What Is A Single Use Bag Anyway?

By Author: John David
Total Articles: 11
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Excerpt from the Los Alto's Town Crier, May 10, 2009. The Los Altos Environmental Commission May 11 unanimously approved a plan to promote elimination of single-use bags. The proposal is scheduled for discussion at Tuesday's city council meeting.
The plan supports the use of eco-friendly, reusable bags at locations that typically bag items with paper or plastic single-use bags.The recycling program targets residents, including children, willing to contribute to environmental protection, an audience the bag subcommitee estimates is between 50 percent and 70 percent of the local population. If approved, the commission's program would create a publicity campaign to spread public awareness through stencil distribution, written pledge drives and the development of a unified image and branding for a Green Los Altos movement.
Ok, I get it, a single-use bag at the grocery store, but surely there is more to this story. Let's start with some basic facts and estimations:
Approx. 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year. That's more than 1,200 bags per US resident, per year.
Approx. ...
... 100 billion of the 380 billion are plastic shopping bags, basically 26%.
An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags.
Only 1 to 2% of plastic bags in the USA end up getting recycled.
Thousands of marine animals and more than 1 million birds die each year as a result of plastic pollution.
The United Nations Environment Program estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean.
Even when they photo-degrade in landfill, the plastic from single-use bags never goes away, and toxic particles can enter the food chain when they are ingested by unsuspecting animals.
The list could go on but lets face it, single use anything seems like a huge waste with the probable exemptions for toilet paper, no one wants to reuse that, and what else Of course, garbage bags. They are single use right? They are in my home. A typical household in the United States uses nearly 20 garbage bags per month, roughly 240 bags per year. All single use. Up until a few years ago, these were the same products that my parents used, basically non biodegradable trash bags. The switch from regular plastic trash bags to biodegradable garbage bags is really a matter of choice. In fact, it is a choice that the makers of traditional trash bags haven't made and should. Our grocery stores still have the same single use, sit in our landfill bags that have been bought for years because they have a relationship with the big brands. But there is hope!There are a number of companies making biodegradable trash bags and while not yet mainstream, they are easily purchasable via the internet from a variety of online stores. But don't be fooled by the tagline, read the product details. There are many biodegradable trash bag posers that while better than the traditional plastic trash bags, are not truly biodegradable trash bags. BiobagUSA is a patented provider of 100% biodegradable trash bags and has a product line that includes the biodegradable lawn and leaf bags, dog poop bags, and those smaller 3 gallon waste bags that are perfect for bathrooms. Dog poop bags are another good example of a single use bag. How could I forget?Don't be confused on the single bag issue, but be smart. If your grocery store carries biodegradable trash bags, thank them. If they don't, ask them if they will. Lastly, lets be smart about what we put in our landfills and at our curbs. Do you really want the history of your kitchen to be preserved forever?

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