THE SHAKE DOWN ON SHOPPING BAGS TO BAG OR NOT TO BAG?

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

I was watching the news last night and I couldn’t believe what the big story topic was. They were discussing whether using plastic bags could actually be better than using the reusable ones. There are several arguments against what we thought were “green” bags. Some claim that after a while they release harmful chemicals into the unpackaged food we put in them. I couldn’t find any studies or real proof to support this theory, but I have a solution anyway – put your fresh fruit and produce in a produce bag before putting them in!

A second argument is that so many companies are giving these recycle-able bags away that people are starting to have too many and throw them away. Here’s a wise and novel idea – if you have enough, don’t take any more! Just because it’s free doesn’t mean you have to take it.

The third argument is, in my opinion, a valid one. Most of these bags are made very cheaply in China in sweatshops. These bags are actually made with petroleum. I agree that we should not support these practices, however there’s an easy way around this too. Use natural cloth bags made in the good old USA! One lady I read about makes her own bags out of old T-shirts! Now that’s green!

So after reading all the hoopla and learning all the facts, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s better to be green! I’ll keep using my cloth bags, but will switch to 100% natural fibers made in the US. As a matter of fact, I’m trying to buy American made goods whenever and wherever I can.  I encourage you to do the same so we can begin to rebuild our economy, reclaim our industry and regain our pride in “Made in America”.