Bin with compost items and suggestions on what to do with paper and compostable bags, Union Square Farmer's Market, New York City. (Photo by: Joan Slatkin/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) ...
Using plastic bags is an ecological disaster; it takes about 1,000 years for one to degrade in a landfill (and even then, it leaves behind microplastics that can add toxins to soil or water).