“Paper or plastic?” is increasingly obsolete, as reuseable shopping bags are easier than ever to acquire. More and more organizations use sturdy canvas bags as a successful promotional tool. And extended-use polypropylene bags are available at the checkout stands of a growing number of retailers.
I keep an assortment of bags in my car; they demonstrate my affiliation with various groups, as well as promote the grocery suppliers at which I routinely shop.
Sometimes, aesthetic reasons factor in my decision to purchase a reuseable bag. I already support the Lake County Community Co-0p but it also happens that the co-op”s logo, which was designed by Kathy Wolden, is rendered in green and burgundy, one of my favorite combinations of colors, on the co-op”s canvas bags.
Utne magazine argues that there is a “glut” of reuseable bags, thanks to graphic designers embracing the forum as a venue for messages, as well as what Utne describes as the bags” “compelling social benefits” (www.utne.com/Environment/Environmental-Cost-Free-Canvas-Bag.aspx).
The author of the article, Dmitri Siegel, states that he found 23 canvas totes in his house. “Most were given to me as promotional materials for design studios, start-ups and boutique shops; more than one came from an environmental organization; one even commemorates a friend”s wedding. A community group recently delivered a reuseable bag to every house in my neighborhood to promote local holiday shopping,” Siegel said.
I would counter, however, that the bags in my possession are routinely put to use. Plus, I suspect that Siegel”s experience of being targeted by promotions varies greatly by individual.
I am sure Siegel”s local Freecycle network would be an ideal forum for him to post his surplus of bags. Maybe not the wedding bag, though; his friend might not view it kindly.
When you consider how many disposable bags are flooding our environment, I suspect that canvas bags fail to even come close to achieving comparable numbers. I”d estimate I have at least 23 disposable plastic bags in an elastic door-handle sleeve, waiting to be used as a wastebasket liner or a liner for my shredding machine.
Consumers may soon have an additional incentive at retail checkout stands to bring reuseable bags from home. According to Wal-Mart media manager Amelia Neufeld, the corporation is testing a pilot program in three California markets, including the City of Ukiah. Effective Jan. 1, Wal-Mart will cease offering its customers disposable bags and will rely upon reuseable bags that the customer brings from home or purchases at the store (Ukiah Daily Journal, Nov. 27).
Wal-Mart Corporation”s 2009 global sustainability report estimates that roughly 60 to 80 percent of all marine debris is plastic (http://walmartstores.com/sites/sustainabilityreport/2009/en_w_fS.html). It states that Wal-Mart is committed to reducing its global plastic shopping bag waste by an average of 33 percent per store by 2013.
I view this development as a refreshing change in attitude from just a few years ago, when I brought reuseable bags to one of our county”s big-box retailers. On one occasion, the check-out clerk responded with blank incomprehension. On another occasion, the check-0ut clerk laughed at what she apparently believed to be a joke.
I see the ascendancy of reuseable bags as a genuine win-win. Yes, the bags do serve as forums for corporate and social messages, but consumers are embracing those messages and the affiliations that the bags convey.
If you”ve got the time and the ability, you can even make your own shopping bag for the ultimate in personal expression combined with sustainable reuse. You can see an example of possibilities at Shelley”s Quilted Treasures on Main Street in Kelseyville.
Cynthia Parkhill is the editor of Northshore News, South County News and the Clear Lake Observer*American, as well as focus pages editor for the Lake County Record-Bee. You can reach her at 263-5636, ext. 39 or e-mail ObserverAmerican@gmail.com.
