Comments on: Plastic Bag Manufacturer Misleads Public About Recycling Rates. Here’s the Truth…

By: BenFranklin

BenFranklin — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 22:33:02 +0000

Actually, if the bags are made with a little Earth Nurture Additive, they are as biodegradable as tree leaves. See: http://earthnurture.com .

By: Thursday is America Recycles Day | The Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project

Thursday is America Recycles Day | The Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:01:56 +0000

[...] Americans recycle approximately 4-5% of our plastic bags (this does not include plastic film or wrap.) [...]

By: ankas

ankas — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:09:41 +0000

Maybe someone would teach them to wash those bags occasionally, and you don’t carry loose cookie s in them….that’s why they are in the box in the first place. People are so stupid and yet they blame mistakes on someone/something else

By: David McKay

David McKay — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:48:34 +0000

So many great comments over here! The more people talk about this problem of plastic bags, the more bag bans we will have, and perhaps someday the change we are looking for will arrive…

To the person who bought deodorant an hour ago — try making it next time; it’s really quite simple to do and you will eliminate the plastic, and slow down just a little bit the consumption that has gotten us all into this mess in the first place!

My dad loves to recycle his plastic, and I just want him to use less of it in the first place — it has been difficult to get him to see my point of view. Perhaps in time…

By: Recycling is Bullshit - Living On Impulse

Recycling is Bullshit - Living On Impulse — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:32:58 +0000

[...] I just bought deodorant an hour ago. 70% of the material that I purchased will end up in the landfill or the ocean. If I was to recycle it it would possibly end up in a carpet, which would then years [...]

By: peaJayFish

peaJayFish — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:20:36 +0000

Someone mentioned other uses for the ubiquitous plastic grocery bags (bathroom bin liners, cat litter, dog doo, etc…). It is one of the first thoughts I had when I decided to attempt to reduce waste (especially plastic), and seems to be a universal concern (it was also my sister’s first cry of dissent). Yet, what I have discovered is a whole world of alternatives I never paid attention to before! Because I am careful about what trash I produce in the first place, and have a compost bucket, I don’t have (much) stinky stuff in my kitchen (main) trash. So even though it doesn’t really need a liner, I use my dog’s food bag (or the paper bag my water softener salt comes in) to line it, just in case. There are lots of smaller “bags” I used to toss without even thinking about it that work for lining smaller cans, and even smaller ones (chip bags, cereal bags, etc) that work great as pet waste bags! It has been over 6 months, and I haven’t missed a single plastic grocery bag yet! : )

By: Kayla

Kayla — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:00:04 +0000

Thanks, Beth!! I went to the grocery store again today, but made sure to have my reusable tote with me and felt much better! I will make sure to always keep one in my purse from now on. I am so happy to read this blog and have been writing down ways I can reduce and eventually eliminate plastic use in my life! I’ve managed this long without a car so I figure I can get around plastic as well!!

By: SusanB

SusanB — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:55:54 +0000

Beth, I’ve been traveling so I’m not sure where I saw this TV ad – but it was Glad trash bags touting how their “new” superstrong or something bags are “Green” and have amazing waste reduction superpowers. Very unclear how Glad came to that conclusion – stronger but thinner bags or your bag won’t break so you won’t double bag or what — but somehow they came up with a graphic showing an amazing number of plastic bags (not ounces of plastic) saved. I don’t think they were talking about composting/bio plastic either.
If you use one trash bag a week, it’s still one bag a week no matter what bag you use.

By: Betsy (Eco-novice)

Betsy (Eco-novice) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:07:50 +0000

Just watched Bag It with my husband, after which he told me that we needed to stop buying sliced cheese in plastic bags and look for large blocks we can buy instead to cut down on plastic waste. Usually I’m the one pushing for these changes! Hopefully, it will also help him end his single-use bag habit — I Think San Jose ‘s plastic bag law just went into effect anyway. So fun to see your segment in Bag It– I told my husband, hey, it’s Beth Terry, I kind of “know” her. I hadn’t realized you were in it, although I should have guessed you’d be featured, being the plastic expert you are… You should probably make your own documentary… based on your book.

By: Beth Terry

Beth Terry — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:45:41 +0000

Hi Kayla! I don’t have a car either, so I always make sure I have a few ChicoBags in my purse or backpack. It does become a habit. The main thing for me was not “letting myself off the hook.” In the beginning, if I forgot my bags, I would simply carry things in my hands and even put things back if I had too much to carry. That taught me not to forget them. Thanks for leaving your first comment here. Happy New Year. Beth