USING cloth bags for shopping is observed more and more. It is an eco-friendly way to reduce plastic waste.

Millennials and Gen Z are leading this shift due to growing environmental awareness.

Both generations consider environmental responsibility when making their purchasing ­decisions, including choosing brands with sustainable ­policies that facilitate and promote recycling.

They prefer sustainable options, even choosing to pay more for plastic-free products.

One of the easiest habits that can be adopted to save the Earth, and a cost-saving practice in the long run, is to bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store and malls.

Cloth bags are made from various materials such as fabric or jute; they also serve as stylish and eco-friendly carriers.

Some are made by repurposing fabric scraps or upcycling plastic-based wrappers.

Bringing your own reusable bag also saves money, while significantly reducing environmental harm.

One can save up to RM52 a year by avoiding five plastic bags a week.

Cloth bags can also be sewn using fabric scraps. — Filepic

In Selangor, single-use plastic bags make up a considerable portion of the total waste generated, though specific figures are not readily available.

Despite a 20sen charge per plastic bag in the state, its use remains high.

Single-use plastics are a major problem.

They do not break down, they pollute our land and water, and harm marine life.

Sunlight breaks them into tiny pieces, which marine animals mistake for food.

It is time to avoid plastics and to choose plastic-free alternatives for a healthier environment.

Innovative solutions are crucial to prevent future pollution.

Bringing your own shopping bags to the supermarket or malls is a cost-saving habit in the long run.— Filepic

Businesses really need to adopt smart, eco-friendly strategies throughout their operations to make a positive environmental impact.

One way to reduce plastic that is being used in ­packaging is for businesses to deliver refills of everyday needs to people’s doors, as this replaces low-value plastic with refill service, thus reducing waste.

If this can be implemented, it will allow consumers to buy household products without new plastic packaging.