The Deadliest Item at Your Grocery Store?

Somewhere in the northern Pacific floats a non-biodegradable blob of petrochemicals that's twice the size of Texas. Much of this deadly mess originated when someone innocently took home their shopping in a plastic bag.

In the U.S. alone, we throw away 100 billion plastic bags each year -- the equivalent of 12 million barrels of oil. Yikes!

What can you do? Tune in to Orli Cotel's Sierra Club Radio interview with Katherine Mieszkowski, of Salon, to find out.

Comments

[Linda G Shepard Salzer]

http://reusablebags.typepad.com/newsroom/2007/09/reusablebagscom.html

[Matt Fenner]

a start would be doin the european thing. Charge for the plastic bags to encourage them to bring their own grocery bags or bag. Would be a start.

[Linda G Shepard Salzer]

Today one of my clients bought a reusable cloth grocery bag of her own initiative!

[laura]

I'm sitting here wondering why no one seems to know about DCP - degradable compostable plastic. A company called Natural Value makes kitchen garbage bags out of this incredible stuff. It has all the benefits of plastic, plus complete biodegradabilty in the landfill or water. See below:

http://www.naturalvalue.com/PDFs/degr_plastic.pdf

[vfrk]

Most of the comments seem to be about reminding ourselves to use reusable tote bags for our groceries. This is only one of 3 issues: 1) many of us use plastic bags for produce in addition to the plastic at the check out stand 2) since they (?the government?) decided to clean up the rubber tire mess they put into the ocean - I wonder if there is any talk of clean up of this TWICE the size of Texas plastic mess.
3) Regarding the plastic for produce, etc.... I've located "Ecobags" for reusable produce bagging which is a net or thin canvas bags to put lettuce, fruit, etc. (I think I got the link from the Sierra Club web site)

[Linda Shepard Salzer]

Sonja,
http://www.recycline.com/products/preserve.html
As far as I know these toothbrushes (& razor handles) are made in MA from recycled yogurt containers and come with a prepaid return envelope so they can be sent back for reycling into plastic lumber.

We use these...

Ekotec™ Replaceable Head
Toothbrush system

Another example of Fuchs’ commitment to world leadership in dental technology is the patented EkoTec™ Replaceable Head Toothbrush System. This product represents the ultimate merger of superior dental care with environmental awareness. The EkoTec’s bristle field is compact, in keeping with the latest trends and advances in European dentistry, to ensure easy access to all areas of the mouth.

The replaceable head has several additional advantages:

First, it saves you money. When the head wears out, you pay only for the replacement heads, rather than for a whole new toothbrush.

Second, it’s good for the planet. By cutting down on the number of handles repeatedly thrown away, you can help alleviate problems of landfill overflow and waste disposal in your local environment. All EkoTec™ toothbrushes come with three replacement heads; when these have worn out, you may continue to purchase convenient EkoTec™ Replacement Head Packs until it is finally time for a new handle.

Third, EkoTec™ is hygienic. Any toothbrush will become less effective over time, due to deterioration of bristles and the buildup of bacteria. Dentists tell you to change toothbrushes every 4-6 weeks. It is particularly important to replace a germ-filled toothbrush after a bout with the cold or flu; this helps avoid reinfection during your recovery. However, few people actually keep to this schedule – we forget to get new toothbrushes or fail to keep a reserve supply on hand. With EkoTec™, however, replacing a toothbrush is easy – you just pop out the old head, pop in the new one, and brush! You get three heads with your first purchase and four heads with each replacement pack, so you should always have some on hand. Better replacement habits mean better care of your teeth and gums. By using EkoTec™, you can always achieve optimum care levels for your teeth and gums by disposing worn-out toothbrushes before they harm your dental health.

[Sonja]

Never mind, I see early morning brain dysfunction, too much plastic.

[Sonja]

How did Christine Lewellellyn's name get on my post and my name is on a comment from Maryland? I'm not even from Maryland!

[jei]

most of the plastic bags are in the ocean because of the plastic bag spill in the gulf, not because i let a plastic bag go.

[clifford]

We recycle the bags back at the grocery, either Whole foods or Giant here in Maryland. Also use them for garbage as others have stated. Paper BTW, doesn't decompose in dump sites either. So I think recycling should play a bigger role not using plastic.

