The serious days of the year can really hit home as to how much we are impacting the environment, and International Plastic Bag Free Day is one of them. The idea is to spread awareness, but with drives to already decrease single-use plastic around the world, it is something that should always be on our minds. Still, it is important to take a closer look at what can be done on July 3rd.

What Is International Plastic Bag Free Day?

It can take up to 500 years for a plastic bag to disintegrate, which makes those images you often see of them floating in the ocean like oversized jellyfish even more haunting. Time has shown how getting the most out of an item is useful until the modern age of convenience took hold of our lives. Polyethylene is a big factor and was first created in 1933.

It wasn’t until 1965 that the polyethylene one-piece bag was invented and patented in Sweden. It reached the US in 1979 and became the staple alternative to cloth bags as they were cheap to make en masse.

It would take many decades for the world to wake up and see the environmental impact plastic bags were having on the world. The ocean suffers the most, with giant swathes of floating rubbish accumulating and threatening the lives of marine life. They are often mistaken for jellyfish by marine life, with devastating effects.

In recent times, there has been a drive to ban the use of thin plastic bags, and the world is waking up.

How To Observe International Plastic Bag Free Day

The best way to observe this day is to make sure you use sturdier bags that can be used for a long time. Not just on July 3rd, but all year round. Spread the message using the hashtag #InternationalPlasticBagFreeDay, which can remind others to do the same. You never know, we might all be free from plastic bags completely one day.