When Plastic Bags Can Fly!

I don’t need a bag – but thanks. I say that every chance possible when buying something in stores and if a bag is needed, I ask for paper. If I have the time and thought – I bring my own - all in an effort to reduce my plastic bag footprint in Tucson.

The city of Tucson has the “no plastic ban” back up for debate but if voted against banning plastic, a new recycle plant is being built that will take those bags – along with yogurt containers and Styrofoam! Yay!

Here are my "things" about plastic bags:

• Unless they are tied closed, soon as you take a turn in your car, food rolls out and all over as if you didn’t have a bag at all.
• Most are very thin, flimsy and easily tear. Can’t tell you how many spaghetti jars have broken in parking lots because it was in the same bag with a box of cereal that tore the bag.
• Because of the above, baggers give more bags than needed – how many of us leave a store with 10 plastic bags of food that could be packed in two paper ones?
• They are everywhere and can fly! By that I mean – stuck in cactus and trees, caught in fencing, blowing around the roads, and if you ever tried to catch a bag that flew away in the wind – you know what I mean!
• You’d think because they are flimsy they would do well in landfills – but they don’t – they last almost forever.

So I try to do my part:

• If it can fit in my purse, I skip a bag. If I can carry several items in my hands – I also skip the bag.
• If I need a bag – I ask for paper.
• If I end up with plastic bags – I use them for trash – couldn’t tell you the last time I bought a box of trash bags. And for those bags that are torn or too thin to reuse, some grocery stores have “recycle plastic bags” bins.

I am not perfect with trying to reduce my footprint on the earth – but this is one easy thing I can do to help the environment!