The problem of plastic bags is one example of how we seem to have taken two steps back, in an effort to eliminate what is a huge problem in our modern world. When I was growing up, groceries were bagged in large brown paper bags. When the cheaper plastic bags came on the scene, customers were generally asked if they preferred paper or plastic. Most people did not care. Those who were concerned about the decimation of forests would opt for the plastic. It came down to which was the lesser of two evils. I have never liked the plastic bags and I was annoyed when the clerk did not bother to ask, but proceeded to place my items in the plastic bag.
As time progressed, customers were encouraged to buy and use their own bags (with the store’s logo, of course). I have used these bags for years, but I have found what works best, is the paper bags, doubled to make them stronger. I can reuse these multiple times and when they finally begin to wear out, I use them to recycle paper products. The problem with the typical reusable bag is that they do become dirty over time. They can be wiped out; but eventually they wear out and end up in the landfill along with the many plastic bags that never get recycled.
The millions of plastic bags that are typically used are so inefficient that I am amazed so many people tolerate them. They tear easily and fall over, often allowing your groceries to fall right out of them. Since most of the products we buy are packaged in square boxes and containers, the brown paper bags and the “bring your own” type bags are more suitable. It is far easier to pack these items into the square bottomed bags and they hold three or four times as much.
I was happy when they created the self-checkout isles, so that I could bag my own groceries. The store where I currently shop does not have self-checkout and I continue to be amazed that so many people with the job of bagging groceries don’t have a clue as to how to do it. They often put all of my heavy items in one bag so that it is difficult to lift and I frequently find my bananas and lettuce squashed at the bottom.
My daughter, who lives in Colorado, has told me that the stores there will not allow people to bring their own bags for fear that the virus will be transferred by the bags. It seems that the fear created by this pandemic has caused many people to toss out common sense. If this is what they are afraid of, then they should simply allow people to bag their own groceries. This continued use of plastic bags has really got to stop. I am tired of seeing it hanging up in trees and collected in gutters. People have managed for centuries without these hideous plastic bags. It is time to reconsider what we actually deem as necessary to life.
