On
Tuesday, March 5, the National Association of Convenient Stores (NACS)
published an article titled “Austin Disposable Plastic Bag Ban Take Effect.” This article is talking about that Austin
gives a policy that retailer’s stores, pharmacies, and any convenient store are
not allowed to use plastic bags with their customers.
Austin should not Ban the plastic bags
because it affects the majority of residents of Austin. Those bags are small compared with the big
ones that the store is selling now or the paper bags that are not resistant enough
to carry all the shopping. In my
personal opinion the plastic bag ban doesn't make sense, the plastic bags with
handle that the stores provide to the shoppers was very healthy because
customers do not expose their food or lose the small products that they have purchased,
the handle plastic bags also were one time use and disposables or you can used
at home in something else like for example in the trash. It is understandable that no one carries
their clothes bags everywhere, or buys the plastic reusable bags that they are
selling. The reusable plastic bags has a
lot of bacteria including the E. coli if it is not appropriate cleaned after load
your bag with produce or meats like fish or chicken. And I am asking what is going to happen with the
big plastic bags that are used to wrap big items like mattresses or those to
dispose the trash or clean the yard.
Austin should become with a better plan that does not affect the economy
or the health of people.
2 comments:
Blog 6: “Commentary on Classmates Blog”
The Austin Disposable Plastic Bag Ban has been making a lot of headlines here lately. One of my classmate’s post from March 29, 2013 on her blog that National Association of Convenient Stores (NACS) published an article on March 5, 2013. In this article they are explaining this new policy to retailers, pharmacies and so forth about the plastic bag ban.
I myself approve of this plastic bag ban. In my personal opinion Maria could have explained a little more in regards to this plastic bag ban, but still a good article to read. Yes, it does not make any sense as to banning plastic bags if they are being replaced with thicker plastic bags. Will these become a problem in the long run? Are we having other issues as well with other plastics besides these smaller plastic bags? Is it safe to reuse these bags if they are saying that bacteria is left behind if not properly washed before reusing them?
These are some good points that Maria makes on her blog, but I have to say that everything we are doing to this earth is only going to affect our children and grandchildren. I am for this plastic bag ban, and I am sure that sooner or later we get used to this ban and a year from now we will probably not even care about it.
We need to be able to make changes that are good for us, even if it means giving up some things that we are so used to having. This is good for our ozone and I am all for it.
Let’s Keep Texas Clean…..
For the Blog Stage 5 assignment, my colleague Maria Flores posted an editorial about why Austin should not ban plastic bags, taking the opposite point of view that I took in my Blog Stage 5 post. I respect the fact that others have managed to form an opinion about this issue, as it is apathy which, I believe, is killing youth involvement in politics. However, I have to disagree with the points made as to why Austin is better off with plastic bags.
Maria states that Austin should not ban the bags because the issue affects the majority of Austinites. This is true, as I can't imagine very many people who never go grocery shopping (besides maybe the homeless). However, the ill effects of chronic plastic bag use radiate through Austin and beyond. This is not just a city issue; it's a global one that wreaks havoc on our planet's ecosystems above ground and pollute the space beneathe our feet.
Her second argument is that the reusable bags are too large compared to the plastic bags. I believe this is actually a gain, as bigger bags means more groceries can fit in each bag and the buyer will have less to carry. The unreasonable volume of plastic bags requires up to dozens of them to be used per grocery trip. National Geographic estimates here that between 500 billion and one trillion plastic bags are used each year worldwide, or about 8 billion pounds according to this article on Reuseit.com. While Maria's comment that plastic bags can be reused is true, more often than not the bags are thrown away or end up littering the environment. If thrown away, they'll end up in landfills, where Reuseit.com admits they can take a thousand years to degrade. If not properly disposed of, they will drift their way into oceans and twist around tree branches, polluting the Earth with toxic chemicals and potentially killing innocent creatures.
The level of product safety between the bags may differ slightly. I highly doubt product exposure or loss will be affected by switching to reusable bags. Cold or frozen goods may stay cold a little longer, however, since the handles of plastic bags can be tied into knots, keeping the temperature within them more stable. The argument that's risen about possible bacteria living in the reusable bags is the only reasonable one I've yet heard of for not using them. The Chicago Tribune reported here that much of the bacteria found in the bags is a result of using the bags to carry more than just food products (such as textbooks) and not regularly washing them. I understand it seems like a hassel to have to scrub-a-dub-dub the container you use to bring home your soaps and sponges, but it really is a breeze compared to many other household chores. Reusable bag buyers can wash their grocery bags regularly just like they wash their laundry (the Tribune states they can be machine washed, but I assume it depends on the material) or dishes.
(My article is too long to fit in the comment. Go here to read the rest: http://bobofrights.blogspot.com/2013/04/no-rest-for-reusable-bags.html)
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