Think about the last plastic bag you used. The one you brought with you to the store to carry all of your favorite foods. The one that came with your sandwich from the deli. It has been twenty minutes since you have last seen it and it will most likely be seeing its last few hours within the next couple of days. Well, maybe not, since it served its purpose for you. While this bag may have made your life a little bit easier it could've been serving a much bigger purpose for the environment and will continue to do so after you have ditched it for good.

Plastic bags are one of those things that we use almost every day. Millions of bags are bought and thrown away on a daily basis all over the world. Billions are used every year! While these bags serve their purpose, the unfortunate reality is that they don't last very long since most are thrown away within just a couple of days of being bought.

Luckily enough, there is another great alternative that has been sweeping the market in recent years. Bags made up of bioplastics are quickly becoming the go-to bags for most since they are the eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based bags. Bags made of bioplastics tend to be much more decomposable than your average plastic bags. While they may look similar to the bags that you would find at your local market, they are in fact very different.

So if you haven't been a fan of Bioplastics Bags so far, here are 5 reasons that you will be very soon.

1. Unlike traditional bags, bioplastics breakdown rather than build up.

As mentioned earlier most bags are petroleum based. While this fact may not seem like a big deal at first, it actually is since it is the main reason behind why most bags take anywhere from twenty to a thousand years to fully break down. Throughout the process of most bags breaking down they release plastic particles that are very harmful to the environment and eventually find their way into the food chain, poisoning humans.

Like I mentioned earlier most bags made of bioplastics do not last very long. Bags made of bioplastics are much easier to break down, unlike their traditional bag counterparts. In fact, while many bioplastics bags are said to completely break down within just a few months time, petroleum-based bags may take as long as a hundred years to completely break down. While bags made of traditional plastics release harmful plastic particles into the environment and into the food chain, bags made of bioplastics release water, carbons and other organic matter.

This reason may just be the most important reason to switch to bags made of bioplastics rather than traditional bags. The thought of a bag potentially lasting a human his or her whole life and only being used for a matter of seconds is just sad. Bags made of bioplastics may just last longer than traditional bags, but once they've fulfilled their purpose they're not going to be continuing to pollute the environment and be around for another hundred years.

2. They help prevent ocean/wildlife pollution.

Unfortunately, animals and the ocean are some of the ones bearing the brunt of the damage caused by the pollution and carelessness caused by the use of plastic bags. Animals such as turtles who live in the ocean can mistake bags for food (like jelly fish) and choke on them or be poisoned by them. Similar things happen to other animals such as birds and fish. Other unfortunate side effects of animals interacting with plastic bags include becoming entangled in them causing them to choke, suffocate and/or other fatal injuries.

Being made of plant based material, bioplastics are much less harmful to animals and the ocean when, unfortunately, they are carelessly tossed aside after being used, or even worse, directly tossed into the ocean. While it would be great if we didn't use bags at all, it is even more important that we don't use them around large bodies of water and delicate wildlife. Unfortunately, we can't be everywhere to stop people from using bags around places such as these, so it is necessary that we do our part to make sure that they aren't as negatively affected by something as careless as a plastic bag.

While it would be great if we didn't use bags at all, bags made of bioplastics are the ideal alternative to traditional bags when it comes to wildlife and the ocean since they pose much less of a threat when, unfortunately, they are carelessly tossed aside or, unfortunately, end up in the ocean.

3. They have a much smaller carbon footprint

Most traditional plastics are made of crude oil or natural gas. Fuels such as crude oil and natural gas are non-renewable resources meaning that they will not be around forever. Not only are these bags much more harmful to the environment once they are discarded, but their production has much larger negative effects on the environment in terms of carbon emissions.

Bioplastics are much better in this sense since they are mainly made of plants rather than crude oil. While they are, unfortunately, not completely free from carbon emissions, they are better than traditional plastics in this sense. Being plant based, they tend to absorb carbon dioxide which is much better for the environment. Though they may not seem like the best option in terms of carbon emissions, studies have shown plant-based plastics tend to have a smaller overall footprint in comparison to their traditional counterparts.

Anyone who is concerned about carbon emissions and their effects on the environment should strongly consider using bags made of bioplastics rather than traditional bags. It's easy to forget, but even small gestures like this can have an overwhelmingly large impact on our fight against climate change-especially when they are performed on a global scale.

