After participating in a trash cleanup on Earth Day, I was surprised to see how many Publix single use plastic grocery bags were on the side of roads. Items such as newspapers are considered biodegradable because microorganisms recognize them as food. It takes up to 5 months for a newspaper meal to be consumed and recycled back into our earth. Plastic grocery bags are made up of polymers that microorganisms don't recognize as food so they are not biodegradable. They are photodegradable because they are broken down by the ultraviolet rays from the sun which scientists believe take anywhere between 500 to 1,000 years.There is an estimated use of 500 billion plastic grocery bags annually and they account for about 10% of all of the debri that washes ashore. Having your store logo as part of a trash cleanup isn't part of a wise marketing plan. Most of us have reusable bags at home or even in the trunks of our cars that we forget to take in. If grocery stores offered a small incentive for bringing in those reusable bags, it might help serve as a reminder. Publix sets the bar, so let's set it!