A few days ago I wrote a post about 10 simple ways to go a bit greener.

My aunt wrote me, wanting to share a letter that she read in her local paper:

"I was going back over your blog and was caught up on the environmental article you wrote. I also use re-usable shopping bags, and am of a strong opinion that every little bit helps the environment. However, I thought you might find this interesting:
A lady wrote in to our local paper last week, COMPLAINING about the stores "pushing" her to use the re-usable bags. She doesn't think the plastic bags are any worse (huh!?!?!) for these reasons:
a) she reuses the plastic bags as garbage bags or for other purposes
b) if there were no more plastic bags given at stores, she'd have to buy a BOX of garbage bags anyway to take out her trash, therefore creating more of a carbon footprint because trees would have to be cut down to make the boxes in which the plastic garbage bags come
c) cloth or reusable bags trap bacteria (eg. from people touching grocery store fruit) so she feels she has to wash the bags often, resulting in more laundry = more water wasted and more detergent into the environment.

What do you think of her argument? She does make some good points, but all told, the re-usable bags are clearly still the best, in my opinion."

The letter brought up a few very interesting and viable points, for sure.

Here's how I responded to my aunt:

I reuse plastic bags for garbage can liners, as well, among other things. They get reused as many times as possible, until they become unuseable. However, her point about having to buy boxes of garbage bags is sort of drastic because, despite any future regulations regarding plastic bags (San Francisco, for example), there's always going to be plastic bags. It's the amount that will hopefully be reduced.

I shake my head and roll my eyes at her 'bacteria trap' comment...don't wash the BAG, wash the PRODUCT!!!!! I put fruit, veggies as well as packaged items into my bags and when I get home, the first thing I do is wash all fruit and veggies so that it's done and when I need them I don't have to wash them. I haven't ever washed any of my reusable bags! What about all the chemicals that are on the plastic bag?! She's more worried about naturally occurring bacterium than the more harmful man made chemicals?

So dear readers...time for you to voice your opinion. What do you think about this person's letter?

I think the lady is full of baloney. She might be trying to rationalize why she can't be bothered to carry her own bags around. This is the same argument people use when you start talking about cloth diapers--that they are harmful to because of the extra water required to wash them. (Hollow argument, and not at all about your topic)

I also think this lady is making excuses, HOWEVER, I have also had to start buying plastic garbage bags because I now use re-usable grocery bags and after 3/4 months have no more plastic grocery bags to re-use.

The only thing I would add is that of course you wash fruit when you get home, but the fruit is dirty before you put it into the bags, therefore the bags become dirty. This is her main argument for plastic