Environmental shopping is in the bag
For years, I've maintained a stash of plastic shopping bags toted home from supermarkets, drug stores and discount houses. Occasionally, I'll reuse a few. But mostly, the bags just sit there.
They could very well remain there forever, tucked in the kitchen cupboard with the trays and cutting boards. After all, it can take up to 1,000 years for a plastic bag to disintegrate.
So what's a tree hugger to do? Well, I've started taking my own bags to the grocery store, just as most shoppers do in Europe, where stores charge customers who need bags. I'll take a few sturdy canvas totes to the store. Or I'll use the plastic bags I keep in the car in the event of impulse purposes.
I don't think it will be too long before my BYOB -- bring your own bag -- routine becomes second nature. One small step for one tall shopper. I'm hoping I won't be the only customer in line who carries her own bags -- and that soon BYOB will be SOP.
They could very well remain there forever, tucked in the kitchen cupboard with the trays and cutting boards. After all, it can take up to 1,000 years for a plastic bag to disintegrate.
So what's a tree hugger to do? Well, I've started taking my own bags to the grocery store, just as most shoppers do in Europe, where stores charge customers who need bags. I'll take a few sturdy canvas totes to the store. Or I'll use the plastic bags I keep in the car in the event of impulse purposes.
I don't think it will be too long before my BYOB -- bring your own bag -- routine becomes second nature. One small step for one tall shopper. I'm hoping I won't be the only customer in line who carries her own bags -- and that soon BYOB will be SOP.
posted by Eileen Smith at 9:25 AM
2 Comments:
You must not be a single person (with no need to buy big trash bags), or have a dog. I love plastic bags.
I do buy trash bags -- and lots of them. But I am trying to break the bag habit at the grocery store and drug store. And, yes, nothing will do for Fido but plastic, so please forgive me for forgetting about our four-legged friends. (We have a cat and my husband lines her litter box with, er, plastic.) As for your pooch, I recommend recycling the plastic sleeve from your daily newspaper.
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