Bag It Up

It is easy to hate plastic grocery store bags. You can often see them decorating tree branches or strewn along roadsides. They are an eyesore and are extremely dangerous for wildlife who ingest them or get tangled in their handles. They are made from petroleum and thus contribute to our dependence on foreign oil, not to mention global warming. All plastic is quickly becoming a worldwide problem as it is turning up just about everywhere, such as the massive pile of trash in the Pacific Ocean that is twice the size of Texas.

You might think it is good news that some stores offer paper bags as an alternative. This seems like the best solution--here you have a biodegradable option. The unfortunate reality is that it is not so. Paper bags actually require much more energy to manufacture and produce more pollutants than plastic bags.

So you have what seems like a catch-22 situation: You can use the plastic bags but find yourself contributing to plastic waste and fossil fuel usage. But if you choose paper, you may have a biodegradable option but the increased energy use to make them contributes to global warming. You're damned if you choose one, damned if you choose the other.

There is another option: B.Y.O.B! Bring your own bags. This is a wonderful habit to get into and you can nip this problem in the bud right there. You can use backpacks, gym bags or even a cardboard box. I have a few reusable bags with handles and they work out great. Here are some options.

I admit it took some adjustment for me to do it, because this is a lifestyle change (albeit a minor one) and I had to remember to keep the bags in my car or in a readily accessible place. But now that I have gotten into the habit it is quite easy. If I have to make an emergency trip to the store and don't have a bag with me, I try to buy only what I can carry in my hands. Keep these pointers in mind when using reusable bags, such as making sure to actually use them without having them sit in a closet somewhere, just becoming a new form of waste.