Being Green-ish, Part 2

And then there are the bags . . .

"Paper or plastic?" You've heard this question before. I know it! This question had been asked of me every time I went to the grocery store. And what do you do with that collection of bags you get every week? Mine magically ended up in a very neat and orderly stack (once they'd been shoved in the corner of my closet).

But not anymore! In 2007, San Francisco banned grocery stores and large pharmacies from using plastic bags. I've never been asked if I want paper or plastic in SF, I just get paper.

The goal of this being that people would eventually start bringing their own bags or at least re-using the bags they already have and decrease the waste.

I don't think this is working since there is now talk of charging a fee for paper bags! It's only a small fee, something like 5 cents. But even nickles add up! Remember when stores used to give you a credit if you brought in your own bag? Now that was incentive! Doesn't positive reinforcement work better than punishment?

I do try to bring my own bags with me whenever I shop, but inevitably there are times when I forget them or I don't bring enough of them (or I buy to much . . . ).

So, now I have this . . .

And lets not forget that the smaller markets and retail stores in the city are still allowed to use plastic bags. So, I'm really no better off! To the city's dismay (and mine) I still end up needing an organizational system for all these bags!

137 Miles

And then there are the bags . . .

"Paper or plastic?" You've heard this question before. I know it! This question had been asked of me every time I went to the grocery store. And what do you do with that collection of bags you get every week? Mine magically ended up in a very neat and orderly stack (once they'd been shoved in the corner of my closet).

But not anymore! In 2007, San Francisco banned grocery stores and large pharmacies from using plastic bags. I've never been asked if I want paper or plastic in SF, I just get paper.

The goal of this being that people would eventually start bringing their own bags or at least re-using the bags they already have and decrease the waste.

I don't think this is working since there is now talk of charging a fee for paper bags! It's only a small fee, something like 5 cents. But even nickles add up! Remember when stores used to give you a credit if you brought in your own bag? Now that was incentive! Doesn't positive reinforcement work better than punishment?

I do try to bring my own bags with me whenever I shop, but inevitably there are times when I forget them or I don't bring enough of them (or I buy to much . . . ).

So, now I have this . . .

And lets not forget that the smaller markets and retail stores in the city are still allowed to use plastic bags. So, I'm really no better off! To the city's dismay (and mine) I still end up needing an organizational system for all these bags!

137 Miles