01-05-2013, 08:53 AM
I have used cloth shopping bags all my life. Many of the ones I have are more than 20 years old. Some of them have been made from old jeans, jackets, slipcovers and other sturdy fabrics. So the figures quoted by that UK study may be relevant for the UK, but that doesn't mean that they are relevant for Hawaii or that they are carved in stone for all time. As consumers become more aware and creative those numbers will adjust accordingly.
Although the outside of a bag is more prone to germs than the inside, let us not forget that most of the foodstuffs we put in those bags are already wrapped/overpackaged, so the food itself is not even in contact with the cleaner inside of the bag. I throw my bags in the wash anyway.
Needless to say, there are a lot of other sources of plastic contamination, but starting the public on forming new habits is only the first step, imho. Next step, styrofoam perhaps. Island Naturals uses biodegradable containers and plates made from recycled paper for their hot food and salad bar where other places use styrofoam, so it can be done. Also, Island Naturals already uses the biodegradable cutlery, and it lasts for more than one meal - the ones described above that melted instantly must have been an earlier or inferior product. And the technology will doubtless improve as the demand grows. So let's demand, so that the market will respond.
Although the outside of a bag is more prone to germs than the inside, let us not forget that most of the foodstuffs we put in those bags are already wrapped/overpackaged, so the food itself is not even in contact with the cleaner inside of the bag. I throw my bags in the wash anyway.
Needless to say, there are a lot of other sources of plastic contamination, but starting the public on forming new habits is only the first step, imho. Next step, styrofoam perhaps. Island Naturals uses biodegradable containers and plates made from recycled paper for their hot food and salad bar where other places use styrofoam, so it can be done. Also, Island Naturals already uses the biodegradable cutlery, and it lasts for more than one meal - the ones described above that melted instantly must have been an earlier or inferior product. And the technology will doubtless improve as the demand grows. So let's demand, so that the market will respond.