One Bag at a Time
If you missed the news Tuesday night, something spectacular happened. Something I have been waiting for. An action that will make a difference for our planet!
The Whole Foods chain has decided to eliminate the use of all plastic grocery bags throughout the chain by this coming Earth Day, April 22, 2008. Whole Foods estimates that they will eliminate 100 million plastic bags from our environment by discontinuing their use from Earth Day to the end of 2008.
The following information is listed on the Whole Foods website with regard to plastic bags:
Plastic bags are petroleum based and they fill landfills, harm nature and litter our communities. Since it can take more than 1,000 years for a plastic bag to break down in a landfill, polymers of every single plastic bag ever produced still exist on our planet. As they break down, plastic bags go through photodegradation—breaking down into small toxic particles that contaminate both soil and water, and end up entering the food chain when animals accidentally ingest them. It takes roughly 430,000 gallons of crude oil to produce 100 million plastic bags, and in the U.S. alone, about 100 billion plastic bags are thrown away each year (and only 0.6 % of them are recycled).
If you would like to read more, I encourage you to check out the Whole foods website at: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com
To give you an idea of how fast this idea is spreading, San Francisco and China banned the use of plastic bags and New York City is on the verge of passing legislation that will eliminate their use. I expect (and hope) that every other major city and retailer will follow suit in the near future. Wegman's and Tops recently started offering their customers reusable bags and the Lexington Co-op has been offering them for years.
I encourage everyone to think about the plastic bags you get at a checkout and where they end up. If you have a bag, backpack or purse with you, please use it. Every plastic bag that does not end up in our environment will make a difference. I will be thankful to no longer see them "decorate" our trees during the winter.
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Comment Options
Ike
there's not a whole foods in WNY, so why is this news?
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Digginit
Pollution is a global issue so I thought that this story was important and relevant so I asked the BRO post it. Everyone gets plastic bags when they shop. Plastic bags are literally everywhere on the planet right now so it is also a local issue. Buffalo is not protected from pollution of plastic.
I hope to start a positive discussion as to what everyone else does to recycle and reuse their plastic bags. I also hope to encourage people use fewer plastic bags as the decision by Whole Foods, San Francisco, China and NYC will certainly affect everyone in the near future. My anticipation is that our local markets will soon discontinue their use as well.
I encourage everyone to read the website, regardless if it is a local company or not, as it hassome very interesting information about plastic bags.
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MJWorthington
I enjoy the bags I bought at Wegman's for $0.99 each.
They hold more in a more organized way, sit nicely in the car and are easier to carry. They also easily fit in the map pocket on the back of my drivers seat between weekly visits.
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leadi
I love my Wegman's bags for the same reasons ^^^. I only need 3 of the reusable bags for a week's worth of food. I really like that they are black and won't show dirt as much as a light colored bag. I thought I saw a Target reusable bag last week.
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al-alo
it may seem counterintuative, but paper is at least as bad, if not worse for the environment. first the trees are harvested, transported and chipped - almost all with fossil fuels. then in a very chemically nasty way, the wood is turned into pulp. then its bleached and colored before it becomes paper. then comes the folding and printing.
paper bags also take up more space. so when the same amount of bags are transported, they require more space in a truck. and eventually, they take up more space in a landfill. and with landfills being sealed, nothing biodegrades quickly, even paper bags.
although not alwasys practical, clearly the best option is to use a cloth reusable bag.
to sum up: feel good pr boost.
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InformedOne
Encouraging news and worthy of posting, folks should be aware of the impact these bags have on the environment. Hopefully this will not lead to usage of more paper bags, at least the plastic ones can be recycled (though here in the City of Buffalo the concept of recycling is as foreign as hot January days).
Likewise all should be encouraged to reuse their fabric bags available at Lexington and Wegmans. Changing the economy through your shopping options is a powerful catalyst to change. Long live the Revolution!
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sbrof
I have been mostly bag free for several years now. Maybe now I wont get strange looks and side comments when i don't ask for a bag for the one item I purchased. Thank you very much but I have hands and they do work.
Also it is important to note that the entirety of china is banning plastic bags. We are getting excited about one chain, we really need to push for more progressive or ecologically minded legislation in the US. really are already behind the curve.
Paper bags while not perfect are usually made of recycled materials, making them 'less' bad. Not perfect but at least they create a market for recycling companies.
