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posted by martyb on Thursday January 19 2017, @05:06AM   Printer-friendly
from the tree-huggers-may-be-surprised dept.

AlterNet reports

It's a basic question faced by millions of shoppers every day: paper or plastic? Making the best choice for the environment, however, is less simple.

Last November, Californians approved Proposition 67, which upheld a 2014 ban on the issuing of single-use plastic bags in grocery and drug stores. As a result, shops were able to continue charging customers around a dime for reusable plastic or paper bags. The ban seems effective because it should lead to a reduction in plastic waste. More importantly, the extra charge aims to incentivize people to bring their own reusable bags to the store. But let's face it, many shoppers still forget, which brings us back to that darn choice we often have to make at the checkout line.

So, which option is better?

[...]The U.K. Environment Agency, a governmental research group, conducted a similar inquiry around the same time period. Its report[PDF] was a life cycle assessment comparing the environmental impacts of a variety of grocery bags. From extensive research, some of the study's key findings concluded that:

  • Single-use plastic bags outperformed all alternatives, even reusable ones, on environmental performance.
  • Plastic bags have a much lower global warming potential.
  • The environmental impact of all types of bag is dominated by the resource use and production stages. Transport, secondary packaging, and end-of-life management generally have minimal influence on their performance.
  • Whatever type of bag is used, the key to reducing the impacts is to reuse it as many times as possible.

The ecological break-even point with a cloth grocery bag comes on its 131st use.


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 19 2017, @08:11AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 19 2017, @08:11AM (#455946)

    It's not about actually helping the environment, it's about showing how much you care about the environment.

    The psychology of virtue signaling, on a secret ballot, is unbelievable.

    Myself, I am fortunate enough to live in a place that hasn't yet been overcome by collective insanity. I happily take disposable plastic bags, and put my trash in them. Since most of my trash comes from the grocery store anyway, it works out about right.

    Of course, it's not nearly as much virtue signaling as buying separate plastic garbage bags to throw away and reusable bags to show off, but it's better for the environment and cheaper for me.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 19 2017, @10:41AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 19 2017, @10:41AM (#455987)

    I don't know about "full", but we've got enough to keep things interesting.
    I've heard it said that, at some point, the Earth tilted and everything that wasn't well-rooted rolled into Cali.

    I've also heard it said that Cali is "the granola state".
    (What ain't fruits and nuts is flakes.)
    Have you seen our Prop65 signs? [kqed.org]
    There are absolutely everywhere.
    In a CYA move, places automatically put them up so that they won't get sued by the everything-can-kill-you types.
    I got something in the mail the other week that had a Prop65 warning on it.

    You think there are folks posting in S/N that don't understand Science??
    Visit Cali and be amazed.

    -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 19 2017, @05:41PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 19 2017, @05:41PM (#456118)

    dude, people have been wearing branded items forever. it is not virtue signaling to wear a rolex. it's wealth signalling.

    people that use these reusable bags tell me two things:

    whether they are misguided or not, they are concerned about waste
    they were willing to pay for the bags, and are using them and not for the first time, since they aren't being purchased, they're being used
    they are not waving about the bags as jewelry to virtually signal to someone that they bought the bags.

    Not everything is out to piss off a person who voted republican, even if it happens first in california.