Don’t get me wrong, I love that less plastic is being distributed by grocery stores. Vancouver is a little slow on the uptake, but in time things will change.
I remember back in the eighties when the environmentalists were all up in arms over the use paper bags. There was a kerfuffle about all the trees that were being cut down in order to cart home groceries. I imagine that the electronic age and the general dumbing-down of society has made inroads in reducing our demand for printed material. So, back to paper it is.
One of latest arguments against switching back to paper is that people will have to buy plastic bags in order to use them as garbage bags. I wonder how many people noticed that many kitchen garbage containers have two parts: and outer aesthetically pleasing outside and a bucket with a handle on the inside. Which begs the question, “Why do you need plastic bags to put your garbage in?” The answer is really quite simple. It’s because most people are too damn lazy to: a) make a return trip back in the house with the garbage pail and b) rinse it out after they have returned.
I am equally as guilty. So, as of today, I will no longer use plastic bags for groceries and I will no longer use plastic bags in my garbage bucket. When I say today, I mean that in the loosest of terms because I think I still have one more garbage bag left in my cupboard.
Now my concern is: What is going to happen to all the left over crap from the oil refineries. Oh right, use less gas, use less oil … explore alternative energy sources. It’s a long battle and all I can say is, “I’ll do my best.”
I hope you will too.
In Calgary, unlike in Vancouver… A lot of grocery stores still use plastic bags! Even more troubling, the cashiers usually double bag your groceries!
Vancouver is well a head of Calgary in their Green initiatives.