Most local municipalities throw away +150,000 plastic bags a year with doggy poop from the parks and dog runs.
There is a recyclable bag that can be flushed, or buried. It is being tried by the Dane County Parks dept. in Madison, WI. It is made of a relative of Elmers Glue, and is eco-friendly and biodegradeable.
What about Newspaper deliveries? How many million papers a day come in a plastic bag to the entire country? What if they could be safely buried or flushed? How about Supermarkets?
Perhaps we need to use this community to ask questions and make suggestions about products that are available, and which will positively impact the status quo?
I really like your idea of sharing info and then using it to make changes in our own communities. Do you have a letter or email you've used around the newspaper or grocery bag issue? Or does anyone reading this have a letter that can be turned into a form letter that can be personalized?
I do know The Boulder Daily Camera actually puts money toward recycling the newspaper bags. The recycled bags can then be turned into plastic lumber.
Why not a cornstarch plastic newspaper sleeve? Or the glue sleeve you were talking about. Dog owners could still reuse the bags but at least the bags would break down in the garbage.
It will be interesting to see if San Francisco will go after plastic newspaper sleeves in addition to plastic bags.
On a related topic, I'm starting to seriously consider for the first time switching to online. Why? Our local papers (The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News) continue to make cuts in content while the number of ads and real estate sections, increase.
My brother says he only reads the papers online. My argument as a journalism school graduate (Missouri) is that with the print paper I end up reading stories that I might not happen upon online. I read a wider range of stories -- biographical-style obituaries, sports stories, etc. than I would online. But I'm definitely rethinking it all.
Back to plastic bags... Our family-owned, small chain of natural food stores has a special this week to encourage customers to get into the use-your-own-bag habit. Free bag with purchase and the bags also are on sale for 99 cents. I definitely am going to tell them how much I appreciate them promoting reusable bags.
The question that I have is why do Supermarkets ask: "Plastic or Paper"?
Why not "Paper or your own bag"? Why give people the wrong choice. Why not give them only the correct choices.
What would happen (really) if Supermarkets did NOT offer plastic bags? Would people never go to them again or would they learn, very fast, to bring canvas or cotton bags with them OR use brown paper bags. What is wrong with a brown paper bag?
I think we have a good opportunity arising now to shift the plastic bag consciousness in our communities. It seems like there is a growing interest in better alternatives to plastic bags.
I think that paper was too costly for supermarkets to keep giving out, so the easy way out was to use plastic bags.
I certainly don't like using plastic bags from the supermarket either, and I have way too many because I don't like throwing them out. It's pretty bad, but under my sink, there's about 1 1/2 years of plastic bags amassed there. It's getting harder and harder to keep stuffing them, and my girlfriend says that someday they'll just burst out and I'll be covered in them. I have to find a place that recycles them, if possible. In the meantime, I use them for carrying lunch.
Also, I completely understand how it is for journalists to have a soft spot for print, but trust me, you CAN wean yourself off of it. Perhaps I am different than most journalists, or maybe this is a sign of the times, but I've always read more online than in print. I was notorious for not reading our newspaper (except for days when my stories were published, usually on the front page). I would have to force myself to do so, in order to be up to speed for discussions about it in class. I preferred to read it online instead.
Just remember that your favorite newspapers have the same stories online. There may be a few stories here and there that don't get published online, but for the amount of print-only pieces that are great, there are almost twice as many web-only stories that are published online. Plus, if you use a notebook, you can always read your favorite news online, and you have access to newspapers from all around the world, most of the time without having to spend a penny.Edited by: GranolaJoe on Jun 4, 2007 9:05:06 AM
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." -Aldo Leopold
We always reuse the plastic bags we get from the grocery. It's easy to do, accept we still get too many.
With newspapers I stopped getting the regular newspaper years ago. Sometimes I was too busy to read it all and the Sunday edition has way too many sale fliers in it for me. I was seeing this pile of newspapers going to recycling that I was fully reading and decided on line was the best. I do love to read and learn about new things... now I do it mostly on line.
Print As far as transitioning to reading the newspaper online, I just don't want to always be on a computer (I don't think it's healthy to be on it at work all day and then again at home and on the weekends). However, I know I'm close to weaning off print as in newspapers (I'm not giving up all my magazines, though! I do get some from the library, borrow from work/friends and share the ones I get).
I also didn't grow up using computers (I graduated high school 21 years ago). In fact, my first News 105 (weed-out class) at MU we were on typewriters that didn't have correction tape, if you can imagine doing timed "stories" on those dinosaurs.
Plastic bags
BTW: You can recycle those plastic bags at Wal-Mart (I'm not saying you have to shop there!) or Wild Oats. As far as Iris's point, plenty of mainstream grocery stores give customers a nickel or so off their bill per a bag. I just don't think they advertise it enough.Edited by: Luckychien on Jun 5, 2007 2:12:24 PM
On Recycling Plastic Bags
(a short sermon delivered from my BYOB soapbox)
The three R's of going green are Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle...in that order!
While recycling and reusing plastic bags is better than tossing them in the trash empty, reducing the number being used is by far the best option. The manufacture of each bag uses resources that can be conserved by not using single-use bags, and recycling those bags after their one use doesn't absolve us of the sin of wasting the resources in the first place.
It is not challenging to bring your own bags shopping...I have been doing it for a while now. I take along my rag-tag collection of cotton mesh bags and free-when-you-join canvas sacks everywhere I shop, and I'm rarely hassled. (Okay, there is one security guard at our Target that likes to search my bags on my way out, but maybe he's just sweet on me). I often get comments on what a good idea it is.
