If you've been paying attention, you already know that one of the drawbacks of plastic is that it isn't biodegradable. Years ago there was talk about how the plastic in our landfills will outlast us.That's not the half of it. Plastic that hasn't been recycled isn't ending up just in landfills. Salon has an enlightening article on what's happening here. (Pop up ad alert)
What troubles me the most is this trend:
...San Francisco and Oakland outlawed the use of plastic bags in large grocery stores and pharmacies, permitting only paper bags with at least 40 percent recycled content or otherwise compostable bags. The bans have not taken effect yet, but already the city of Oakland is being sued by an association of plastic bag manufacturers calling itself the Coalition to Support Plastic Bag Recycling.
Give me a bloody break! Is this what our society has come to? First it was the clean air act in California being sued out of effectiveness by car manufacturers (which led to the recall of the ever popular EV1 electric car showcased in 'Who Killed the Electric Car'), now plastic bag makers hope to derail sensible measures to clean up the environment? I for one am not impressed.....
3 comments:
The problem with recycling plastic bags is simple: they are not all clean.
A while back I visited a plastic recycling plant here in Monterrey, called Converpol. The owner explained to me that they were trying to recycle plastic bags but had a major problem because many of the bags were contaminated with food residues (stuff gets broken inside the bag, meat and other foods breed bacteria, and so on)
This was enough to wreck the recycling process as too many faults would result in the product (black garbage bags)
And as for the BYOB brigade, when I go shopping I want to do it all in one go; no way am I going to fit the contents of a heaped supermarket trolley (chariots of wire) into a canvas bag, not unless maybe it is us the size of a large suitcase.
I think a much much better alternative is to do what Costco does: do not supply any bags at all, but allow the customers to use the cardboard boxes that the products came in, to carry away their stuff. I find this an attractive solution.
OMG, I hate those things. This morning I went to the supermarket. I bought 1 gallon of milk, 2 loaves of bread, 1 regular-size jar peanut butter, 1 small packet spice, 3 bananas and 2 small packets of meat. Guess how many bags I was given. FIVE!!! I promptly removed the milk (the jug has a handle) and put everything else but the bread in one bag. It seems that the store make money on how many of those stupid bags they give away. Additionaly, it's impossible to sneak anything into the house without those stupid bags rattling. I remember the paper bag days - you could come home with armloads of holiday shopping and stash it before your family even knew you were home if the paper bags were properly arranged and creased. No chance with those stupid plastic things. I wish they would go away.
ARGH!
Yeah John, I agree. The cardboard box thing works.
Junebee: I think the reason they don't overload the plastic bags is because they break easily. One more reason to get rid of them.
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