Our food co-op is implementing a new policy on Earth Day of no more plastic bags. The article in the newsletter basically says that they are doing away with one-use carrier bags, have started a "bag tree" where you can borrow a cloth bag if you have forgotten yours and are having a sewing bee to make 1,000 bags for the bag tree/people who can't afford their own. There will still be a limited supply of paper bags on hand, and they always have the boxes from inventory available to take your groceries home in, also.
I have been using my market basket and 2 reusable cloth grocery bags from Hannaford (which I love because they fold and snap into a neat little package) for some time now. I also have been making an effort to not contribute to the rampant consumerism in our country, and have spent much less time at Target, the dollar store, etc. Prior to this, we would accumulate massive amounts of plastic bags which we would repurpose as much as possible and the rest went in the recycling container at the grocery store. A couple of months ago I asked myself why I was paying for plastic bags to throw our garbage away in, and stopped. Now we are out of plastic bags. We have broken down and purchased a box of garbage bags again.
I was thinking about what would happen if all stores started this policy of no plastic bags. On the one hand, I think it's great-- less pollution from the production and distribution, less non-biodegradable junk in the world, less risk to the animals who accidentally ingest or get tangled up in the things. But on the other hand, it ain't so great-- no more free trash bags or bags to put sandy, wet clothes in at the beach or bags for dropping a few things off with a friend. We use these bags all the time, for a variety of reasons, and I'm already feeling the pinch from my choice to not take them from the store.
So what do you think? Could you live without plastic bags?
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5 comments:
I use plastic bags daily to dispose of the cat litter/scoopings. I can't think of anything else to use for that off-hand.
Mum
Okay then, how did people survive before plastic bags?
I buy them only for garbage and have recently discovered that Glad now makes a recycled trash bag.
I am now all caught up on Hott Mama and feel much better!
Oh and did you know that ANTM starts on the 20th!!!
K
Jamie and I use multiple bags each day for the dog walks. When we went home in November my folks gave us all of their collected bags (probably about 100!). I grab extras at the grocery when we are running low. It would be tough to be without them, between the dog and the cat.....
Well considering I do have 3 nice re-usable bags (one of which is the most lovely and from you, my dear) I still have enough plastic bags in my kitchen to start my own bag tree. Plus (and this is really embarrassing) we have two body bag size bags filled in Steve's truck to bring to be recycled. Man am I not green
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I’m looking forward to your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
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