Many of you are already taking your reusable shopping bags to the grocery store and other shopping trips. Thank you!

However, the average American uses over 500 single use plastic bags every year. Altogether, we throw away 5 trillion single use plastic bags per year! Plastic bags are manufactured from 99% fossil fuels, which pollutes the environment. And in the United States only 13% of plastic is recycled, leaving 87% winding up in landfills, waterways and littering public places.

Last Summer, OTOC organized its Plastic Bag Action Team to promote retailers not to use the single use bags at checkout. Some retailers like Aldi, Costco, Trader Joes and Whole Foods already do this. Our Team is encouraging shoppers to:

• Break your habit of choosing single use plastic bags at the store checkout counters.
• Choose to use reusable cloth or propylene bags sold at many stores for around $1.00.
• Remember to keep reusable bags in your car. If you forget them, choose paper bags!

To help with this promotion, our team will be handing out FREE reusable bags at local grocery stores. OPPD has donated 100 of its orange bags, and other organizations have promised additional free bags to distribute. Our first distribution will be at the Peony Park Hy-Vee near 78th & Cass in March, exact dates to be announced.