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WholeLottaJibbaJabbah
My new years resolution this year is to not use plastic bags from grocery stores for the whole year. And Sbrof I get the same looks, it's strange. Like do i really need my carton of milk put in a bag? I've got 2 hands, I think I can handle it.
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al-alo
sbrof,
the plastic ones can be recycled too. basically, you melt 'em. its not nearly as nasty as the stuff that goes into paper recycling.
not that im a spokesman for the american plastic institute. but lets not kid ourselves about paper. its pretty toxic.
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BackInBuffalo
Why is everyone intentionally missing the point? Whole Foods is taking a lead-by-example step here... yes they're not in Buffalo, but every little bit helps you myopic freaks... And, just to reiterate, plastic = oil use, just like driving trees to the 'bag company' = oil use. Point is not to take sides in a plastic vs. paper battle, but to realize that less of one bad thing is good. Now, buy your damn cloth bags already.
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Digginit
al-alo - my dad has been in paper recycling for 30 years so I have learned a lot about the process. (I was saving for another recycling post.) The debate has always been which is better. The toxinx released during plastic recycling is just as bad, if not worse than paper recycling. Paper shopping bags are almost always made with recycled paper. They are never made directly from fresh lumbered trees. Yes, the recycling process can be toxic (bleach is used to wash the inks) however, plastic bags are made with petroleum (crude oil) also depleting natural resources. Trees grow back within 10 - 20 years whereas oil takes millions of years.
If you put a paper grocery bag and a plastic grocery bag in your garden for one year the paper will break down. The problem with plastic is that every single plastic bag ever made is still on our planet becasue they do not biodegrade before 1,000 years. Paper bags biodegrade in the landfills. Nothing is perfect but, some things are less toxic to the environment.
sbrof - important to note about China. China was the first Country to ban them, San Fransisco is the first US City to ban them and Whole Foods is the first larger US retailer to ban use of plastic bags. I agree that the push needs to be made for ecologicaly minded legislation.
Because of Whole Foods decision, they estimate they will save 100 MILLION plastic bags from entering the environment from Earth Day (April) to the end of the year - only 8 months. 100 Million bags saved in only 8 months. That is a significant number.
For those you really appreciate facts:
Whole Foods has 265 stores nationwide.
Target operates approximately 1,500 stores
The Home Depot has 2,200 stores located throughout the United States, Canada, China and Mexico.
WalMart has 6,000 stores throughout the world
Think about how many plastic bags are entering the environment each day around the world from every retailer. The Home Depot Website states that they have 22,000,000 visitors each day. If only half of those people use one bag each that is 11,000,000 million bags given out each day x 365 days per year = 4,015,000,000 plastic bags. That is just one retailer.
The numbers are staggering.
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Digginit
Typo - Walmart has 6,900 stores world wide.
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Digginit
BackInBuffalo - exactly my point. Thanks.
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al-alo
im not missing any point.
unless people use cloth bags, at best you are using a slightly less un-eco alternative. its just trading one toxin for another, or one point of pollution for another. dont sound that great to me. show me a study that proves otherwise. go ahead. look.
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cyndrome
I am glad this subject is getting attention. I have hated those stupid plastic bags for decades. All of my friends think I am nuts, and several don't even know about my plastic bag issue. Anyway, all you do is get a couple sturdy canvas bags and keep them where you won't forget them, such as by the door or in your car. The issue is not paper vs. plastic, it is not using either.
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wojoczyniekschalski
This is crazy. what am i supposes to do carry my apples oranges pop weiners rolls catsup musturd fish sticks bologna bread and other stuffs in my hands what am i a juggler act plus i liek to use the plastic to put dirts into
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BackInBuffalo
al-alo, hello? you missed AND made the point all in the same post. studies be damned - it's all various degrees of bad. use cloth.
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WholeLottaJibbaJabbah
wojoczyniekschalski, its called a canvas bag you might want to use one, or get some juggling lessons. moron. waist not want not.
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Digginit
It is not trading one toxin for another. It is eliminating one of the two "evils". The stores will never go back to using paper to replace the plastic. They are far too expensive. Most stores did away with paper bags years ago. Some still offer them on a limited basis but, you can bet that will be ending soon as well.
Again - it is elminiating plastic bags all together that will make a difference around the world. The wave of the future will be for everyone to have reusable bags with them. Some stores like the Co-op just happened to have been ahead of the curve years ago.