4. They help promote a shift away from fossil fuels

Much like carbon emissions, fossil fuels should be a concern for everyone. While they are abundant and cheap there is only so much of them before they are depleted meaning that they will not be around forever. Traditional plastics are a direct result of the use of fossil fuels meaning that they promote and encourage their use-especially with how much we rely on them.

Bags made of bioplastics on the other hand promote and encourage a shift away from fossil fuels. Being made of plants, they are much more reliable and sustainable and help reduce our overall dependence on fossil fuels. Not only do they promote and encourage a shift in our overall dependence on fossil fuels, but they also help promote a shift in our attitudes towards sustainability in general. More and more business owners are starting to realize the potential in using bioplastics since it helps promote their values and, therefore, their products as well. A large number of business owners and organizations worldwide are starting to see how much potential there is in using bioplastics and making sustainability a priority especially with how much they use plant-based products to market their products as being more eco-friendly than their competitors'.

5. They're a realistic and practical option.

And, finally, they get the job done. They're as simple and practical as your average plastic bags only being a much better alternative in almost every other way. Bags made of bioplastics may be a pretty recent product, but they're now much more widely available in places where plastic bags are sold. In fact, many companies have started to use bioplastics for their products. This makes them much more widely available for purchase nowadays than they have ever been. Not only are they much more widely available, but their prices are now much more competitive with traditional bags which makes them an even more appealing option for most at a much lower cost.

From an almost business owners point of view, they are more practical both in production and use. They may even be a viable option for promoting their values. Most, if not all people would want the company that they buy their products from to be making more sustainable choices. Making small efforts like switching to bioplastics might not seem like much to some, but, especially from a business point of view, they are great choices since they help promote sustainability without having to make too many changes to what already exists.

Making the Switch: Next Steps

Now that you have thought about your reasons for switching to bioplastics, here are a few ideas for getting started.

First and foremost, you should switch out your grocery bags with bags made of bioplastics

They are arguably the most used bag out of all bags you could be using, or may not be using if you aren't a regular shopper. You may want to start small and only use bags made of bioplastics when you are doing your grocery shopping before moving onto your other bags. When you go bag shopping you should make sure that they are, in fact, compostable since many bags try to trick you into thinking they're eco-friendly when they really aren't. As a quick aside, most bags made of traditional plastics are not compostable.

It is also a great idea to bring bags with you to the grocery story or wherever you may be shopping when possible. Though using bags made with bioplastics is definitely a great start, there's always room for improvement.

When you're able to, try bringing bags with you rather than using one made of bioplastics every time you go out shopping. You could have a couple of them in the back of your car or maybe kept near the front door so that you don't forget them. Though they may not seem like much at first, it is always best to reduce the amount of plastic bags you use when ever possible no matter if they're made of bioplastics or traditional plastics.

You should also speak with the businesses or shops that you frequent about using bags made of bioplastics. If you're a devoted customer then any of the stores, restaurants, or grocery shops that you frequent will more than likely be open to considering the suggestion. And, if they're receptive to the suggestion then you've not only helped promote their shift to a more sustainable future, but you've also made it easier on them when they go shopping for bags.

And, lastly, you should remember that you don't have to toss your old plastic bags as soon as you start using bags made of bioplastics. Use up all of the bags you may have until they're gone and then you can buy more bags made of bioplastics, or, maybe buy some bags for yourself so that you can take advantage of the differences bioplastics make in terms of your plastic bag usage.

Small Changes, Big Repercussions

It's easy to forget how small something like a plastic bag is and how much damage it can do when you carelessly toss it after having used it when you don't have to. However, each bag you toss adds up in the long run, and when it comes to bags made of bioplastics they're much more important in the long run. Not only do they have a much smaller environmental impact they also help promote and encourage a more sustainable and healthier future and making small changes like ditching traditional bags in favor of bioplastics can help make a huge difference in the long run.

At Revolve Green, we believe that making a difference, not only in how we treat and protect the environment, but also in how we live our lives in general doesn't need to be hard or complicated. It simply needs to start as small as switching a plastic bag with a bioplastic bag at the grocery store. The next time you're given a bag at the store, make the switch to a bioplastic bag and make a positive change in the world.