Ever since the production of plastic surpassed the production of any other material, there have been concerns about its effect on the environment. Plastic does not degrade for a very long time, plastic bags particularly have been said to, "...linger in the environment for more than 1,000 years and are the major debris found on the seabed" (weeklyreader). They are spotted everywhere, flying across the freeway, hanging in trees, blowing along the beach, and, piling up in dumps everywhere. Almost every store hands out disposable plastic bags, so if one travels to multiple stores in one day, they are racking up their supply of plastic bags. Some people reuse them for garbage can liners around the house or for picking up their pets messes, but ultimately, they still end up in the garbage. Proponents of the reusable bag movement hope to put a stop to the overflow of plastic bags in dumps across America and the world.
Using a reusable bag is easy. They are stronger than plastic, they can become a fashion statement, and some stores even offer incentives for using them. Grocery stores across the U.S. have been taking $.05 off a customer's total for every reusable bag that they use, and CVS/Pharmacy offers $1.00 back every four times a customer uses a reusable bag. With offers like this, and the fact that it helps the environment, it is almost impossible to find a negative with using a reusable bag.
The production of plastics was one of the worst things for the environment to come out of the discovery of petroleum. Although plastics do some good, like the fact that many technologies would not be possible without them, they wreak havoc as well. The fact that they take so long to decompose is horrible for the Earth. Obviously, we cannot stop using plastic all together, but if there are small changes here and there, it would make a difference. Remembering to take a reusable bag everytime you go to the store could be that small change that helps out in the long run.
McNeill, J. R. 2000. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-Century World. W. W. Norton & Company Inc.
Mastiny, Lisa, and Jason Perillo. "Paper or Plastic?" Current Events 107.21 (2008): 1.Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Dec. 2009.
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This concept I believe relates really well with the commodity fetishism and the class structure of the ICC...essentially we only see what we value and everything else is unimportant and at the same time pushing off or exporting our problems to other places. So if we do not see the effects it is not there. Volunteering at a food pantry I see the customers using disposable plastic bags very generously. Just like all the other items in the pantry, it is free so why bother to think twice about using them? That is why the volunteers do the recycling and reusing on our parts. There are the customers that do bring their own canvas bags in but they are few. While staring at the ocean on the beach in Okinawa, I saw some plastic bags washed towards me and I grabbed them out of the water and carried them with me to find a trash can. There was not a single trash can in sight in that particular area. But the beach was relatively very clean. Meaning that bag very probably came from somewhere else. Overall, it is essential to rethink our convenience versus cost ideals. Heating or freezing to death in your room? Free plastic or having to bring your own bags? That call is up to every individual...as like the concept in economic terms 'prisoner's dilemma' or the sociological term 'tragedy of the commons' it goes way further as an environmental problem where everyone takes the non-cooperative mode that only exacerbates the situation.
ReplyDeleteI work in a grocery store and I have been noticing that more and more people are starting to use canvas bags. What I can't stand is that some people feel that they should be rewarded for reusing a bag. In Europe, if you don't bring your own bag, then your SOL. If you do, your not rewarded, that's just the way things go over there. I think that plastic bags should be banned in San Jose. Will that happen anytime soon? nope. It will take some time before everyone owns their own canvas bags. Maybe even never.
ReplyDeleteThe Revolution Against Plastic Bags doesn't just stop at the grocery store, are you ready for the copious amounts of dog excrement that will be recycled in your neighborhood when plastic bags are taboo? You think people don't want to pick up now... what are the dog owners supposed to use to pick that crap up?
ReplyDeleteAnd what's gonna line your garbage cans at home?
I think it's a great idea and probably a needed change for us and the umbworld, but some of our values about being around and smelling "icky" stuff might need an adjustment.