Comments on: The Week in Green http://eco-chick.com/2008/10/07/the-week-in-green/ Because Mother Earth Is A Woman Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:49:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Melissa http://eco-chick.com/2008/10/07/the-week-in-green/#comment-546887 Melissa Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:19:47 +0000 http://eco-chick.com/?p=1425#comment-546887 E.R -- I totally agree with you but I also think it is important to understand where these bags come from so people don't just start using them as disposables. Or buying them and not use them. You only need a few and use them over and over again. Or as you say buy bags out of renewable or biodegradable materials. Every store now sells polypropylene bags in addition to giving out plastic bags. (i.e. Target). So now they are selling bags and giving away plastic bags. The only way it really works is to give shoppers an incentive. Target and other stores need to stop having plastic bags all together to force people to use the re-usables. I was happy to see one other person bringing their own bags into Target the other day but it is rare. E.R — I totally agree with you but I also think it is important to understand where these bags come from so people don’t just start using them as disposables. Or buying them and not use them. You only need a few and use them over and over again. Or as you say buy bags out of renewable or biodegradable materials. Every store now sells polypropylene bags in addition to giving out plastic bags. (i.e. Target). So now they are selling bags and giving away plastic bags. The only way it really works is to give shoppers an incentive. Target and other stores need to stop having plastic bags all together to force people to use the re-usables. I was happy to see one other person bringing their own bags into Target the other day but it is rare.

]]> By: E.R. Dunhill http://eco-chick.com/2008/10/07/the-week-in-green/#comment-546883 E.R. Dunhill Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:38:02 +0000 http://eco-chick.com/?p=1425#comment-546883 The reusable shopping bag, green or not? Answer: Green. The point that people need to exercise a modicum of common sense in greening their lifestyles is well-taken. I see far too many people allowing fashion to drive them to buy yet another reusable coffee mug or bag. However, on the whole, reusable containers are good solutions. In the long run, they reduce resource use and minimize waste production. The WSJ article makes the point that a resuable plastic bag requires roughly 30 times the energy of a disposible bag. That means after only 30 uses, there's a net energy savings every time the bag is reused. How quickly does the average person rack-up 30 disposible bags? The WSJ article also pitches the baby with the bath. It focuses primarily on one specific kind of reusable bag (polypropylene), and hastily attaches "water use" and "harsh chemicals" to an aside about natural fibers. Natural fibers like cotton and jute have been used to make bags for thousands of years. These materials are renewable and biodegradable. (It's also possible to make a nifty reusable bag out of last year's cotton t-shirt.) The bottom line is that it's possible to spit-hairs ad infinitum on any green choice. We can't make anything without using some resource and producing some waste (though we can be clever about how we do both of these). At some point, we have to make decisions and stick with them, like actually reusing our reusable bags. Work your bags to death. The reusable shopping bag, green or not? Answer: Green.
The point that people need to exercise a modicum of common sense in greening their lifestyles is well-taken. I see far too many people allowing fashion to drive them to buy yet another reusable coffee mug or bag.
However, on the whole, reusable containers are good solutions. In the long run, they reduce resource use and minimize waste production. The WSJ article makes the point that a resuable plastic bag requires roughly 30 times the energy of a disposible bag. That means after only 30 uses, there’s a net energy savings every time the bag is reused. How quickly does the average person rack-up 30 disposible bags?
The WSJ article also pitches the baby with the bath. It focuses primarily on one specific kind of reusable bag (polypropylene), and hastily attaches “water use” and “harsh chemicals” to an aside about natural fibers. Natural fibers like cotton and jute have been used to make bags for thousands of years. These materials are renewable and biodegradable. (It’s also possible to make a nifty reusable bag out of last year’s cotton t-shirt.)
The bottom line is that it’s possible to spit-hairs ad infinitum on any green choice. We can’t make anything without using some resource and producing some waste (though we can be clever about how we do both of these). At some point, we have to make decisions and stick with them, like actually reusing our reusable bags. Work your bags to death.

]]> By: Carla http://eco-chick.com/2008/10/07/the-week-in-green/#comment-546870 Carla Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:39:52 +0000 http://eco-chick.com/?p=1425#comment-546870 Thank for posting the info of the reusable bags. That is something I honestly never thought of, but I guess there is a reason why they are only about $1-$2 at the stores generally. I guess the best solution is to make your own (if you can) and/or support places/websites like Etsy. Thank for posting the info of the reusable bags. That is something I honestly never thought of, but I guess there is a reason why they are only about $1-$2 at the stores generally.

I guess the best solution is to make your own (if you can) and/or support places/websites like Etsy.

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