Sometimes I think part of the reason people are hesitant to bring their own bags shopping is that they are reluctant to invest in reusable bags when they are constantly being given disposable bags for free—the old “Why buy the cow when you’re getting the milk for free” phenomenon. It’s one thing to acknowledge that it’s better for the environment, but quite another to lay your own money out to do it. So maybe what’s needed is a guerrilla bagging campaign to give out free shopping bags to people who will use them…perhaps Gaiam would consider tossing a free reusable shopping bag in the box with any order over $50? Or $75? Or whatever dollar amount is the magic number that makes it work.
YES,A great number of plastic bags come from supermarkets every day.
Why "bags or papers"? Why they give people choices? I suggest that plastic bags must be paid and papers for free. In China, we have started to use paper bags in some fields,but just a few. I'm sorry to some people do not see this at all. They even donnot care about environment,globle warming... But I am also very happy to find that more and more Chinese people have began thinking and taken actions.
This is our world! This is our planet! A individual deosnot make difference,but 1+1+1+1...can even make miracles!
YES,A great number of plastic bags come from supermarkets every day.
Why "bags or papers"? Why they give people choices? I suggest that plastic bags must be paid and papers for free. In China, we have started to use paper bags in some fields,but just a few. I'm sorry to some people do not see this at all. They even donnot care about environment,globle warming... But I am also very happy to find that more and more Chinese people have began thinking and taken actions.
This is our world! This is our planet! A individual deosnot make difference,but 1+1+1+1...can even make miracles!
Welcome to the forums!
It's definitely going to take lots of people's efforts to make a significant change, but I'm seeing positive signs already.
I recently started eating at this place that lets you have plastic bags that are compostable. I know this probably won't happen anytime soon, but if people are too lazy to bring themselves to use their own bags, then maybe making compostable bags mainstream would be a good compromise?
Here's some info about them:
"BioBag is the world’s largest brand of 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable bags and films made from the material, Mater-Bi. All of our products contain GMO free starch, biodegradable polymer and other renewable resources. No polyethylene is used in the production process. BioBag products meet ASTM D6400 specifications and California SB 1749 requirements. We will never compromise our earth or our standards. We invite you to review the numerous certifications we have been awarded and the quality of the Mater-Bi product."
Check them out at the BioBag site and in the pic below!
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." -Aldo Leopold
I shop at the Commissary and it always throws them for a loop when I tell them I have my own bags. They actually do not know what to put in them. I have to direct them to just "put it all in there!"
Looking forward to the day when I don't get a blank stare when I say I have my own.
why not both and save the trees also? I don't think consumers would be responsible enough to bring their own bag all the time. Americans are just too lazy. I think charging for the use of bags by the store may make consumers think about bringing their own bag.
We have safeway, and Ray's Food Place. They have places to recycle your plastic bags at the store. Although keep in mind I am located on the far northern coast of Califiornia. So I would expect this area to be ahead of the norm. I shop at local owned natural food stores. The two stores of this type in my small town offer paper only. I have my own reuseable bag, and you see a lot of others doing the same. They give us I think a 10 cent discount for bringing your own bag. Occasionally I forget my bag. I get a little bummed when I have to use a store bag.Edited by: peacefulfitness on Jul 7, 2007 3:12:03 PM
Very recently the city of San Francisco banned stores from offering paper bags. Good job SF city council ! Hopefully other cities will follow.
I actually do like being offered paper bags, because I know I can recycle them!
I still haven't bought reusable bags (I just have to hit the Mexican part of town so I can get sturdy ones like my mom used to have in Mexico), but I would much rather use paper than take home plastic bags.
It's easier for me to carry more groceries in them too, and I take less bags as a result.Edited by: GranolaJoe on Jul 9, 2007 11:28:22 AM
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." -Aldo Leopold
i too find it hard to read newspapers online..like somone said, i don't want to be on my computer all the time. but, i can try reading mon-friday online and only getting the sunday paper. thanks for the suggestion!
also, i really like suburban tomboy's suggestion of gaiam giving away reusable bags with orders over a certain ammount of $$$. i will suggest that to the catalog folks.
if i reduced my plastic bag collection from my weekly visit to the local super target, i think that alone could save the planet : )
Two weeks ago I switched our daily newspaper subscription to the weekends. I wanted to do only Sunday, but price-wise it made sense to stick to the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
It's unbelievable how much less we have to recycle now!
Interestingly what finally pushed me to make the change was that our local papers have been making staff cuts (senior staffers) and reducing the amount of local reporting and content overall. It's ridiculous.
Newspapers have us believing that they are losing lots and lots of money so these cuts seem to make sense. The reality is that the big newspapers make insane profits, and they have to keep the shareholders happy by keeping to the same level of profits. Meanwhile, we all believe that newspapers are dying financially because of the Internet.
Check out this article on Mother Jones. Intro: It's not the Internet that's killing newspapers. It's the equity-chasing investors and their friends at the FCC who have put outsize profits before a free press.
Our Kroger-affiliate grocery stores in our community recently started offering cloth bags. They're $5 each I think. I bought a couple, then later a couple more.
When I bring those in along with several canvas bags I've collected from other companies over the years (including bags emblazoned loudly with the logos of Wild Oats and other competitors) they just fill them up without question or hesitation.
I think this is an encouraging sign for a major mainstream chain store. Statuesqueone, I hope your store's staffers get with the program soon.
Hey guys check out out the "Guerrilla Baggers" from Morsbags - they go out on the street and hand out cloth bags to people who give up their plastic bags!
They say "each one has potential to replace 500 plastic bags as there are 1 million plastic bags consumed per minute"
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." -Aldo Leopold
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). I would have to force myself to do so, in order to be up to speed for discussions about it in class. I preferred to read it online instead.
