Comments on: Plastic Challenge: Becca Ryals and Gordon Bennett, Week 2

By: Becca Ryals

Becca Ryals — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:04:30 +0000

Beth – at least two of the Berkeley Bank of America branches use plastic wrappers on their quarters. Wells Fargo does too. Maybe I’ll write or call them to ask why.

EcoCatLady – Ah!! Great to know! I didn’t even think about the fact that the paper bags are lined with plastic.

By: EcoCatLady (AKA Rebecca)

EcoCatLady (AKA Rebecca) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 20:47:19 +0000

I actually wrote to about 10 cat food companies about a year ago asking about the BPA issue. It was pretty much all of the natural cat food brands (including Wellness). They ALL told me that the 6 ounce pull-tab cans don’t have BPA, but the larger 12 ounce cans do. This totally shocked me because I had read somewhere that the pull top cans are all lined with BPA – but all of the companies swore that they weren’t. GAWD knows… but we’re sticking with the 6 ounce cans for the moment. BTW – the paper bags for dry food are all lined with eitehr clear plastic or mylar, so there’s no getting away from it there.

By: Beth Terry

Beth Terry — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:07:02 +0000

It’s funny, I’ve never thought about the plastic wrappers on quarters. We have our own washer and dryer, so I guess that in over three years, I’ve never needed to get change. Is there another bank nearby that might give you change wrapped in paper? My company often gets change from Bank of America, and at least the Daly City branch wraps change in paper. I wonder how the Berkeley branch does it.

As far as indirect plastic use, as in restaurants, I kind of have a “Don’t Ask; Don’t Tell” policy. I’d drive myself crazy if I worried about all the unseen plastic that others might use. Similarly, if I go to a friend’s house for dinner, I don’t count the plastic they might have used. But I guess if you know for a fact that those marshmallows came in a plastic bag, you might want to forgo them. It’s really up to your own conscience.