Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

Annetta7424 — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 23:57:12 GMT

What about the plastic bags we put our veggies in? I know I sure don't want my veggies loose on those filthy conveyer belts at the market, with raw meat drippings on it. God knows how often they get cleaned. Also, I always reuse my supermarket bags for garbage. If I don't get those, I'll still be buying bags for the garbage. Any ideas for alternatives to the plastic garbage bag? (preferably small, I live in an apartment)

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

feldy3 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:58:16 GMT

Ok, here it is the bag you are looking for: www.envirosax.com/products/organic_series

Yes, these are not cheap and they are new (not recycled materials), but they are so easy to use. I have two of the original Graphic bags made of polyester that I received as a gift. They fold so small that they fit in my coat pocket, taking up less space than a plastic bag. Now, I always have a bag with me even for spur of the moment purchases! They look great and last forever. Now there is the Organic Series.

(Hope this is ok to post...I don't know them, just like the product:) The following is from their website:

ENVIROSAX

Reinforcing the company’s ethos of environmental sustainability, the Organic Series is manufactured from natural materials including viscose from bamboo, linen and a fine grade hemp. The bags come with their own little pouch for easy storage in a glove compartment or handbag.

Envirosax Organic Series bags are printed with vegetable based inks and are all packaged a recycled cardboard box that has been printed with organic soy-based waterless inks.

www.envirosax.com/products/organic_series

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

barbic1953 — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:51:34 GMT

I think everyone should be required to keep all their garbage and trash

in the backyard for a month... that would really open your eyes to all the

plastic you buy and throw away ! I like the idea of composting ... how

about a Can-O-Worms for every kitchen ??? There is so much we can

do on a personal level ! We also need to start letter writing campaigns

to tell manufacturers to stop all the useless packaging... hermetically

sealing and packaging everything with multitudinous layers ... making

a product look like it contains more by putting it into a false bottomed

container, etc. and saying we will boycott the product until the changes

are made ( and mean it ). How about toilet paper rolls ? Why are they

packaged in all that plastic? Why aren't the inner cardboard rolls smaller

in diameter so they can put more sheets on the roll ? That is one of my

latest letter writing goals. We vote with our pocketbooks so let's get

the manufacturers to change their wasteful ways !!!

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

Khristena08 — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:34:03 GMT

I have found the switch to canvas shopping bags an easy transition. The City of Seattle attempted to pass an ordinance requiring merchants to charge 25 cents per bag which most likely would have resulted in a significant reduction in plastic/paper bags in our city. Unfortunately it was opposed by local retail organizations and of course, the plastic bag industry. I recently heard about a garbage bag (not all of us apartment dwellers have a composting option!) that is biodegradable and is actually sturdy. It's called Go Green (www.PerfGoGreen.com). The best price (not cheap) I have found is offfered on Amazon.com.

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

whimsley — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:13:10 GMT

I started making my own cloth bags a couple of years ago. I have given them as gifts. They work GREAT as a gift bag with other gifts and goodies tucked inside.

I used a paper shopping bag as the pattern for the first bags I made. I also sew the handles all the way around the bag and under the bottom, for strength.

For fabric, I go to upholstery and drapery fabric stores. They usually have a room in the back where they have remnants that cost as little as 25 cents.

I also line them. An old white sheet can line a lot of bags.

I have considered selling them on eBay, but, I am a stickler for quality and it takes me 2 to 3 hours to make one bag. I would have to charge a high price to make it worth my time.

I am making some smaller bags out of my grandmother's clothes. She passed away last summer. These bags will be "remembrance" gift bags for my family this year. It will be nice for all of us to get the bag out for a shopping trip and say, "I remember Nanny wearing this."