Plastic being a petroleum based product and crude oil hitting highs of just over $100.00 per barrel recently, is reason enough for countries to ban their use. Can the world supply enough oil to produce plastic products as well as heating and gasoline? Not for long.
Something has to give on the planet and before we reach a no-return crisis point. I personally believe that banning production and use of plastic bags is fantastic idea.
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al-alo
backinBUffalo,
if you read my first post:
"it may seem counterintuative, but paper is at least as bad, if not worse for the environment."
"although not alwasys practical, clearly the best option is to use a cloth reusable bag."
maybe you missed MY points.
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cyndrome
Is wojo a joke or just plain scary?
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jsk1983
I can't get enough plastic bags. Some of course are used as garbage bags, but the rest are used as packing materials to ship books. My grandmother even collects them for someone who uses them to stuff dolls they make for the children in Nicaraugua (or something like that). Whole Foods obviously can get away with this since their customers aren't price sensitive but most chains could care less about the environment and would never want to take on the additional cost of only provding paper.
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wojoczyniekschalski
how nuch is the canvas bags! liek $20 o $30 each how much is the platic! i tell you theyr'e free. I need liek 10 or 20 canvas bag to go shoping You got that kinda money! no me. we should all be thinking a ways to keep the buffalo Bills here around no worryig about a bag. plus i saw on the tv that plastic is good for the garden dirt it helps give it something good.
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al-alo
damn it, why the hell am i defending plastic bags. they are not great - no doubt. but fine here i go:
1. paper bags cost more, that is why stores dont like them
2. from national geographic: "Compared to paper grocery bags, plastic grocery bags consume 40 percent less energy, generate 80 percent less solid waste, produce 70 percent fewer atmospheric emissions, and release up to 94 percent fewer waterborne wastes, according to the federation." *
3. using oil for the manufacture of bags isnt great for us. of course, burning that oil aint so good either. i perfer my oil in the nonbreathable form.
damn it, im not trying to suggest that plastic bags are great. nope, not at all. im saying that stop pretending that paper is better. and start using canvass.
*http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/09/0902_030902_plasticbags.html
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Novisiblemeansofsupport
All sorts of problems in the world, and you guys are bickering over the choice of grocery sacks.
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zen
Novisiblemeansofsupport-Seriously? There's big problems and little problems and little problems that become big problems.
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Prodigal-Son
I'm with Ike on the first post. Not that bags aren't important, and saving the environment is great and all, but I thought this was a "hyperlocal" website. I come here for Buffalo news, because this is the only place a lot of it is. I get my other news (and discussions about paper vs. plastic) other places.
No stories today about the Govenor's budget annoucement, and funding for Buffalo? No stories about the $1 billion Upstate slush fund, and ways to use it here? No stories about Broad-Elm, a 70 year old locally owned company, getting bought out? Plenty to talk about today besides an annoucement by a supermarket chain that doesn't have any stores here. If you want local supermarket news, how about Wegman's not selling smokes anymore? If there was an article on that I missed it.
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buffalocat
I used to use 2 large tote bags that I've had for years, but I recently invested in 5 black canvas bags from Wegmans. They cost me $1 each, and one was free because of the shopper's club card. Because they are a lot more sturdy, I actually only needed 3-4 for my family's week worth of groceries. After we empty them, we stick them back in the car, and they're ready to go next time we shop. Simple, cheap, a great alternative to either paper or plastic, really.
Prodigal-Son - I see your point about Buffalo-related news, but I think we also need to be concious of what's going on in outside our community, as well as within it. Maybe we need this story precisely because we don't have a whole foods to bring the attention to the issue of excessive paper bags. Maybe we could advocate for more BRO stories, but it's also important to highlight concerns that affect all of us, no matter where we live.
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al-alo
Prodigal-Son! Youre back!!!!! well break out the fattened calf!
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Prodigal-Son
Buffalocat - couldn't agree with you more that we need to be conscious of what goes on outside our community. The Iraq War, increasing oil prices, bombings in Pakistan, the upcoming Presidential election, and a lot of other things affect us too. But we don't talk about them on a website called "Buffalo Rising." This is where we learn about real estate development and new restaurants on Elmwood. This is not my single news source. Anyone who treats it as such needs to get out more. I just wish BRO would get back to what it was good at - scooping local news.
al-alo - The fatted calf was good. Sorry you missed it.
