A slideshow hosted on Slideshare. The facts presented make it pretty obvious: In terms of bang for the buck, switching to reusable bags is one of the most positive lifestyle changes Americans could make.
The Co-op, as you probably know, sellls some great reusable bags! I just want to encourage everyone here to keep a second reusable bag in your car, bike, or motorcycle. (Or rickshaw, burro, or hovercraft.) We all forget to bring them along sometimes, so it's good to carry backup.
And does anybody know of any state- or county- or city-wide initiatives to ban plastic bags? Or to assess plastic bag makers for the systemic cost of bag disposal? (Which is how they do it in Europe.)
The Dangers of Plastic Bags
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John Leary
- Hardcore Co-op Volunteer
- Posts: 559
- Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:32 pm
- Location: Metuchen
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Morris Kafka
- Posts: 163
- Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:16 am
Ban the plastic bag starting at the Co-op
Hi All!
I'm so glad to see the video about plastic bags that was just posted.
I've previously written a column on this, at the time San Francisco was banning the bag. Incidentally there have been lawsuits trying to overturn the bans.
Fact is that sadly, it takes legislation in some places to enforce what could be common sense and compassion for the environment.
Hopefully here at the Co-op we don't need government rules to make the right choices for our store.
I don't know why we started providing plastic bags anyway. I know paper bags cost somewhat more up front but they biodegrade much more quickly.
We can tax bags ourselves, and by having our discount for people who bring in their own bags we are essentially assessing a fee for those who take a new bag.
I say it is high time that the co-op stop adding excess petrochemicals to the waste stream. As I've written before it is far, far better to not use something in the first place than to justify the use of it by assuming it will be recycled. Plastic bags just can't be effectively recycled - which is why less than 1% of them are. I say stop ordering and offering plastic bags. Use paper bags for those who forget to bring a bag and for bulk and use natural cellophane bags (from plant matter - readily biodegradable and non toxic for food storage) for produce and herbs.
Can we work out a system where we provide a nice cloth bag (perhaps with our logo) to each new member as a "welcome gift" that keeps giving ... by offering a discount each time they use it? The cost of this could be rolled into our fees if need be. This is one non-punative, pro-active way to model sustainability ... and isn't that our goal?
I can't ethically support our supplying plastic bags simply because people want them or because they are expedient ("cheaper") than providing paper. I would be willing to help subsidize any program that would phase plastic out as soon as possible. I know many of usl forget to bring bags sometimes and so it is necessary to have something available.
I am sure back in the old days if you forgot to bring your basket to market you had to tie your things up in your apron or buy a basket or sack. I'll bet my great grandmother automatically picked up her basket when she went out of the house to go to market, we just need to retrain ourselves that way ... and those wicker baskets lasted a lifetime if well made, some are even valuable antiques now. They certainly aren't killing wildlife and choking the planet.
It is easy being green! Morris
I'm so glad to see the video about plastic bags that was just posted.
I've previously written a column on this, at the time San Francisco was banning the bag. Incidentally there have been lawsuits trying to overturn the bans.
Fact is that sadly, it takes legislation in some places to enforce what could be common sense and compassion for the environment.
Hopefully here at the Co-op we don't need government rules to make the right choices for our store.
I don't know why we started providing plastic bags anyway. I know paper bags cost somewhat more up front but they biodegrade much more quickly.
We can tax bags ourselves, and by having our discount for people who bring in their own bags we are essentially assessing a fee for those who take a new bag.
I say it is high time that the co-op stop adding excess petrochemicals to the waste stream. As I've written before it is far, far better to not use something in the first place than to justify the use of it by assuming it will be recycled. Plastic bags just can't be effectively recycled - which is why less than 1% of them are. I say stop ordering and offering plastic bags. Use paper bags for those who forget to bring a bag and for bulk and use natural cellophane bags (from plant matter - readily biodegradable and non toxic for food storage) for produce and herbs.
Can we work out a system where we provide a nice cloth bag (perhaps with our logo) to each new member as a "welcome gift" that keeps giving ... by offering a discount each time they use it? The cost of this could be rolled into our fees if need be. This is one non-punative, pro-active way to model sustainability ... and isn't that our goal?
I can't ethically support our supplying plastic bags simply because people want them or because they are expedient ("cheaper") than providing paper. I would be willing to help subsidize any program that would phase plastic out as soon as possible. I know many of usl forget to bring bags sometimes and so it is necessary to have something available.
I am sure back in the old days if you forgot to bring your basket to market you had to tie your things up in your apron or buy a basket or sack. I'll bet my great grandmother automatically picked up her basket when she went out of the house to go to market, we just need to retrain ourselves that way ... and those wicker baskets lasted a lifetime if well made, some are even valuable antiques now. They certainly aren't killing wildlife and choking the planet.
It is easy being green! Morris