I did a quick survey at my local supermarket the other day. I estimated that about two-thirds of the shoppers I saw entering the store at the same time as me, or standing in line at the same time as me, had brought their own bags.
Some of us have got some catching up to do.
Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill into law last month to ban retailers from using single-use plastic bags. They can offer customers paper bags, but must charge them five cents apiece.
I applaud this law. Plastic waste is a major problem. The Portland Press Herald reported that the group Environment Maine, in response to the bill signing, said, “Plastic has been found in every corner of the planet, from alpine lakes in the Pyrenees to the deepest ocean trenches, and has been ingested by species ranging from humans to sea turtles."
This is an environmental crisis, and the time to act is now.
When I started bringing my own bags to the supermarket in the 1990s, wastefulness of any sort was not seen as a major threat. The ozone hole got much more attention. But I thought it was a small thing that I could do—and an easy one, as well.
My first bag was made of white cotton canvas, emblazoned with a small tag that said “Shop and Save.” That was what Hannaford’s used to be called. Over the years, more plastic-type bags ironically appeared (but they were reusable, and often made of recycled plastic). I also acquired some recycled cloth bags.
I was doing the right thing by bringing my own bags, but that didn’t stop me from being acquisitive about them. I loved to get new bags to add to my collection. Really, I only needed four or five. But if I saw a cute one, I was helpless.
One year I did cull many of my bags by putting clothing and other items in them to donate to Goodwill. I think another purge is in order soon. I’d like to think that Goodwill shoppers will be inspired to buy the bags, so they too can do their part to protect the planet.
The bags are inexpensive even if purchased in a regular store, and it’s simply a matter of getting into the habit of bringing them with you. I did this by keeping several bags in the back of each car. In fact, I bought reusable cloth-covered boxes—meant for grocery shopping—to hold the bags. Since I live within walking distance of a supermarket, I also keep a few bags folded on a stool near the kitchen door.
Bringing my own bag has become second nature to me. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have one, but I know I would have shed a tear if I found myself in the supermarket unprepared.
I do have room for improvement, though. I don’t shop much, except for groceries. During the school year—I’m a school librarian—I don’t have time. I order online or go without. So I’m not fully in the habit of bringing my bags when I go to the two other places where I shop about once a month, Target and CVS. We do reuse any plastic bags we get there, to pick up after our dogs, but I have vowed to do better. My bags will now go with me to every store.
And, of course, soon they must. The new law goes into effect on April 22, 2020—Earth Day.
I also purchased some string bags for produce that I haven’t started using yet.The thin plastic bags for fruits and vegetables are not part of the ban, but I would like to personally stop using them. I am so happy in the summer, when I can pick from my own garden, or buy from the farmers’ market. (I always bring my own bag there.)
But I know that I can’t avoid plastic altogether without a complete lifestyle change. Some produce, even organic, comes wrapped in the stuff. I try to buy beverages and other groceries in glass bottles whenever possible, but often there’s no choice.
It’s easy to see, in our litigious society, why manufacturers have gone over to plastic. Foodstuffs like mayonnaise, peanut butter, jelly, and salad dressing used to come in glass containers.
So did milk. I remember, when I was a kid, we had milk delivered to our house. There was an aluminum box outside the back door where the milkman placed the gallon bottle. One day, a small neighbor child thought she would help my mother and remove the bottle to bring it into the house. Crash!
My mother was apoplectic.
I’m sure plastic seemed like just the thing to prevent accidents, especially as we started hearing about “latchkey children” who were coming home to empty houses and had to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, our reliance on plastic led to much greater problems that actually endanger life on earth.
It distresses me to know that I am part of this problem. My husband, Paul, and I recycle everything we can, but we know that the market for recycled plastic has dried up. So I don’t know what really becomes of our "recycled" vitamin bottles, prescription medications, skin care packaging and shampoo containers. Just about anything I buy comes in some form of plastic. I ordered a new band for my Apple watch and it came in a plastic sleeve. It was a small plastic sleeve, but there it sits in my trash barrel.
I know I can’t save the world. But I firmly believe that we all need to do our part. I’m proud Maine has become the fourth state to ban single-use plastic bags. I’m proud of our broad recycling law. These are first steps. As for me, I’m going to try for one step at a time. Tomorrow—string bags for produce!
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