Not So Fantastic Plastic

If you're still using plastic bags, you're not only very out of touch with current fashion trends, but also very ignorant to the environment. By now we all know the detriments of using plastic bags when buying groceries, but in case you feel there's still something missing, Trend Hunter is giving you all you need to know to make the switch.

If you hate following trends, this one's still for you. You might be the last person to ever consider snagging an "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" tote, but there is such a huge range of alternatives. There are no excuses.

Creative? Make your own. Style conscious? Check out some of the bags featured before, or, for a dose of something fashionable yet new, check out Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB), the Vancouver, Canada company whose bags are featured in the gallery.

Quick plastic bag facts:
A plastic bag takes about 1,000 years to dissolve
Up to a trillion plastic bags are used each year worldwide (a million bags/minute)
The average family takes home 6-10 bags from each grocery run (780-1,300 bags a year)

And Vista Magazine points out, "Don't be fooled into thinking that paper bags are an environmentally friendly alternative â€" they use more energy and water, generate more air pollution and toxic waste, and take up more space in a landfill."

The health and wellness magazine also points out that, "When one tonne of plastic bags is reused, the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil is saved." That's because "Plastic bags start as crude oil, natural gas or other petrochemicals that are transformed into polymer resin."