Dirty Plastic Bags

Ditching disposable plastic bags for longer lasting, reusable alternatives is a growing trend throughout America's retail stores. But as many environmental groups are quickly discovering, reusable plastic bags, while intended for good, can actually be more damaging to the environment than their flimsy prototypes. Made to be durable, these bag have an even longer lasting impact on the environment. The controversy over plastic bag use has raged globally for at least five years, as both corporations and city government try to be more environmentally conscious. Last year, San Francisco was the first U.S. city to ban the use of throwaway plastic bags. Since then Boston; Phoenix, Portland, Oregon; Austin, Texas; and a handful of other cities are weighing similar ordinances. Earlier this month, U.S. based Ikea stores stopped offering 'use and toss' plastic bags at the register. Whole Foods Stores did the same back in April. One nuanced approach is unfolding in Seattle, where customers could end up paying a 20 cent fee for every bag they take from the check out line; similar to the approach used by some retail stores. In 2003, a bag fee dropped Ireland's disposable plastic bag rate 90 percent. When consumers reuse the more durable bags as intended, they keep hundreds of disposable ones out of landfills. Each consumer uses between three and five hundred disposable plastic bags every year amounting to an estimated 100 billion in United States. Part of the solution to reducing 'use and toss' bag use, lies in changing consumer behavior and mentality.