according to an article today from nj.com, those crazy, confused stares i get at the grocery store when i say, "no. no plastic bags, i have my own!" might be on the wane.the trend of banning the bag seems to be spreading. not too long ago san francisco passed a law banning non-compostable bags at large supermarkets. this article notes that similar measures have been proposed in other cities, including boston, baltimore, and portland, ore., but no such luck of a ban being proposed in jersey... yet.
as usual, we are way behind the trend globally of reducing our impact on the earth:
"Ireland instituted a 15 cent per bag tax that is credited with a 90 percent reduction in the number of bags used. In France, Paris will ban the bags by the end of the year, with the entire country slated to phase them out by 2010. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda jointly announced a ban last month on the importation and production of plastic bags of less than 30 microns in thickness and imposed an excise duty of 120 percent on the rest."
besides the sick amount of oil needed to produce all the plastics bags we use briefly and throw away, it's the throwing away that wreaks more degrees of damage:
"Ninety percent of the bags wind up in landfills, where environmentalists say they linger for decades, releasing possibly dangerous toxins as they degrade. Millions more wind up as litter, stuck in trees, clogging
waterways, fouling soil and choking marine animals, which mistake them for edible jellyfish. Last year, volunteers participating in beach cleanups organized by the Sandy Hook-based Clean Ocean Action picked up 6,349 plastic shopping bags off New Jersey beaches from Sandy Hook to Cape May -- an average of 50 per mile."so, grab a canvas bag and shop. no worries if you missed the frenzy to buy the limited run uber-cool london designer tote, "I am not a plastic bag." reusable bags has a wide array of low priced choices, totes made from recycled PET, hemp, organic cotton, etc. and while you are shopping, pick up a SIGG aluminum bottle for your tap water needs, the safe alternative to those nalgene polycarbonate plastic #7 ones. more tips for taking action. all photos from the reusable bags gallery.
4 comments:
I am so glad to hear that people are increasingly using reusable totes to transport their groceries. The amount of plastic bags used in food shopping is astounding, especially when you consider what it takes (burning fossil fuels, etc.) to make these sythentic bags, how long they're actually used, and how they are disposed of. Keep on keepin' on, la Francaise, no matter how many strange looks you get.
I noticed the other day at my neighborhood chain grocer, aptly named Giant, that I got a discount for using my own bags. It was small, like 3 cents or so, but still I nice surprise.
nice, magda! it's a small step but clearly a step in the right direction... yeah!
thanks lady liberal!
Yes, this is a truly important post and issue. The oil as La Francaise says, to produce plastic bags is astronomical. When we go to the store or just to the market for a little snack I see people putting one item in a plastic bag which makes me want to scream.
But, it is because the education about this issue is so lacking. People just don't understand what they are doing and by using tote bags one can educate just by doing...much like driving a Prius does.
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