If the alternative, as it is in several states where plastic shopping bags have been banned, is to choose paper bags isn’t that just as bad? I thought we were trying to save the trees! So herein lies the predicament. Of course there is the other alternative, which is to use those reusable bags, but this is definitely not the choice most convenient. You have to remember to bring them from home, bag the items you buy yourself, and in times of high traffic, deal with a line of impatient customers behind you. Well I’ve tried all of the above solutions in doing my part to deplete the use of plastic, which I understand is an important issue for the environment.
But my best solution is to recycle the plastic bags. There are ways to cut back without giving up the convenience of using plastic bags at the store. In fact, many stores now have in-house collecting bins, where you can bring your used bags back and deposit them in the allocated areas. The recycled plastic bags will be turned into structural products, lumber and other bags, which is a $2-billion market! If you buy only one or two small things at the store, you can just say, “Thanks, but I don’t need a bag.” And just carry them! The bags you do take home, don’t just throw them away, reuse them! I already reuse retail plastic bags for carrying lunch, picking up after my dog, and lining small garbage cans. Those printed plastic bags you get at tradeshows and other events are actually kind of cool and decorative. So we have all come to rely on plastic in our everyday lives. Banning plastic is a bit drastic, I think. Some areas are enforcing a tax, up to 20 cents on using plastic bags. How is that fair? If more people were educated and encouraged to recycle plastic bags, the environment would be a lot cleaner, and definitely more efficient
