[SustainableTompkins] Plastic Bags

[Margaret McCasland]

Greenstar is actively working on the bag 
question.  They did have some locally made 99¢ 
bags for a short time, but they sold out right 
away.  They also found some recycled PET bags 
from China that were made under Fair Trade 
conditions, but I don't know if they've ordered 
any yet.

Lots of great suggestions for needing less plastic bags, Jan!

I use an old-fashioned kitchen towel rack to dry 
my re-usable plastic bags (and cotton produce 
bags, and of course, my kitchen towels).

While I find cotton produce bags only keep 
produce fresh if I put them inside a plastic bag, 
the cotton/plastic combination keeps greens from 
going slimy. The plastic bags are then easy to 
just rinse out, and the cotton bags can go 
through the wash.  I also use old linen napkins 
inside plastic bags to keep things moist but not 
slimy.

The main way I use plastic grocery bags is as 
waste basket liners.  Anyone remember what we 
used to do before plastic?  I do remember having 
to occasionally wash out metal waste baskets as 
one of my chores, but that is not a "solution" I 
want to return to.  Having washable plastic waste 
baskets that don't rust (as long as they don't 
have PVC or phthalates in them) seems like a 
reasonable durable use of plastic.  But in some 
locations, I still like to have a disposable 
liner (which gets tossed full of trash, of 
course).

Margaret

>It may not occur to shoppers to ask for cardboard boxes. I'll ask Greenstar
>to encourage this option through signage at the registers, and in their
>newsletter. They could also charge 33 cents (or more) for their plastic
>bags, or, better yet, not offer them at all. I also think Greenstar should
>offer more affordable reusable bags for sale, like Shur-save and Wegman's
>do. If you agree, please join me in speaking up about this.
>
>Also, many of you probably know about the following, but I'll suggest them
>anyway, for those who don't, here are some alternatives to using new plastic
>bags:
>- For drippy produce: bring used plastic bags, waterproof beach bags, and/or
>those zippered rectangular insulated bags (normally used for car travel);
>- Keep a cooler (or two) in your trunk; you can transfer groceries directly
>into it from your cart. In the summertime, line the bottom of the cooler
>with gel-packs from your freezer;
>- Bring your own cardboard boxes to the store each time, and store them
>under your cart while you shop;
>- Wash sandwich baggies and those thin plastic bags from the produce dep't
>by immersing them in a bowl of soapy water; swish, and then rinse well. Hang
>them on a line in the basement, or drape them over bottlenecks in your
>kitchen; you can set up wine or vinegar bottles on a cloth towel on your
>counter, and the bags will dry overnight. They last for years!
>- Jan Quarles