We should ban plastic grocery bags. Even if we reuse them once or twice they eventually get thrown away and make more trash in landfills and oceans. Reusable cloth bags help save the environment and a little bit of money, too. Go green!
agree. The plastic bags often end up in places like the ocean & on beaches. Would be one less type of item for the volunteer beach clean-up crews to be picking up.
Sure, the plastic bags are handy for some things, but I've saved up a bunch already. Several plastic bags can be carried at once, but they will also split under a heavy load, & each one doesn't hold much when the baggers try to pack them light.
As it happens, we're in the process of making the switch over to reusable bags with the paper ones costing 10 cents each. We'll be joining 75 other jurisdictions in CA that have already made the switch.
Trader Joe's & the health food stores have done a lot in leading the pack. Trader Joe's sells great colorfully designed vinyl bags the same shape as the paper bags for $1 & $2 & have had campaigns with prizes drawn for those who bring their own bags. The vinyl bags seem to be lasting 10+ years. I've been using these bags there & at the health food store for many years & another store that gives us a nickel back for each bag we bring. For bags that don't have sturdy bottoms or sides, I'll put a piece of cardboard or a box inside. Works great for groceries & for potluck dishes. Sometimes I bring a nylon insulated picnic carrier with blue ice inside for my milk & other perishables. So now the next step will be to start carrying these bags when I go to Safeway & other stores like CVS. It's good we'll now have a strong nudge to do this, too. A couple of us at work also use the cloth bags for carrying our lunches rather than buying an expensive lunch tote. So, they can be just as versatile as the plastic & paper bags.
Disagree. Plastic bags can be reused/recycled.
It's also important to remember that the greenest option is sometimes counterintuitive. A cloth or canvas bag will need to be cleaned periodically which uses water, electricity, soap, etc. You have to take into account whether the reusable bag was manufactured in a sustainable manner and how far it had to be transported to get to you. Depending on those factors, you might need to go through hundreds or even thousands of plastic bags to reach the environmental impact of one reusable. It's similar to the question of whether you should have a reusable coffee mug or buy paper cups.
Disagree.
A sad but true fact is that plastic carrier bags are more energy and environmentally friendly than any other form of bags, jute, paper whatever.
I was in Mauritius and the local supermarket sold "environmentally friendly" cloth bags, only problem was they came from China, waste of time and energy.
Plastic bags can be recycled.
Agree..Just to save mother earth for future
In India, the state of Kerala has banned plastic completely and only jute bags are allowed :)
Disagree
Agree
I always choose paper when I can then reuse them for cooling my cookies on when I bake. The paper absorbs the grease that is on the bottom of the cookies.
I have a bunch of reusable bags that I forget to take in the store. At least they are in my vehicle'
It was just voted down in the place where I live thought two other places in the state have it already.
disagree - they are not the problem. There are places to recycle them here, plus I know a lady who makes all kinds of things with them. It is the people who are the problem more.
Disagree - I recycle those plastic bags
I'd like to see people taking canvas bags
Once a plastic bag is made, you can never get ride of it without hurting the earth. YOu can recycle them but come on.... Very few people do. They must goooooooooo.
we use fabric bags although the odd time i forget to take them in with me and have to buy a plastic bag.
i have a 'cooler' bag for meats and frozen items but everything else is fabric and have served me well for many years.
I would say agree because most of the time they get thrown away or wasted. It's not that I'm all worried about a yellow-spotted camel frog choking on it or anything, but they make America dirty. They are literally everywhere, and they are disgusting.
Thumbs up!
I agree but the problem is we are bit used to it.and it will take time for its effective replacement by repeated suggestions and alternatives.
Hoping for a good future...
Yes. Provided we should have alternate for this like paper covers.
Agree they just seem to be every where,just being blown around the streets.
May them biodigradible. I need something to use as poop bags.
Yes unless they are biodegradeable. they are handy for lots of things other than shopping but I wouldn't want them to stay in landfill for centuries.
agree
agree
Yes, they pollute.
nope
