Pining for Plastic (Bags, That Is)

   I’ve got a minor grievance -- I miss free, store-issued plastic bags.  

   Remember when you bought something at a store, and your purchase was placed inside a plastic bag?  (You can read about the technical side of this issue at this website:  http://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/aboutthebag/)  Those were the days.

   Now, I understand that we need to be environmentally-aware, and using our own canvas bags is better for our planet.  Even before the ban on “single use plastic bags,” I used to bring my own bags to the market anyway.  But, I liked knowing that if I went into CVS my purchase would be placed inside a plastic bag.  Now, I need to either remember my canvas bags, stuff my purchases into my purse, or pay for a paper bag.

   But it’s not like this ban has erased all plastic bag usage.  People are still purchasing plastic trash bags.  They are the quintessential “single use plastic bag.”  They’re still in our landfills.  And that’s what I’m having a problem with.  I don’t want to buy an item knowing that its purpose is to wind up in the trash.  It seems so wasteful to me.  I used to rely on those freebie plastic bags for my trash bags at home.

   My stash of bags is getting low, and now I’m having to get creative for my trash bags.  I’ve found that those produce bags you use when you buy apples and oranges are the perfect size for my bathroom trash cans.  Whole Foods Market offers large bags for purchased flowers.  I am able to then use those bags as trash bags.  The plastic bag from my 12-pack of Charmin Toilet Paper also works as a trash bag as does the outer plastic packaging from my 3-pack of paper towels.

   That’s it.  I haven’t figured out a solution to the problem or an alternative to offer.  Sometimes, it’s just good to get things off your chest so you can concentrate on more important things.  Is that why this bag ban was passed in the first place?  Maybe now, the powers-that-be can focus on some bigger issues.