Canary and the coal mine

[Vern Humphrey]

Went to grocery store yesterday. Checker wearing mask & gloves, plus a big plastic screen between me & her. Laid my canvas shopping bag on counter, but she said she wasn't allowed to touch it even with gloves, so I'd have to fill it myself, which I prefer anyway because I ALWAYS do a better job than the checkers. Was tempted to ask her if the items I'd bought had been sanitized, but of course realized this craziness was not her choice. In this state, throw-away plastic bags had recently been banned, halleluiah!, but this panic has precipitated a return to the old throw-away culture.

There's a story in this month's Discover magazine about how cloth bags are a loser -- takes more energy to make them than you'll ever recoup. Throwaway plastic bags are better for the environment -- especially if you return them to the recycling bin.

[clintonhater]

Throwaway plastic bags are better for the environment -- especially if you return them to the recycling bin.

That's bullxxxx, Vern. Most recycling operations won't even accept plastic bags because (so they say) they clog up the conveyor belts used in recycling operations. I once tried stuffing them into larger plastic containers, & was forced to remove them!

I'd cancel my subscription to that mag, because energy consumption in manufacture is the LEAST of the environmental problems caused by plastic bags. What you need to do is walk down any public road & pick up every one you find in the roadside ditch; I'll exempt you from chasing down all those blown off into the woods, fields, or streams, hung up in trees, etc., because retrieving even a fraction of those would kill you.

[lyman]

That's bullxxxx, Vern. Most recycling operations won't even accept plastic bags because (so they say) they clog up the conveyor belts used in recycling operations. I once tried stuffing them into larger plastic containers, & was forced to remove them!

I'd cancel my subscription to that mag, because energy consumption in manufacture is the LEAST of the environmental problems caused by plastic bags. What you need to do is walk down any public road & pick up every one you find in the roadside ditch; I'll exempt you from chasing down all those blown off into the woods, fields, or streams, hung up in trees, etc., because retrieving even a fraction of those would kill you.

well, speaking for both of my former employers,

when you recycle the bags at the grocer,, they send them back (called Salvage) to the whse and they are recycled,

we bag them up and sent back dozens on each salvage run (pallets, plastic etc that went back to the whse_)


poly fill,

more bags,

filler for archery targets etc,



and yes, our local recycler wants nothing to do with them , they want you to put them in the standard trash

[clintonhater]

well, speaking for both of my former employers,

when you recycle the bags at the grocer,, they send them back (called Salvage) to the whse and they are recycled,

we bag them up and sent back dozens on each salvage run (pallets, plastic etc that went back to the whse_)



poly fill,

more bags,

filler for archery targets etc,



and yes, our local recycler wants nothing to do with them , they want you to put them in the standard trash

Yes, what you describe is great, Lyman, but what percentage of all the bags used are recycled that way? Judging from what I see while driving, or when walking in some fields with my dogs along the highway, it's not great. One of these big hay fields is at least 1000 yds wide, & I see bags hung up in brush on the far side from the road! It would be preferable, I admit, simply to KILL all those throwing them out their car windows, as they deserve, & allow responsible folk to continue using them, but until that becomes possible (killing those MFs, I mean), banning them is the best option.

[lyman]

Yes, what you describe is great, Lyman, but what percentage of all the bags used are recycled that way? Judging from what I see while driving, or when walking in some fields with my dogs along the highway, it's not great. One of these big hay fields is at least 1000 yds wide, & I see bags hung up in brush on the far side from the road! It would be preferable, I admit, simply to KILL all those throwing them out their car windows, as they deserve, & allow responsible folk to continue using them, but until that becomes possible (killing those MFs, I mean), banning them is the best option.

not many, surely,

I wanna say a box of bags, (Plastic) was 3000,,, or maybe 5000,,


packed tight in a box,

how many made it back in the recycle bin and then to the warehouse? I would bet 25% would be a high number,


funny thing too about recycle bins,, folks don't read the labels on the bins, so they are often found full of trash,,


and sometimes that clerk the empties the bins will toss the recycle in the trash as well,

[PWC]

Those that do go free-astray breakdown in sunlight (UV) and ozone.

[clintonhater]

Those that do go free-astray breakdown in sunlight (UV) and ozone.

BULLSHAT!!! In maybe 50 yrs, if not longer. Furthermore, those that get covered by grass or leaves aren't exposed to sunlight. Have you ever in your life participated in a roadside clean-up?

[Vern Humphrey]

That's bullxxxx, Vern. Most recycling operations won't even accept plastic bags because (so they say) they clog up the conveyor belts used in recycling operations. I once tried stuffing them into larger plastic containers, & was forced to remove them!

That's funny. There's a recycling bin for plastic bags by the front door of every Wal Mart in the country.

I'd cancel my subscription to that mag, because energy consumption in manufacture is the LEAST of the environmental problems caused by plastic bags. What you need to do is walk down any public road & pick up every one you find in the roadside ditch; I'll exempt you from chasing down all those blown off into the woods, fields, or streams, hung up in trees, etc., because retrieving even a fraction of those would kill you.

That's funny. My church has adopted a mile of highway, and we walk down it periodically, picking up trash. We're not over-taxed picking up plastic bags.

[Roadkingtrax]

Come on Vern, you know those go under the sink...and line the trash cans in the bathroom.

[lyman]

Come on Vern, you know those go under the sink...and line the trash cans in the bathroom.

yep, got a bag full of bags under the bathroom sink,,,