[Sonja]

When I throw my canvas bags on the conveyor I immediatly make a comment about the impact of plastics on the prices at the gas pump and I engage those behind me in conversation. It eases any ill feelings and educates simultaneousely. I also try to mention the impact of the plastic water bottle which is far more insidious and wastful than the bag. Mason jars work great. It's all about making minor adjustments in our habits. We create, destroy and modify habits daily. I speak about the impact of plastics to local groups whenever I am given the opportunity. I figure if I can impact one person each time to change their habits I have had a positive impact. We have to remember recycling plastics is not the answer, the fibers are so poor they can only use about 10-20% recycled fibers, the remaining are virgin from our rapidly diminishing crude oil supplies (also remember when that tooth brush made out of 10% recycled grocery bags, shipped from China for printing, but manufactured in the Philipines wears out it ends up in a landfill anyway). I figure those that make changes now will have an easier time adjusting when the global economy collapses because our crude oil supply ran out before the corporations we don't trust, but are depending upon for the answers didn't come up with one on time. Take that to the grocery store when the shelves are empty! I could go on all day, but if you have solutions, get your toosh into government so we can start creating solutions and quit barking up a wall. Oh, know your Farmer, or raise your own meat. Local, local, local. Oh, and Chris, right on with the hemp, get into government please, we need more people like us setting the world straight and impeding the trash heap for our children.

[Christine Llewellyn]

We need to start charging for petroleum based plastic bags, like they do in Europe, or switch over to biodegradable plastic bags. I buy the biodegradable ones for my kitchen trash and to pick up after my dogs on their walks. Try BioBags or Ecosafe.

[Linda G Shepard Salzer]

Lisette,
Don't drive across the country, walk, bike, or take public transit.

[Linda G Shepard Salzer]

Sightine Institute has an article about the bag debate...

http://www.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2007/09/19/it-s-in-the-bag#more

[Roxanne Stern]

Sarah Kite describes a very good program here in RI. The supermarket I use has a big cardboard box at the entrance that says, "Your plastic bags are going to a better place." We dispose of all plastic bags (that we are not re-using ourselves) in that box. I don't know why this has not caught on in other places.
RI has a pretty good state-wide recycling and resource recovery plan. This is a small state with a very big landfill--"Mount Trashmore"--in Johnston, that is mounting higher. I wish that the people of RI would comply with the program more. We are *GIVEN* bins to dispose of recyclable items--at least here in Cranston. Why can't other states create similar programs? I know Maine has done some things.

[Sarah Kite]

The state of Rhode Island implemented a plastic bag take back program *TWO YEARS AGO*, and CA modeled its new law after ours. We placed collection containers in every supermarket in RI, collect the plastic bags, bale them, and sell the bales. The baled plastic is then made into composite, plastic based lumber products for decks, fences, and outdoor furniture. It *DOES NOT* end up in our landfill, or anyone else's landfill. The program is a huge success, and in January 2008, we are expanding the law to encompass all retailers who do $8m aggregate sales in RI. This means Target, Wal-Mart, JC Penney, Macy's, Walgreens, CVS, etc.

Feel free to contact me for more info. sarahk@rirrc.org

[jim hughes jr]

isnt there a way to get this into the newspapers? i know the bush administration would want to keep it a secret being that they are so wonderful when it comes to the enviorment.

[Michele]

