by JH 19 Replies latest jw friends
Zeroday, trying to increase his CARBON FOOTPRINT as large as possible
I always insist on plastic bags then put them in paper bags.
LOL @ Zeroday. I consider myself a "reasonable tree hugger". But I think it's good to keep a sense of humor too.
As for my bag of choice, I feed feral cats in order to increase the herd. Then I skin 'em, make bags out of 'em & sell them to unsuspecting greenies at the local farmers market.
Plastic takes ages to be degraded in the ground so it is better to use biodegradable material like paper or bags made of cloth that are repeatedly used. Plastic bags can in theory also be reused several times but most people don't except using them for their trash bins.
This is one of those questions I hate, because it seems there's no right answer. I still remember going to the grocery store as a kid with my mother, and all the bags were paper. Then plastic ones came out, and everybody said 'plastic saves trees', so people started getting plastic. Then people said 'plastic is not bio degradable, it gets hooked on dolphins' noses, etc etc. So, back to paper. Now I'm a tree killer again... as for those reusable bags, the store in my area sells them, but they're pricy, close to $10, I think there's some kind of deposit system to lower the (eventual) cost, but the up-front made me say to hell with it.
It all reminds me of the 'great egg debate', as I like to call it. I remember when eggs were good for you, and many vegetarians talked about what a great protein substitute they were for meat. Then eggs were found to have cholesterol, and you shouldn't eat them. Then scientists discovered there was good and bad cholesterol, and eggs had the good kind, so eat up!
I think of these things whenever the global warming arguements make the rounds, the sorts of arguements and flip-flopping on what is good or bad are similar, in my mind. The number one conclusion I come to in all this is that recyling and 'being green' is for well-to-do people with 'prosperous guilt'. Poor folks just do what is cheapest, perhaps with a mental pang or shrug, perhaps not.
Just teezin'
Love cats & Mother Earth.
Open Mind
I'm thinking about making up a few bags (by either sewing or crochet) cuz plastic bags tend to breed in my house - I'm being overrun right now
Either keep them away from each other (), or get them a chaperone.
Warlock
Well Im a little old fashioned, I like to get the paper bags whenever they are available, but most stores around here have just plastic. The thing with plastic is the amount of waste. These clerks will end up putting a couple of items in the bags and then start on another. They need to do a better job of combining.
I like handles on my bags, easier to carry. I have seen paper bags with handles, doubled bagged.
plastic: easier to carry.
V
Plastic, even though it does consume oil. This saves me the money on garbage bags (which also consume oil to make and take just as long to break down). Plastic also saves the trees from which the paper bags are made from, are generally stronger (though they will sometimes split, they never soak through from rain or cold goods in hot weather). And plastic bags are much less likely to carry roaches from the warehouses than paper.
We use plastic just because they come in handy for a variety of reasons in my house.
Reading all or your responses makes me feel as though we should just carry our groceries home in an apron or skirt or something. OMG, we're damned if we do or don't. You'd think if the big chain grocery companies were just a wee bit concerned about our environment, they would provide their customers with maybe 5 free cloth bags per customer card just to get started. Then offer more bags at cost. Come on....they're made of recycled material anyway. How much could they cost. It's for the environment. Oh, I forgot. The almighty dollar is much more important.