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Digginit
ProdigalSon - um - just want to point out that I am a volunteer. This was a story I thought would get everyone talking in a positive way about the changes people in Buffalo (see the connection?) can make in every day life.
If anyone knows of any local business making good environmental decisions and changes, feel free to post it or shoot me an email. I would be happy to post it and/or write a story about them.
digginitgarden@aol.com
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Prodigal-Son
Digginit - please don't take it personally. There are a lot of volunteers doings a lot of good work all over Buffalo. Thank you for doing your part. I agree it is an important subject, and I wish our local chains would be more proactive in cutting use of plastic bags (like someone said, if China can get rid of bags, shouldn't we be able to wean ourselves off of them). My beef is with the editorial board, I guess, not you.
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BenDunn
I'm not thinking about bags because I'm offended by wojoczyniekschalski, and responding just as they probably hope I will be. I'm sure they think the moniker and veiwpoint is just as hilarious as my reaction, but I wonder how funny other ethnic groups would find this kind of baiting.
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Digginit
No worries. I am happy to pass your concerns along.
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Pauldub
Without plastic bags I must find another way to dispose of used cat litter. Tops has the reusable bags as well.
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BROKEEPSBLOCKINGME
BackinBuffalo is Bill Zimmerman?
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BROKEEPSBLOCKINGME
I think Wojonisky is either a Crack smoker or really really really [deleted]
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BROKEEPSBLOCKINGME
ProdigalSon, you are spot on, no discussion about anything like Spitzer raising taxes...Again...Demovrats love to raise and raise and raise taxes...Cant believe people here actually vote for Dems still.
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sbrof
10 - 20 dollars for canvas bags HAHA... I never paid more than 5 for mine and that was long before ANY of the major stores around here carried them. plastic bags are lame break easily and can't carry anything. I carry about 3-4 bags worth of groceries in one canvas bag. less fighting to get in the house and no worries that I am going to have plastic particulates floating in my lungs.
There are some benefits to plastic bags, even though I don't agree that they are less polluting than paper. First off is they are lighter, and with the global economy and everything made in china these days, shipping is a HUGE polluter. Just like I wish pop still came in glass bottles but unless it was all done locally it would be more polluting to ship that weight around than its worth.
Either way, this article I think is very important to us locally, even though we might not have a whole foods around, the impact of plastic in our lives is huge. And something that maybe we locals can pressure our businesses to act upon.
In germany they had a great grass roots uprising against plastic bags, excess product wrappings to enact change. It happened in the 90's i think maybe 80's, but they simply bought their goods, and deposited all the excess junk in the fronts of the stores, pile after pile of cardboard, plastic, bags etc built up and cost the companies money to remove. After a while the companies pressured the manufactures to actually package their products smarter cutting off the waste at the beginning. In the end it actually saved the companies money because they didn't have to buy as much stuff to package. It saves the retailers money because they didn't have to pay as much in shipping and all these savings passed on to the consumers... Eco-thinking can be good for the environment as well as the pocketbook.
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RisingDamp666
Whole Foods began the transition last fall. A poll of their customers and employees sealed the deal. WFM is a chain that has to stay ahead of the curve on all matters Eco. It was embarrassing for them that their stores in San Francisco and elsewhere were shucking out plastic at the same time that anti-bag ordinances were being debated. Next to go: paper. By the way, Buffalo will likely be getting its first Whole Foods in the next five years.
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WCPerspective
Out this way, one local supermarket, Winco, sells canvas bags for $.99 and gives you a six cent credit for each bag you use on return trips.
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T-Rex
Paper in plastic, please.
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stevip13
FYI - The TOPS in East Aurora (Gray Street) has an amazing canvas bag that you can grab for FREE with your Tops card at customer service. It holds an enormous amount of groceries. I've been using canvas bags for years and was always amazed that the Whole Foods near where I lived in Boston used them. I am glad to see that albeit, they are not local yet, they are starting a trend that could - and should - swing our way. I am curious to see what people would do if stores charged for every plastic or paper bag that went out their doors. I am thinking that people would start carrying canvas real quick. Wild Oats, which has recently been taken over by Whole Foods, used to charge a nickel for every plastic bag used, and alternatively they would refund customers a nickel which they could put toward their bill or a local charity, when they brought their own bag. Not a whole lot of money, but that wasn't the point. Hasn't Aldi's always charged folks for bags? And RisingDamp666, is Whole Foods REALLY coming to town or are you just getting me excited??? Don't tease me!