"In the United States, efforts to curb waste from disposable bags have been aimed at the retail sector. Starting July 1, California began implementing a landmark law requiring grocers and pharmacies with over 10,000 square feet of retail space to provide onsite collection for recycling of plastic carryout bags.
Assembly Bill 2449, deemed the Plastic Bag Recycling Act of 2006 (it was passed last September), sets a precedent of mandated responsibility by retailers for the collection, transportation and recycling of plastic bags. Due to the growing environmental hazard posed by the bags, which make their way from landfills into water sources, the new law, sponsored by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys), is hailed as a solution to a monumental problem that threatens ecosystems and food sources for humans and animals alike. According to plastic-bag manufacturers, recycled bags are then melded with wood shavings to make weather-resistant lumber products, among other uses.
In a recent press release, Levine stated, “Despite the huge advances that we have made in keeping recyclables from our landfills, California still lacks the infrastructure necessary to collect and recycle the 19 billion plastic bags it uses. Right now our plastic bags end up in landfills or destroying the ecosystem of our oceans. With A.B. 2449 in place, it will make it easier for the consumer to help create a recycling market in California. However, this program only works if everyone helps to educate the public that their bags need to return to the stores.”
The problem is much bigger than most people realize. Since 1977, when plastic carryout bags were first used, bag use has swelled to 500 billion bags sold annually worldwide—88.5 billion in the United States, and 19 billion in California—resulting in disposal of 294 million pounds of plastic bags every year, enough bags to encircle the Earth 250 times, reports Time magazine.
Less than 1 percent of these bags make it into the recycling bin. The majority of bags choke rivers and streams, are consumed by fish and wildlife, and create toxic waste in the food chain. It takes approximately 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose, reports the BBC, as measured by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Cutting this waste in half would reduce our oil consumption by more than 2,000 barrels a day and keep 73,000 tons of rubbish out of landfills, reports California’s Integrated Waste Management Board.
The statistics might seem overwhelming, but the only way that the problem will be addressed is if individuals take responsibility for their own bag use. Most grocery retailers, such as Raley’s, Safeway, and Trader Joes, offer reusable bags for about a buck. These retailers even provide incentives in the form of a cash rebate, or, at Trader Joes, lottery tickets for drawings for free bags of groceries.
But getting folks in the habit of using reusable bags is another thing. "

--reprinted from Chico News & Review by the author, Michele Bechard

[Sharon]

About recycling plastic bags -- I have read that, in fact, they're not made into new plastic bags but into even lesser grade plastic items. Eventually, it all ends up as waste. Also that often the collected plastic bags don't end up getting recycled at all -- instead they're shipped offshore to a country with less stringent environmental standards where they can be incinerated. In addition to plastic bags, what about disposable plastic tablecloths and similar consumer items?

[Linda G Shepard Salzer]

Let's all give canvas bags as holiday gifts this year...

[Brett Haverstick]

I am a gradaue student at the University of Idaho. about a year ago and bought two large canvas bags from LL Bean. Now I use them to buy my weekly food supplies.

I do my shopping at WINCO foods and they give me a (2) bag credit for using the canvas. what they should do is offer me more of a credit--calculating how many paper/plastic bags I would be using if it were not for my large canvas bags.

Nonetheless I am proud to walk inot a store and flop my canvas bags on the conveyor belt.I always look around to see other peoples reactions. My hope is that all the college aged people will see and be inspired to do the same.

Good posting everyone.

Brett Haverstick

[KC]

Google Captain Charles Moore and the work he's done...astounding!!!

[Dawn]

I take my canvas bags with me to the department store, too. I don't care if the lady behind me in the checkout line gets pissed that I'm taking too long. Fortunately, I don't live near a big grocery store so I get to do most of the packing myself. If I do use a plastic bag, I always make sure to clip the handles, so if it does end up in nature some little critter won't get caught up in it.

Best thing we can do is make sure any kind of plastic does not make it into storm drains or other areas that have access to our waters systems. There's also petro-plastic alternatives sprouting up such as bio-degradable plastic bags.

[Calamity Babs]

I have 2 large bins on wheels by my road in front that they pick up every week (one garbage and one for recycled cardboard, paper, plastic, tin cans, etc.) It takes me 2 weeks to reasonably fill the recycled bin and a month to reasonably fill the garbage one since I recycle ALL plastic bags (that I fill with my glass & plastic water bottles and take to the recycling place) when I'm using my 2 canvas bags. I find it good arm exercises carrying an equal amount of weight like that. (good for my swimming)
When I walk around my property I carry a large garbage bag and manage to fill it with everyone else's trash that the wind has blown over here but I am not against stopping on the side of the road to pick up things before they blow around in the wind! If we all did this, there's be no garbage blowing outside and everything recycled. I have 5 mercury-filled light bulbs for my house and turn off as many electrical items that I don't need.If I can manage to work writing at home I won't drive for weeks.
Let's love our planet! Re-use, re-cycle, re-store.
Peace,
Babs

[Jen]

I stopped using both plastic grocery bags and garbage bags. I have a garbage disposal, so the trash bin in my kitchen really does not get dirty. I dump the trash into the dumpster, and rinse the can out if it needs it, but it rarely does. It took a little time to get used to not using a garbage bag, but like remembering to bring your bag to the store, it is now second nature.

