I'm glad we're at least given the opportunity to return them to the stores for recycling. I'm not sure what I'd use to clean our cats' litter boxes w/ out them, but I'm for a ban.
The History of The Grocery Bag Game-changers-by Ed Weisberg
The history of the grocery bag provides an interesting juxtaposition to the evolution of our societies. Prior to the mid-1850s, grocery shopping in the city markets was a different experience. People carried their groceries home in their carts, or in re-used canvas bags. While canvas bags were more efficient than carrying food by hand, soon these bags became dirty and unsanitary.
Then, in 1852, Francis Wolle and his brother invented the first paper bag in Jacobsburg PA. By 1870, the invention was enhanced and the paper bag found its way to retail, creating the first game changer. They were clean, always available, and a great convenience for the shopper! Wood pulp, water, and water-driven energy were cheap, and all was good. Paper bags remained the standard for carrying groceries for over 100 years, through the growth of the cities and the development of suburban grocery chains.
The next great game changer was developed in 1975. At that time, the first plastic bags were introduced at retail, beginning with industry pioneers such as JC Penney, Sears, and Kroger. Plastic was a great solution to the challenges and opportunities of the time: Wood pulp was now expensive, oil was cheap. Plastic was considered the technology of the future! Making plastic bags required less energy, less water, the finished bags took up less space, was more durable for customers, and cost about 1/3 the cost of paper bags.
Around 2000, the world recognized that we had to do something to dispose of these durable bags which were staring to pile up in our environment and were killing our marine and wild life. We realized that over 4 billion bags are littered per year, enough to circle the earth 63 times!
By the mid-2000s, an infrastructure was developed for recycling bags, which had the potential to be a great solution to the bag problem. However, only about 7% of the 400 billion bags produced per year in the US alone actually make it to recycling.
Thus, somewhat out of frustration, environmentalist began lobbying their legislatures around 2005 to begin banning the use of plastic bags at retail. Over 63 communities have now embarked down this path. But we soon realized that a ban is only half the solution: We still need to get our groceries home! http://www.gxtgreen.com/list/menu_5/155/2074/1.html
Having helped with the Tonawanda Creek clean-up back in July, I can assure you that there were a LOT of plastic grocery bags in and around the creek. Our family uses a mix of plastic bags and reusable bags when shopping. We never lose plastic bags or let them blow away. We either recycle them or use them to line our trash baskets, etc. As with anything, instead of banning plastic bags, it would be nice if there was a way to ban irresponsible and uncaring people. I would say a close second in the clean-up was cups from fast food drive-thrus. Also in the mix were discarded appliances (fans, slow-cooker, televisions, etc.), plastic bottles and aluminum cans bearing the 5 cent deposit stamp, beer cans and bottles, and food packaging.
Bea. Thanks for the history lesson on 'the old bag'. Interesting.
Apparently, people from the years prior to 1850 didn't realize you could wash the canvas bags, therefore making them clean & sanitary again. Makes one wonder if they treated their clothing the same way -YUCK!!!
How many of you wash your reusable bags with each trip to the store? I know my family doesn't, but I don't much care because I always get plastic.
On top of that, plastic bags are free (for now) and these bags cost money.
Also who doesn't save and reuse the plastic bags as it is? We burn through them for litter, can returns, carrying food to parties, garbage, and occasionally tenderizing raw chicken. They are incredibly useful after the trip home. How many more plastic bags will I have to buy to replace these steadily incoming bags? There won't be much of a decrease in my home. I'll just get them elsewhere.
I'm glad we're at least given
I'm glad we're at least given the opportunity to return them to the stores for recycling. I'm not sure what I'd use to clean our cats' litter boxes w/ out them, but I'm for a ban.
Everything old becomes new
Everything old becomes new again.
The History of The Grocery Bag Game-changers-by Ed Weisberg
The history of the grocery bag provides an interesting juxtaposition to the evolution of our societies. Prior to the mid-1850s, grocery shopping in the city markets was a different experience. People carried their groceries home in their carts, or in re-used canvas bags. While canvas bags were more efficient than carrying food by hand, soon these bags became dirty and unsanitary.
Then, in 1852, Francis Wolle and his brother invented the first paper bag in Jacobsburg PA. By 1870, the invention was enhanced and the paper bag found its way to retail, creating the first game changer. They were clean, always available, and a great convenience for the shopper! Wood pulp, water, and water-driven energy were cheap, and all was good. Paper bags remained the standard for carrying groceries for over 100 years, through the growth of the cities and the development of suburban grocery chains.
The next great game changer was developed in 1975. At that time, the first plastic bags were introduced at retail, beginning with industry pioneers such as JC Penney, Sears, and Kroger. Plastic was a great solution to the challenges and opportunities of the time: Wood pulp was now expensive, oil was cheap. Plastic was considered the technology of the future! Making plastic bags required less energy, less water, the finished bags took up less space, was more durable for customers, and cost about 1/3 the cost of paper bags.
Around 2000, the world recognized that we had to do something to dispose of these durable bags which were staring to pile up in our environment and were killing our marine and wild life. We realized that over 4 billion bags are littered per year, enough to circle the earth 63 times!
By the mid-2000s, an infrastructure was developed for recycling bags, which had the potential to be a great solution to the bag problem. However, only about 7% of the 400 billion bags produced per year in the US alone actually make it to recycling.
Thus, somewhat out of frustration, environmentalist began lobbying their legislatures around 2005 to begin banning the use of plastic bags at retail. Over 63 communities have now embarked down this path. But we soon realized that a ban is only half the solution: We still need to get our groceries home!
http://www.gxtgreen.com/list/menu_5/155/2074/1.html
Thanks Bea, that was
Thanks Bea, that was interesting.
Having helped with the
Having helped with the Tonawanda Creek clean-up back in July, I can assure you that there were a LOT of plastic grocery bags in and around the creek. Our family uses a mix of plastic bags and reusable bags when shopping. We never lose plastic bags or let them blow away. We either recycle them or use them to line our trash baskets, etc. As with anything, instead of banning plastic bags, it would be nice if there was a way to ban irresponsible and uncaring people. I would say a close second in the clean-up was cups from fast food drive-thrus. Also in the mix were discarded appliances (fans, slow-cooker, televisions, etc.), plastic bottles and aluminum cans bearing the 5 cent deposit stamp, beer cans and bottles, and food packaging.
Bea. Thanks for the history
Bea. Thanks for the history lesson on 'the old bag'. Interesting.
Apparently, people from the years prior to 1850 didn't realize you could wash the canvas bags, therefore making them clean & sanitary again. Makes one wonder if they treated their clothing the same way -YUCK!!!
Bea, You forgot to mention it
Bea,
You forgot to mention it has come full circle with the reusable bags.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/06/reusable-shopping-bags-and-food-s…
How many of you wash your reusable bags with each trip to the store? I know my family doesn't, but I don't much care because I always get plastic.
On top of that, plastic bags are free (for now) and these bags cost money.
Also who doesn't save and reuse the plastic bags as it is? We burn through them for litter, can returns, carrying food to parties, garbage, and occasionally tenderizing raw chicken. They are incredibly useful after the trip home. How many more plastic bags will I have to buy to replace these steadily incoming bags? There won't be much of a decrease in my home. I'll just get them elsewhere.
There is a good discussion about it here http://thebiggestproblemintheuniverse.com/episode-2/