It’s amazing to me that people still use plastic bags without hesitation. Moreover, I find it just as unsettling that so many markets still use plastic bags as the primary bagging choice for purchases. Either the mass consumer is going to have to change bagging habits (good luck), or the markets are going to have to change their policies (good luck), or there is going to have to be a change of policy introduced at a higher level. Yes, there are now mandatory plastic bag recycling stations in super markets, but honestly, how many of the bags actually get recycled? I have friends and family (who should know better) that still tend to grab plastic because it’s just too darn easy, and there are hardly any measures taken to encourage a change of what has become a very nasty habit. For some reason they don’t think that what they are doing is that big of an issue. They don’t think of the natural resources (oil) that are used to make plastic, or the long lifespan of the product, or where it eventually ends up (in the garbage unless I’m in the room to throw a fit).
From what I understand, the DEC has only made significant steps in the recycling department, without doing much to curb the production and dissemination of the bags. Certain states have taken measures in eliminating the scourge of plastic bags, but in NYS we are still shopping in the Stone Age. Some stores charge for plastic bags, which tends to help a little bit, but not enough to see a significant change in shopping habits of the customers. Plastic bags mess up our recycling initiatives (people think that they can be put in along with glass and plastic), they end up in our landfills, and in our trees, and in our waters.
Speaking of plastic in our waters, take a look at this article published by the University of Buffalo that documents the amount of plastic in the Great Lakes… not to mention the amount of plastic that fish and birds eat as part of their regular diet – see Monster in the Great Lakes.
Are you still using plastic bags? If you answer, “Yes, because I use them to pick up dog poop.”, then may I suggest that you go to Elmwood Pet Supply and purchase biodegradable poop bags. You’ll feel a lot better by doing taking this step, and so will the earth.
Photo: Tops on Grant Street