Ron | 
05 29th, 2007| 
Can you count how many times you’ve been asked this question at the grocery store? No doubt, more times than you can remember. What was your answer, and why did you make that particular choice?
In the past, I typically would choose the plastic bags. What was my rationale for that choice? Well, less chance the bag would rip and send our groceries rolling around on the pavement, and plastic tends to be easier to carry. There was no ecological rational for my decision.
Paper bags are typically thought of as the environmentally friendly choice, but actually consume 40% more energy in the production process than plastic bags. They also generate 80% more solid waste than plastic bags. However, plastic bags take at least 1,000 years to decompose (whereas paper may take as little as a month) and are made from polyethylene, which is created from crude oil and natural gas – both nonrenewable resources. Both require a considerable amount of energy and resources to be produced.
There are better choices today which can let you answer the “paper or plastic” question with an easy answer – “neither, please”. Why not pick up a few reusable bags, which can be used for groceries and other things?
It does take some time to get in the habit of bringing your bags with you into the store. We keep a few in the car, and a few by the back door (for shopping trips when not using our car). But, it can be easy to forget until you’re already in line. The great thing is that some stores, such as Whole Foods, will give you a 5-cent refund for using your own bags.
Aside from traditional shopping bags, there are also ways to reduce your use of other bags. Rather than using sandwich bags for lunch, you could bring your sandwich wrapped in a Wrap-N-Mat. It’s a reusable wrap which doubles as a placemat. I think that’s a very cool idea. See what other products you can use to green your sack lunch.
The thinking – reduce, reuse, recycle is a great way to live a greener life. We’ve become more aware of what we send to the landfill and what we reuse. Shopping bags are a great place to start.
