Apr 10, 2007
My mom called me up today posing an interesting question about my rant on the distribution and use of plastic bags. She said that she never buys garbage bags because she uses the ones she gets from stores like Whole Foods. She asked, "if plastic shopping bags are reused as garbage bags, does that make it environmentally OK to distribute them?
It took me a little while to formulate an opinion, and here it is:
- Few plastic bags distributed by stores are as large as the average garbage can. As a result, for every one normal sized garbage bag, you likely use two store bags. Total plastic usage goes up.
- Few garbage bags use plastic that's as thick as that used at stores. Total plastic usage goes up.
- Few garbage bags have any printing on them (a process which is rather destructive to the environment). While store distributed bags are full of ink.
- I have no numbers to back this up, but I see many plastic bags in public trash cans, which weren't reused as garbage bags. Even if the number is 10%, it's not good.
In summary, the theory that it's OK to distribute plastic bags at stores because they might be used as garbage bags sounds good on the surface. After digging down though, while reusing plastic bags lessens the environmental impact, it's still worse for the environment than the alternative: using cloth bags when shopping to carry goods home, and buying garbage bags that are thin, with no printing, and large enough to fit your garbage can.
If you have suggestions, or think I'm wrong, please leave a comment.
Labels: bags, environmentalism, green, plastic
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