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zen
Benndumm is absolutely right. I also call for a full protest of Trisha Takanawa.
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zen
Benndumm is absolutely right. I also call for a full protest of Trisha Takanawa. How could an environmental article lead to calls of ethnic misrepresentation.
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zen
Hit enter before all my thoughts were out. Sorry.
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Dan
I thought youse guys all hated Whole Foods, because it wasn't "local", "authentic and real", and so on.
FWIW, paper is the default at Trader Joe's.
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RisingDamp666
Stevip13, chains like Whole Foods like competitive markets where you can get a slice of a growing pie, and conversely, markets like Buffalo, where you can have the whole pie. With the housing slowdown in the Midlantic region, WFM will be looking for opportunities outside that perimeter. Buffalo is a perfect fit, in spite of whatever is commented to the media.
P.S.,I dare not say anything more...check out their website.
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leadi
Wegman's Reuseable bags $.99 each
Tops Reuseable bags $.99 each
Lexington Co-op canvas reuseable bags $3.99 each
Target reuseable bags (bought one today) $1.49 each
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vgallagher
I would be more interested in seeing Whole Foods make attempts to make food more affordable for the average consumer. Thank goodness Buffalo has Wegmans. Whole Foods would price many consumers out.
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RisingDamp666
If you buy organic, I defy you to find better deals on food than what Whole Foods charges. Organic is just more expensive ( that could change if Wal Mart is successful in coaxing their mainstream vendors to produce organic lines...stay tuned ). On "all-natural", Whole Foods is pretty competitive. Their "365 Everyday" lines are often cheaper than their conventional counterparts. Wegman's will only get better with Whole Foods in the neighborhood. That's the beauty of competition: it makes everyone better!
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Dionysus
When I did some grocery shopping in San Francisco, I remember being offered a small discount for my purchases because I brought my own canvas bags. It seemed like a good way to encourage people to be more envoronmentally friendly, if saving the Earth wasn't enough.
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stevip13
Thank you RisingDamp666 for the rationalization of why Whole Foods would choose to come to our area. And I will attest to your statement that the deals at WFM are really very good. Their "365" products were some of my favorite (their natural peanut butter is outstanding, I miss it!) and the "365" products were generally cheaper. And I hope that people understand that WFM offers many, many conventional items alongside their organic products so there is not only greater variety but CHOICE in what you can purchase. And while I will concede that their meats, poultry and fish may be a little more expensive I can honestly say that they consistently had the best quality out of any other supermarket - including our beloved Wegmans- around. The staff was always helpful and polite as well as knowledgable, but this is only my experience and I may be a bit nostalgic also...
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ben
can we get back to the 'what to do with cat litter' issue? i hear ya, Pauldub.
seriously, does anyone have any ideas? can't throw the poop in the trash by itself, then it stinks...
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ben
can we get back to the 'what to do with cat litter' issue? i hear ya, Pauldub.
seriously, does anyone have any ideas? can't throw the poop in the trash by itself, then it stinks... i suppose there's flushable litter.
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BetterThanDetroit
ben,
have a garden?
-btd
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Pauldub
BTD - I have a garden, AND IT'S FROZEN SOLID RIGHT NOW!. I was thinking about that, but the clay is pretty much inert, I don't know what the magic "clumping" stuff would do to the garden. I have 2 cats, so that's a fair amount of cat shit to dispose of. Going to try newspaper as disposal method. And I fit my week's worth of groceries in 2 Wegman tote bags. Think I can ditch plastic now.
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RisingDamp666
I believe there is a cat shit recycling program at the front steps of City Hall. You can learn more at http://www.catshitonch.buf.gov. Hope this helps.
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DTDweller
Thanks Damp! I was only aware of the dog shit recycling program they had there. Great news!
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BetterThanDetroit
Byron asked for everyones shit when he allowed for the casino. This means your shit, too, people!
See you at the pooping grounds!
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Siaba
I often get funny looks from the people that work at the store when I use my reusable bags (or heaven forbid I tell them that I can handle taking four travel sized products out in my hands!) Recently I found reusable bags for my produce and I couldn't be happier! If anyone one is looking to go plastic bag free check out http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5430714. I have had someone ask about them every time I have used them.
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