It's funny how I see these types of stories more and more often, as if the results weren't predictable (or predicted):
The battle against the single-use plastic bag may not be won but it's definitely under way.
Restrictions on their use are in place in almost a dozen US states and in many other countries around the world. And in many cases, these efforts have been successful at eliminating new sales of thin, wispy plastic bags that float up into trees, clog waterways, leech microplastics into soil and water and harm marine life. (Of course, these restrictions don't address the plastic bags already out there that will take centuries to decompose.)
But this environmental success story of sorts masks another problem.
Many of us are drowning in reusable bags - cloth totes or thicker, more durable plastic bags - that retailers sell cheaply or give away to customers as an ostensibly greener alternative to single-use plastic.
Campaigners say these bag hoards are creating fresh environmental problems, with reusable bags having a much higher carbon footprint than thin plastic bags. According to one eye-popping estimate, a cotton bag should be used at least 7,100 times to make it a truly environmentally friendly alternative to a conventional plastic bag.
The answer to what's the greenest replacement for a single-use plastic bag isn't straightforward, but the advice boils down to this: Reuse whatever bags you have at home, as many times as you can.
Their intentions were good, that's all that matters. The results shouldn't matter. Being a leftie never means having to say you're wrong.
4 comments:
If you want to avoid the 10-cent grocery store bag fees, just grab a few extra free ones next time you're checking out at Home Depot.
Or, perhaps I'll stand outside of Safeway and sell them for a nickel...Everyone wins!!!
Being a member of the Green faith must be difficult because you can never be right. The best a person can do is to look righteous by conforming to whatever you're told.
The answer to what's the greenest replacement for a single-use plastic bag isn't straightforward, but the advice boils down to this: Reuse whatever bags you have at home, as many times as you can.
Since they have no idea what's best, you think they will call off the bag bans and shut up about it? No, of course not.
Expect a similar article when it's time to admit that:
Solar and wind power aren't consistent or reliable.
Aluminum and glass are the only consumer recyclables worth mentioning, and even those won't save any money.
Electric cars aren't practical for long trips or cold weather.
Ethanol serves no purpose.
Smaller toilets don't help anything because flushing a toilet doesn't destroy the water or increase the shit that's going down the tubes.
The electric grid isn't robust enough to charge many cars or support all those induction stoves.
Low flow toilets and water faucets, especially in a kitchen might increase water usage because it takes longer/more to accomplish the same thing.
I have a low flow in my kitchen (old one replaced by maintenance since it was broken) and I hate it. It takes so much time for the hot water to arrive, I feel like I am wasting time and water to get a sink full or just to wash the cat's bowls. (I know in theory the amount should be the same, but that's what it feels like.)
Lets talk about plastic bottles. Kids leaving water bottles in my class were a trial and a half. All of them are plastic. We're led to believe that much of the seaborne pollution is plastic which is largely coming from China and India. So why aren't we returning to glass bottles for milk and other such commodities? We could charge a fee and people would feel more compelled to recycle. Plus glass is far more easily recycled and the recycled product is much better in quality than recycled plastic. I know, glass weighs more, meaning higher fuel costs, but that brings up another issue-there is ALWAYS going to be a cost. I remember when plastic was preferred over paper so we could "save trees." Now plastic is terrible, ignoring the fact that these bags can and should be reused and that they could be recycled if people wanted to try. I still think cloth bags are nasty b/c people will not clean them and cross contamination is more likely. But doing something for a false trumped up charge of "climate change" is a joke and every solution will just be met with more contention.
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