Bagging The Plastic Shopping Bag

Grocery Chain, Cities Ban Use Of Environmentally Unfriendly Plastic

(CBS)  Now that common grocery store refrain, "paper or plastic," is about to get a whole lot shorter.

This spring, all 270 Whole Foods Markets nationwide are bagging the plastic bag, CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports.

When she comes to the grocery store, what kind of bag does shopper Sue Chor use?

"You know, I do get a plastic bag," she said.

Shoppers like Chor pick plastic for its convenience.

"I like the way the plastic feels. And I can carry it better," she said. "It's more friendly."

But not exactly environmentally friendly. Experts say a family of four uses nearly 1,500 plastic bags each year. Less than 1 percent of those are recycled.

"Americans discard over 100 billion plastic bags per year," said Marci Frumkin of Whole Foods.

Bags often end up in rivers, oceans, or landfills, where they can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.

So, nationwide a growing movement against the plastic bag is being carried out.

The cities of San Francisco and Oakland have banned them. More than a dozen others are considering doing the same.

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For a more complete list, check out Ben Tracy's post on Couric & Co. blog.

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But some environmental groups fear this is just trading one evil for another. Making paper bags consumes millions of trees and it actually takes more energy to make paper bags than plastic.

Plastic bag manufacturers say we don't need a bag ban. We need to recycle more.

"We recycle 650 million pounds of plastic a year into things like additional bags and fencing and decking," said Keith Crismon of the American Chemistry Council.

For some, it's no longer about paper or plastic. It's a reusable bag.

"I have dozens of the reusable ones but I forget to bring them," said one shopper.

Which is why a solution to this environmental problem is far from in the bag.

[erasmus6]

"I have dozens of the reusable ones but I forget to bring them,"

Well if they ban paper and plastic bags then maybe you will be less likely to forget them because if you do you won''t have any to put your groceries in. You will have to go home and get them or buy new ones.

[yongamerica]

The day I get a discount for bringing my own reusable grocery bags is the day I start using them.

I like paper bags, I reuse every one, and rarely are they used as trash bags. here here to the paper bag!

[yongamerica]

Save an oil field, cut down virgin forests instead.

[j_flood]

Here in Ireland plastic bags have a levy placed on them of %u20AC0.22 (.31 USD). As a shopkeeper we''ve seen the use of re-usable bags soar. I my case we have two sets of grocery bags, one in the car, one in the house and rotate them. Most supermarkets offer reasonably priced canvas or other material bags. Some are sold as ''lifetime'' bags...get a hole in it, return to the market and they give you another one for no cost. There are other options.

[matttracker]

They don''t cut down virgin forest to make paper bags, they grow the trees on purpose to make the bags like cotton is grown to make shirts. I would rather see paper as it comes from a renewable resource and is quickly biodegradable. Personnaly I try to use the reusable shopping bags. You get a handle and you don''t fill up your plastic garbage bag with more bags.

[rf35]

I always reuse my plastic grocery bags.
Guess I''ll now go buy plastic bags in boxes to replace the ones I used to get in the checkout aisle and have them put into an extra paper bag. Problem NOT SOLVED!!!

[irisheyes555]

Using cloth shopping bags is something I have done since the 80s. You can pack them more organized because of the square bottom. They never rip open while carrying food, which plastic and paper bags do. Reusing cloth bags is the only way to go IMO. I just hang all mine by the door and scoop them up on the way to shop. Many places offer them very cheaply or make your own. Very easy!

rf35: Why buy plastic? Buy a few canvas or cloth bags. They hold a LOT more, which means fewer trips between car and kitchen. I live on the 2nd floor and can carry all my groceries upstairs in one trip, where it used to require at least 2.