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

tanya_marquette — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 19:48:06 GMT

what elitist snobbery here! also a real lack of knowledge about other people's lives and the conditions that force them into underpaid, deadend, boring, part-time jobs just for basic survival.

i talk to everybody, regardless of who they are. i talk with the bridge toll collector. i talk with the laborers on a jobsite. i talk with the president of the university. and that is what people need to do--talk with everybody--and with respect. everytime a clerk asks if you want a bag, that is a teaching moment. why not say "no thank you --that is bad for the environment." or perhaps you can focus on the dolphins. or what about the disappearing landfillls and the increased costs to rid them of garbage--that hits their pocket. and if they they dont pay for garbage, ask them what they think their rent is for. landlords pay the bills they don't!

and if you snap at them and act like you are better than they are, you might find an ear to hear you.

the more people talk up an idea, the more other people will hear it and hear it and hear it-...........i think you get the idea. it the old image of every raindrop becomes part of the ocean---or the flood in your basement.

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

Angelica_LA — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:16:44 GMT

I use canvas and other types of "fabric" shopping bags when I go grocery shopping. However, I have a dilema. I have a cat that is used to using a litter pan. For years I have scooped out the litter pan, and deposited the waste products in a plastic grocery bag, which I then toss into the dumpster in my back yard.

I cannot come up with a solutio that will allow me to discontinue using the plastic bags for disposing of the cat's waste products. I use a lightweight biodegradeable litter, but because I live in California, am not allowed to flush the litter down the toilet.

Can someone come up with a solution for me? I could then spread the word to other cat owners that I know.

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

RichJedi — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 07:49:22 GMT

I see that many people like myself wanted to know what song it was in the video. It's a very good one as the album got 5 stars on Amazon and rave reviews, even from people who don't normally like Celtic music.

Here is what I found out.

Ceredwen Wasteland / Pryderi's Lament

It's a Celtic song which I figured since it reminded me of Enya and some other Celtic music I heard, but I've never heard of this artist before. The album got 5 stars on Amazon and people said it was one of their all time favorites and they can't stop listing to it.

Actually it's from the album O'r Mabinogi, the link to it on Amazon is below and apparently it's available on Itunes too for download.

www.amazon.com/.../ref=sr_1_1

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

Victor_Mayes — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 07:47:41 GMT

In Japan, a lot of plastic rubbish bags are made from a potato starch which is biodegradable.

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

Land — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 04:47:02 GMT

I totally support the use of alternatives to oil-produced plastic bags (I use my reusable carrying bags for food shopping). One alternative is Bio-bags, the "world's largest selling brand of certified biodegradable and compostable bags made from the material Mater-Bi..." (I have no idea what Mater-Bi is)". Bio-bags work but decompose rather quickly...they don't last a week when I save food scraps in them for our weekly compostable pick-up here in San Francisco. I place one inside a paper bag (I know...wasteful but it works and I don't have to use multiple Bio bags during the week). Also, I think that it's important to clarify the "news": San Francisco's "ban" on plastic bags is only true for large supermarkets. All the smaller grocery and service shops here still legally use plastic.

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

OssieA1 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:28:43 GMT

I kept reading because of the most beautiful music!

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

labworktech — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:01:17 GMT

When I took cooking class in junior high, we had to line the trash cans with newspapers every week for our food waste. There was a certain way to fold them with a cuff on top which made it easy to lift out and discard. I don't remember how to do it and haven't been able to find it on the "net." It seems to me it would kill two birds with one stone as we have to recycle newspapers anyway. This was in the '50's or early '60's. Does anyone out there remember?

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

marylouise67 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:11:31 GMT

RachaelWinstead,

The grocery chain Aldi is GERMAN owned, not Italian.

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

doc_203 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:57:29 GMT

Why, oh why. When I buy a single loaf of bread, why does the clerk wants to put it into a plastic bag?

re: Bag Wars -- Paper vs Plastic: The Real Truth

G-Rock — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:50:58 GMT

i'm not sure about plastic or paper bags, but i found these disposable bowls and plates that are made from fallen leaves and water! such a cool idea. the website is here: https://www. verterra .com/default.aspx

if they could find a way to make bags out of fallen leaves, we would be doing great!