Reducing plastic bag use
To the editor: Because they are made from petroleum products and pollute the environment, plastic bags are being seen as a problem that needs to be handled. San Francisco has banned them in large stores. New York City requires large stores to recycle them, and some countries tax them to discourage their use. What can we individually do to reduce the more than 500 billion plastic bags used per year? Most efficient is choosing an alternative. Reusable cloth bags are a good choice, as they come from a renewable and biodegradable source and can be used for years. Many types of bags are available online or in stores, including those made in the U.S. and made of organic cotton (better, since cotton requires a lot of pesticides and oil to produce), or recycled cotton from scraps. These bags can cost as little as $5. The even less expensive polypropylene bags available from some groceries are reusable but are not completely biodegradable. Their useful life is about two to three years. Any bag that is reused multiple times is better than using a bag only once. Bag tip: Reuse any plastic bags you already have by taking them when you shop, lining garbage or trash bins, pooper scooping, or for other messy disposal. Bag tip: Take reusable bags to all stores, not just the grocery. You won’t earn a 2 cent refund, but you avoid using a new plastic bag. Bag tip: You don’t need any bag for one or two items, or for a newspaper. And every time you say, “I don’t need a bag, thank you” or “I have my own bag,” you’re helping someone else think about the bag issue. Mary Makofske Warwick Mary Makofske is a member of Sustainable Warwick’s Plastic Bag Committee. The group’s statement of purpose is: Recognizing the mutual dependence between Warwick and the rest of the world, their purpose is to increase public understanding of sustainability by providing information and encouraging individuals, community organizations, businesses, schools, and government to cooperate in protecting environmental quality and reducing carbon emissions.