Americans use over 100 billion plastic bags each year? If 25% of families used 10 fewer bags per month, we would save 2.5 billion bags per year!

Learn the facts and decide for yourself.

  Paper Plastic Reusable
What raw materials are used to make this bag?
  • Used paper bags
  • Recycled corrugated cardboard
  • Residuals from wood manufacturing
  • Non-renewable petroleum or gas
  • Polyethylene
  • Polypropylene
  • Cotton
  • Other durable materials
At the end of the bags life, what happens to it?
  • Recycle curbside
  • Biodegradable in compost
  • Recyclable at some stores
  • Not biodegradable
  • The life of a reusable bag is quite long. Pass it on to a friend if it is still usable!
What percent of these bags are recycled?
  • 15% to 20%
  • 1% to 3%
  • These bags are reusable and refillable. Some can be recycled through special recyclers.
How many bags will a family use per week or year?
  • Four grocery bags per week equals 208 paper bags per year.
  • Eight plastic (1/2 capacity or paper bags) per week equals plastic bags per year
  • Four reusable bags per year

Take the Reuse Challenge

If every Stillwater household reused bags for one week, we could eliminate over 118,000 plastic or 59,000 paper bags. That's in just one week. Can you imagine the impact over a month? year?

Reusable bags are easier to carry than paper or plastic, can hold more items per bag, and make less garbage!

Remember, if you are buying just a few items, it's okay to go without a bag altogether.