Paper or Plastic? Neither!
January 24, 2008 | 10:51 amLet’s do a little myth-busting this morning, inspired by an insightful comment by “lady clay” in our “Whole Foods Does Away with Plastic Grocery Bags” posting.
Like many people, I assumed that plastic grocery bags were much more harmful to the environment than paper ones. Well, you know what they say about assuming…
After reading lady clay’s comment about paper bags being just as harmful as plastic, I did a little internet sleuthing (a.k.a. typing it into Google) and discovered a plethora of data that supported her assertion.
Here’s the lowdown: While paper can be added to compost (unlike plastic), it requires a lot more energy to produce since it needs to be harvested from trees and it takes up a lot more space in our landfills. This article from the Environmental Literacy Council sums it up nicely.
So, don’t be like me and assume that paper bags are any better for the environment than plastic. Buy a few reusable bags and if any baggers give you a nasty look, just grin and bear it for a good cause.
Terrific post! I have my own bags and the store even gives me a small credit for them. And I pack my groceeries my way instead of having my milk on top of my eggs and 3 smushed pieces of fruit.
Given this information, what should Decatur do about it’s solid waster collection program, which currently uses non-recycled plastic?
I don’t see how the city could ban plastic at stores as long as it uses it in its own program, without being a bit hypocritcal.
How do you guys dispose of your items which can’t be recycled?
OK, I may have made a false assumption. Perhaps they empty the bags and then recycle them. Anybody know for sure? Of course, recycling them takes some energy.
Then, continuing the stream of thought (obviously having not thought it all the way through as I should have before commenting), if the City can recycle its own plastic bags, it should be able to also recycle any plastic grocery bags people throw out.
Carrying cloth bags is an easy, principled thing we can all do.
In India, plastic bags are an even bigger environmental disaster, because so many people are in the habit of throwing their trash wherever they happen to be standing at the moment. So it’s pretty cool that a hot, young, Indian clothing designer has taken a fresh look at the cloth bag revolution by injecting high-fashion, ease-of-use, and distribution within the gift-economy.
The story of her project, called Small Steps, is utterly inspiring. Read about it here.
There are limited options when it comes to implementing a Pay as You Throw system. Plastic garbage bags are a small price to pay for the increase in recycling as a result of the program.
Mesh/reusable grocery bags are a easy replacement compared to finding an alternative to the plastic garbage bag.
May I offer a suggestion for a socially responsible and excellent shopping basket? Check out the Blessing Basket Project’s (non-profit) website at http://www.blessingbasket.org where you can purchase a sturdy “Ghana Shopping” basket that will a bit hold more than a large paper bag’s worth of groceries. Baskets also make a wonderful gift! That’s how I received mine! I receive many compliments all the time when I shop so I kept the leather tag that it comes with attached to the handle so others can know where to buy one for themselves. These beautiful baskets are crafted by artisans in third world countries and they are paid “prosperity fair trade wages.” Share the idea with family & friends! I believe they are also available at Whole Foods Stores.
[...] Pat and I have prided ourselves on walking to get groceries since we moved to Midtown Atlanta. As much as I like cutting my carbon emissions, I love the idea of “working” to get food. The concept of burning calories in order to feed myself is so natural. And I don’t feel quite as bad when I buy a box of brownie mix. Although we sometimes drive to Wal-Mart or Whole Foods for particular items, we walk to Trader Joe’s and the Ansley Mall Kroger and Publix. Today, we discovered the much better practice of going to the Publix in Plaza Midtown (at Peachtree Place and Spring). It is so much closer to us than Ansley Mall, and the store has reasonable prices and a decent selection of groceries. I have no idea why we didn’t think of it before—for some reason I always imagined it was much farther than four blocks. Here’s a picture of my beautiful man carrying groceries home in one of our recyclable Whole Foods bags: [...]