Protecting the environment should be the focus of every living human being, and one of the best ways to do this is to change how we shop for groceries. For decades we’ve been collecting our goods in plastic bags, but a huge change is taking place.

Supermarket chains in several countries around the world are demanding that shoppers bring their own reusable bags. By going down this route, it’s possible for us as a species to decrease the number of plastic bags found in gullies, and natural animal habitats.

This change is not just taking place in first world countries, but also in third-world nations on the rise. You see, earlier this year the Jamaican government upheld its promise to ban the use of plastic bags, which has forced all consumers to carry their own container to the grocery store.

Yes, things did not go smoothly in the early days, but consumers have slowly caught on, even if some do not have the full understanding of why going down this road is necessary.

As it stands, every country should ban plastic bags and support B.Y.O, because it’s one of the key movements to save the planet.