Why not forgo the bags altogether for produce and take tupperware? Still plastic for sure, but durable and re-usable for years. We actually take pyrex dishes with covers to our CSA to put greens in.
--- Jan Quarles <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Margaret McCasland" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Sustainable Tompkins County listserv" > <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2008 10:15 AM > Subject: Re: [SustainableTompkins] Motivated by a > Tax, Irish Spurn Plastic > Bags > > > > In Ithaca, Greenstar gives 5ยข off if you bring > > your own bag, but a lot of people still chose > > paper or plastic. > > > > Aldi's only offers reusable plastic bags for > > purchase (I forget the cost). People who shop > > there tend to bring their own bag, or use the > > boxes the groceries came in, which the store puts > > out for that purpose. It's easy enough to recycle > > the boxes once we get home. I seem to remember > > that practice in US grocery stores half a century > > ago--before we had plastic bags. > > > > The major grocery stores in Australia--which have > > been pushing reusable bags for years--had a big > > ad campaign reminding people to keep their bags > > in their "boot" (trunk). I found I need to have > > them in the front seat in order to remember to > > bring them into stores with me. > > > > Having functional, inexpensive reusable bags > > available seems to be only half of what's needed, > > from what I know of Australia and what the > > article on Ireland implies. It may well take a > > tax before we start consistently bringing our own > > bags. > > > > > > > >>Not sure if this news already made the list. > Could there be a local tax? > >>Would it make sense here? > >> > >>Motivated by a Tax, Irish Spurn Plastic Bags > >>By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL > >>The Irish have embraced the use of cloth bags to > carry > >>their groceries, encouraged by a 33-cent tax on > each > >>plastic bag grabbed at the register. > >> > >>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/02/world/europe/02bags.html?th&emc=th > >> > >> > >>Eric Clay, M.Div., Ph.D. > >>Community Coach > >>Shared Journeys, Inc. > >>832 North Aurora Street > >>Ithaca, NY 14850 > >>607-592-6874_ [EMAIL PROTECTED] > (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) > >> > >>Shared Journeys: Make a World of Difference > >> > >> > >>Our mission is to help individuals, families, > organizations and > >>communities > >>care more effectively for themselves and others > who are not like them. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information > for: > > [email protected] > > > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org > > > > > _______________________________________________ > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information > for: > [email protected] > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs _______________________________________________ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