[zig]

I always try to remember to take my canvas bags with me when I go grocery shopping or regular shopping, we keep them in the car so it is easy to remember them. I do get a plastic bag for the raw meat but I give the bags to the school so they can have them to put soiled clothes in to send home with the kids.

[Thu]

Can we arrange the drop off of plastic bags for recycling? The similar procedure that small towns often do with soda cans?

[Bill Welch]

The mass of plastic bags the size of Texas in the northern Pacific sounds like an urban myth to me. Can anyone tell me the latitude and longitude of this amazing phenomenon or show a picture? A picture is worth a thousand words and would get people's attention.

[Diane Williamson]

Oh, and if you want to use plastic bags for garbage or for dog-doo, you can buy biobags, made the from biodegradable "plastic."

[Diane Williamson]

Most plastic bags are recylable; they're #2. For some reason my curbside service doesn't pick them up though so we have to take them to a drop off place. It seems like a lot of people don't realize that they're recycable.

[Bliss]

A way to start getting people to bring their own bags? Start charging 25 cents per bag they take away.

And the plastic bag industry, like the bottling industries, should be held liable for unrecycled bags, and should be forced to collect and recycle them.

[Mitch]

I've been using canvas bags for years & yes I get the dirty looks & at times bag my own. I usually tell the bagger that I am saving them money, saving me the hassle of dealing with what to do with the bag & also doing better for my, their & their kids environment. Many grocery stores will give you a discount, usually miniscule, for bringing your own. Additionally many of them sell canvas bags.

As for reusing I think using them for dog feces, picking up other trash on walks or while hiking is another great option. Be responsible for your community & take personal action rather than complaining & worrying about whose job it is.

[Ludmilla P]

In 1971 I moved to England, and I learned quickly enough that I had to carry bags with me each time that I went shopping for groceries. The stores expected that you brought your own bags, so there were no bags to give out. You had one of two choices: Either load your cart, then remove the food items one-by-one into and out of the cart - or bring you own bags. I quickly learned to take bags with me every time I went to the grocery store. Why has it taken this long for Americans to even begin thinking about this?

[Ben]

You can get some great reusable bags at http://www.Rejavanate.com. Not only do they eliminate the waste caused by plastic and paper bags but they are made from recycled burlap coffee bags, keeping tons of burlap waste out of our landfills AND the manufacturing process provides employment for individuals with developmental disabilities !!!! It’s a Win, Win, Win !!!

[Linda Shepard Salzer]

Hey Mary,
If you go vegetarian you won't have
(g)narly raw chicken wrappers to deal with...

[Matt Beversdorf]

Close the Loop! You can also purchase shopping bags that are made out of recycled plastic. I just googled it and found the following http://www.enviro-tote.com/recycled_bags.html just as one example. I bought a similar one about 8 years ago and it is stronger and has held up better than any other canvas bag I own.

[Bobby Akbari]

I am ashamed to say that I use the grocery plastic bags as a trash bag in my kitchen, and most people I know do the same, what are my alternatives? Any one could advise me about what recyclable plastic trash bags are available so I can do my part to stop this deadly pollution caused by grocery plastic bags? I have not been able so far to find and purchase any that clearly states that it is 100% recyclable.

Thanks.
Bobby.

[Teresa K.]

I made a bunch of canvas bags to use while shopping. I find that as soon as I unload them, if I put them on the doorknob to go outside, I will always remember to take them to the car. My husband and I have two cars (though we are planning on going down to one when our older car finally dies), so we keep several bags in each car. Some are bags I made, some are totebags from conferences I attended, and others are bags I purchased at my local H.E.B. grocery store.
As far as remembering to take them into the store, it was a process of forcing myself to go back out to the car a few times before I actually started to remember. The hassle of going back was enough reinforcement to help me to bring them into the store in the first place.
I think that the canvas bags are actually easier to carry. I just put them over my shoulder and carry them out to the car. We live close enough that if we only need a couple things we can walk to our grocery store. The canvas bags are definitely easier to carry home.
For all those bags we accumulated before we started using the canvas bags - we scoop used kitty litter into them or reuse them in the bathroom trashbin.

[Mary Hammett]

I'm with you , Linda -- no excuses! I've been struggling to figure out how to deal with garbage in my NYC apartment without the plastic bag. I'm looking into apartment composting, but wasn't sure how to deal with the narly raw chicken wrappers, etc. A recyclable plastic bag would be just the thing -- I'm googling for them now. THanks for the tip!

