Submitted by Mary Libby
Bag the Bag Spokesperson
Anne Oman’s recent article in the Fernandina Observer raises good questions about reducing the use of plastic bags. Here are some comments which may help allay some concerns.
The paper vs. plastic debate is not simple. Both have their disadvantages. Paper is hard to recycle, consumes more energy (fuel) and water to manufacture, and produces solid waste.
Plastic litter is everywhere…look at any highway roadside. It is clearly a danger to wildlife and too often ends up in the ocean. You don’t have to be an environmentalist to be disgusted by the pictures of fish or waterbirds who are killed by getting tangled up with a plastic bag. It doesn’t recycle well, and can take centuries to degrade in landfills.
Mandating the use of paper might theoretically result in unintended consequences down the road, which is why setting hard and fast rules may be a concern, although several cities and states are doing so.Some are also requiring stores to charge a fee for plastic bags.
In short, neither paper nor plastic are great solutions. So, the best solution is consumer education, and voluntary choice. At this point, reusable cloth bags provide a good solution. Many grocery stores already provide them, some free, some at a small charge. But even if you pay a dollar for a bag, you can reuse it over and over.
Some have a concern about the cleanliness of reusable bags. People use reusable bags in Hawaii, North Carolina, and other states, as well as much of western Europe, where there have been restrictions on nonreusable bags for decades. You should wash them occasionally.
For some, one of the biggest hurdles is to remember to take your reusable bags along when you go to the store. But like your car keys or your cellphone, you can form the habit and remember to take them. Once you do, you’ll find yourself running back out to get them.
Editor’s Note: Mary Libby is a naturalist painter. She has lived in Fernandina for 1 1/2 years, after coming here from Minnesota. She is a member of Bag the Bag Fernandina.
March 19, 2014 6:03 a.m.
Good article… I think lots of people think paper bags are better. They still pile up and compress in landfills.
Nassau County’s economy has depended on the timber/paper industry since 1935. There is no question that we should support that industry by always insisting on paper products. The myth that we need to save trees is just that… A made up idea … A conspiracy perhaps… By the oil industry? Or who? Trees are grown in Nassau County, and across the Southeast, for the purpose of making paper and building homes and thousands of other products. Plastic bags should be outlawed. When you go to the store, always request paper bags and feel good about supporting our local economy.
Thanks to Mary Libby for her opinion piece. The task force might want to look into the approach taken by Monroe County, in the Keys. Citizens there started a “Got Your Bags?” campaign that enlists stores to remind customers to bring reusable bags.
Actually the carbon footprint for the use of paper vs plastic is about the same, believe it or not. Paper bags are also considerably more expensive for merchants to buy than are plastic. That cost will just be passed on to the consumer.
As Mary very wisely stated—-” neither paper nor plastic are great solution’s. ”
The most common sense approach is usually the simplest one. Bring your own bag. Have a few extra, if they are dirty wash them.
This is not a “pie in the sky” approach. In Europe they bring their own. They have learned this is the best way and they are used to it and it works.
I have a lot of folks ask me, why? Why bother, who is it effecting?. Lets forget for a moment the environmental aspects and how plastic hangs around in landfills for ever, or the carbon foot print it leaves, as does paper, with respect to both manufacturing and re-cycling. Lets just look at the fact we live on an Island. Lets just look at the fact they are killing our turtles which our community has taken so much pride in, and the fact they are killing sea life such as dolphins. I believe there is a certain amount of responsibility we need to take for the honor of living in such a special place. We need to show it a certain amount of respect, not only to the cleanliness of our shores but for the safety of its marine life. It’s really a simple fix, use re-usables.
What is the downside? We have to change our habits a bit, buy a few bags and remember them. I think this community can handle these changes better than most. We love and take pride in our island
Canvas bags. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
Winn Dixie is doing their part! They have signs in the parking lot to remind us to get our bags. Pretty cool! A friend of mine has a tiny bag on her key chain to remind her to take her bags with her. How about a key chain campaign!
What a great idea, Jane! That is the one problem I have with this effort…remembering to get them out of my car. My husband gets tired of me sending him back to the car so this would really help. On another note, anyone who has researched the subject of plastic vs paper, will find that both do cause/cost a problem. Trees can be used for many things that are not detrimental to the society. Let’s just take care of our Island and the Nature with which we are gifted! Buy re-usable fabric bags, wash them and forget the paper and plastic!
A great article by Mary. Also, some of this problem can be eliminated by telling clerks you don’t need any bag … you can carry your purchases out to the car in your hands. I’m constantly confronted by clerks putting 1, 2, 3 little things in a plastic bag when I quite easily carried them through the store to the register in my hands. Just remove them and tell the clerk … nicely … they can keep the bag for the next customer.