Paper or plastic???
By Insiteful
@Insiteful (49)
United States
February 9, 2007 10:21am CST
Which do you prefer paper or plastic grocery bags? Maybe neither is a good choice!!!
Plastic grocery bags consume about 12 million barrels of oil every year - just in the US! That's a lot of money going to the Middle East just so that we can stuff our food into bags the rip, spill their contents, and generally suck. Why do it?
Paper isn't the answer either. Processing wood into paper releases many toxic substances into the environment, and now more than ever, cutting trees for the sack a sack for your six pack is unacceptable. Living trees absorb CO2, the major greenhouse gas. Dead trees release CO2. So why use them.
A simple way to help fight pollution, help slow global warming, and help create energy independence is to use reuseable grocery bags! Do it
And, how do you all feel about demanding that the stores you shop give you a bag credit for using a reuseable bag? Don't you think that would help motivate people to break their addiction to god-aweful, plastic grocery bags???
1 person likes this
3 responses
@skiprincess (105)
•
9 Feb 07
When I go shopping I use re-usable bags - we were given some reall good ones from one of the supermarkets we go to - one was a cool bag.
If we have no choice but to use plastic carrier bags, we do not throw them away - we keep them until we can use them again.
Tesco supermarkets give us reward points for using reused bags - the points are saved up to give money off the shopping.
@Insiteful (49)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I think Tesco is on the right track. I hope that everyone will start nagging their store to give them a "bag credit." I know I will.
@AJMSmith (112)
•
9 Feb 07
We do this as well ... but we used to do this BEFORE tesco gave the "club card" points - the points are worth 1p (£0.01) per bag reused BTW.
A number of supermarkets now have a "bag for life" option ... buy a more substantial bag for a smallish sum (£0.10) and use the same bag all the time ... when it wears out it gets replaced free of charge.
@Bee1955 (3882)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I like your idea, but I buy or make cloth or rope sacks/baskets/bags and take them to the market. That way you arent causing any pollution, destroying trees and these last much longer.
@Insiteful (49)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Good for you! I applaud you. I am pretty useless at making things, so I am going to have to stick to buying nice bags.
Why not sell them?
@PoeTalker (715)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I asked this question about 2 weeks ago... but heres the biggest question of all, what if I wanted a box?
Then what?
@Insiteful (49)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Boxes are great, but it seems to me that they have the same inherent flaws of a paper bag.
Now, if you were to bring your own box and reuse it many times, then I think you would be on the right track. Personally, I am now using a canvas bag. It doesn't fall over, and will never rip.
