Plastic bags may seem like a grocery shopping convenience, but they are also a huge strain on the environment.
It can take up to 500 years for plastic bags to disintegrate, so they make up a large portion of what stays in our landfills and pollutes our waterways.
International Plastic Bag Free Day looks for safer alternatives to demonstrate that a world without the use of so much plastic is possible.
It is part of the Break Free from Plastic Movement, which began in September 2016, and has been joined by nearly 1,500 different organizations.
The movement is looking for solutions to the plastic pollution crisis, to make the planet safer for humans, the environment and wildlife.
International Plastic Bag Free Day, celebrated on July 3rd
Sign-up for our science Newsletter