[Robin Davidov]

Here in Maryland we have found a solutionn, we encourage recycling of bags, but those thrown out with the trash (or recycled for picking up doggy doo) are incinerated along with the trash to make electricity. According to the US EPA, nearly one ton of CO2 equivalent emissions are avoided for every ton of municipal solid waste handled by our waste-to-energy plant. The European Union Emission Trading Scheme explicitly excludes municipal waste combustion from the cap and trade program due to the ability of waste-to-energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and divert waste from landfills.

We burn fossil fuels (coal and oil) every day, plastic bags are another type of fuel, but one with far less pollution per megawatt hour of electricty produced.

Converting our waste products into electricity is recycling. Burying resources in landfills is a waste.

[josie]

I live in the Seattle area and our co-op PCC sells bio-degradable bags made from corn! They come in various sizes, even for tall kitchen garbage and are recommended for composting too.

I've been using these bags for garbage and canvas bags for shopping. Check it out - the alternative we've been looking for!!

[Kathy]

This might not be the best solution of all, but how about getting all of us used to re-using plastic supermarket bags?

Supermarkets should charge customers for each bag they give them, and encourage people to bring in their own bags.

Plastic bags take up very little room, and can be carried in a purse or even (sometimes) a pocket.

This would cut down drastically on the numbers of plastic bags used and discarded.

[Carol]

I started bringing my own canvas or paper bags to the store. When I hand them to the bagger to pack they seem surprised that someone would take the trouble to bring their own bags with them. The stores should ban plastic bags and go back using recycled paper.

[John Moyer]

I agree that biodegradable plastics are a must for the future. In the mean time, the larger chains must take the lead and offer them to their customers, as well as the paper and canvas bags. Ask your local store to carry biodegradable plastic bags, and re-use the canvas bags that are now available.

[Sandi]

Having read many of the comments on this topic I'd like to say:
Yes -- don't make me "tune in" to find out what the Club has to say. I don't have time to listen to a radio broadcast.
If you want to find bio-degradable plastic bags, they are available right now. Just google them and you'll find lots of ways to buy. You can find them for trash, doggie doo pickup, yard waste, and a gazillion other uses. There is no excuse. Yes they cost more but what will a couple bucks mean after the plastic Texas has swallowed the earth. Same with canvas bags. You don't have to wait for your store to start offering them. Most of us who use them don't get them that way. We bought them or got them as give-aways at conferences etc. If you don't go to conferences, buy a couple inexpensive ones yourself. They will pay for themselves over and over. And it's just too bad if the grocery clerk is confused. Let them get over it. Are you going to let them stop you from saving the environment? I don't know what could be the matter with your baggers. The baggers in my store are not only NOT confused but say to me that they wish more people would bring their own canvas bags. Using a plastic grocery bag once more for something is barely better than just throwing it out. It just delays the inevitable -- you get plastic Texas with dog poop or trash inside it. Terrific. Recycling at the store is easy but of questionable value. Stop with the excuses. Go out there and make a difference -- refuse that plastic grocery bag. And while you're at it -- stop drinking that bottled water that is putting billions of plastic bottles into our landfills. Buy big bottles or buy a refillable bottle.

[Linda]

Plastic bags should be banned. They are a nuisance and an environmental hazard.

[Andrea L.]

Having lived in France where bringing your own shopping bag(s) for grocery shopping is customary, I adopted the custom here. I keep string bags in my car and purchased a large insulated fabric bag from one of the warehouse stores a while ago. It typically can hold a weeks' worth of groceries, plus has the added advantage of keeping food cool or warm for up to 4 hours.

I also recycle plastic produce bags by reusing them when I shop rather than taking new bags each time.

[TW]

Does or can Sierra produce and make available to Groups to sell at an affordable price an Earth bag so that people can purchase 5 or more to go grocery shopping?

[TW]

Why can't the Sierra Club produce the Earth bags and allow Groups to sell them for income? Make them affordable of course so people might buy about 5 or more to go grocery shopping.

[LC]

I buy the canvas bags as souveniers when I visit our National Parks and keep them in the car. I use them every place I shop. Many people comment that it's a good idea and I reply back, "It'd be better for the earth if everyone used them." Too many people worry about what people will think of them and looks they'd get. Just be secure in knowing you're doing the right thing and don't worry about what anyone else thinks!