Re: Toronto proposes 5 cent fee for every plastic shopping...

[Guest guest]

They could always switch to paper bags. Those are made from trees which are a renewable resource and the forestry and paper industries employ thousands of Canadians and probably represents a sizable percentage of Canada's GDP. In Alabama, the timber and related industries are as much as 10% of the state's GDP. Paper bags are also useful for gathering trash and old newspapers around the house for disposal.

Granted I would rather see those paper products burned for energy or processed into fertilizer (recycling paper isn't necessary and is a waste of resources) than going to the dump, but we aren't set up for that yet.

In a message dated 11/26/2008 12:31:50 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, no_reply writes:

Many stores where Raven live already have this policy. People use cloth bags when shopping and receive a discount for doing so in some stores. It's an excellent idea and I think it should be implemented worldwide.AdministratorLife should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW AOL.com.

[Guest guest]

While switching to paper bags would possibly help support their natural biggest

industry,

with how stores seem to prefer using plastic bags, it seems most likely (I don't

have a

price list myself) that plastic bags cost them less to give out, regardless of

the whole

cycle's expense ecologically.

That being said, things have in this year been switched over to what sounds like

the same

thing Toronto is switching over to, and here are the facts: the recycled

polyethylene bags

are far more sturdy and nicer to carry than the best you could hope for between

the more

expensive paper bags with handles that are reinforced, or the plastic bags.

I've not tried it

yet (I don't even drink enough milk to make this sane to buy in a week) but

these bags are

so sturdy, I'm confident I could put two gallons of milk into one of them, and

swing it

about my head. By contrast, typical plastic bags will regularly have their

handles break, or

develop holes in them, all from a bit of walking with the groceries not properly

supported,

and even the best paper bags at grocery stores every so often tear from a

dynamic jolt,

and I've never seen a paper bag not lose strength once it gets wet: guess what

the

conditions are here for about half the year (not downpours, but at least

damp!)

>

> They could always switch to paper bags. Those are made from trees which are

> a renewable resource and the forestry and paper industries employ thousands of

> Canadians and probably represents a sizable percentage of Canada's GDP. In

> Alabama, the timber and related industries are as much as 10% of the state's

> GDP. Paper bags are also useful for gathering trash and old newspapers around

> the house for disposal.

>

> Granted I would rather see those paper products burned for energy or

> processed into fertilizer (recycling paper isn't necessary and is a waste of

> resources) than going to the dump, but we aren't set up for that yet.

>

>

>

>

> In a message dated 11/26/2008 12:31:50 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

> no_reply writes:

>

> Many stores where Raven live already have this policy. People use

> cloth bags when shopping and receive a discount for doing so in some

> stores. It's an excellent idea and I think it should be implemented

> worldwide.

>

>

> Administrator

>

>

> **************Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW

> AOL.com.

> (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-

dp & icid=aolcom40vanity & ncid=emlcntaolcom00000002)

>

[Guest guest]

" I've not tried it yet (I don't even drink enough milk to make this

sane to buy in a week) but these bags are so sturdy, I'm confident I

could put two gallons of milk into one of them, and swing it about my

head. "

The ones in Canada are very sturdy and are about the size of paper

shopping bags, but with handles, so you can fill them right to the top

and carry them easily. When Raven and I go shopping, I can put at least

three two liter bottles of pop in them and not have to worry about them

tearing or worry about handles ripping off - and I have put four two

liter bottles in them in a pinch without a bad result. If they DO break

or tear, you just give them back to the store and they replace them

free of charge.

Administrator

[Guest guest]

Those sound like the same basic design of the ones I've got and can

readily get around here (one I bought at the company store, the other

was given out as part of a packet pickup for a race, IIRC) but

really, I can see no real good reason to have too many different

designs. The biggest improvement/change I could see would be (if it

can be done well structurally) to have a zipper on top, and handles

that allow it to be used as a grocery backpack: I walk to/from the

local grocery stores, but it's easier for me to carry heavy weight on

my back in many cases, and this would be helpful for those using

bicycles.

>

> " I've not tried it yet (I don't even drink enough milk to make this

> sane to buy in a week) but these bags are so sturdy, I'm confident

I

> could put two gallons of milk into one of them, and swing it about

my

> head. "

>

> The ones in Canada are very sturdy and are about the size of paper

> shopping bags, but with handles, so you can fill them right to the

top

> and carry them easily. When Raven and I go shopping, I can put at

least

> three two liter bottles of pop in them and not have to worry about

them

> tearing or worry about handles ripping off - and I have put four

two

> liter bottles in them in a pinch without a bad result. If they DO

break

> or tear, you just give them back to the store and they replace them

> free of charge.

>

>

> Administrator

>