Globally Green Living

I always enjoy watching the above commercial. I think that it clearly states the idea that being alive is not a neutral activity. Therefore, our goal should be to mostly do well with our resources. This means that when we shop, cook, work, etc. we need to think about the whole picture instead of just that particular moment in time. That means, also think about where the item came from, what you’re going to do with it after you consume it, and what will happen to it after it leaves your hands.

For example, the whole debate between plastic bags and paper bags. Which one is better? Some extremists say neither because plastic bags use up resources and create trash and paper bags kill trees. So what do these people say is the alternative? Reusable cloth bags, of course! And if you can get one of those designer cloth bags, then even better…

Let’s not be so radical. Yes, there are things that you can use a cloth bag for but there are others when that is not really practical. I am not going to wrap a piece of meat around a cloth bag, I’d rather use plastic because it is safer and overall cleaner. But let’s also realize that there are different types of plastic. When I lived in Europe, most grocery stores would carry bags that were biodegradable. That meant that if those bags ended up in a landfill, instead of lasting forever, they would eventually decompose within a few months or years. The trick with some plastic materials is that they come from products derived from oil, but there are some plastics that can be made from vegetable sources like corn, although, as you may know, corn has some environmental issues that we’ll discuss sometime in the future.

For many things, I prefer to use paper. I don’t really mind that trees are used to make those bags because you know what? Trees are a sustainable resource and those bags eventually decompose and produce soil organic matter to help other trees and plants grow.

Then there are cloth bags. They also come from trees if they are made of cotton, linen, bamboo, etc. But they can be washed and reused. But don’t forget that many crops require pesticides and fertilizers in order to be mass produced so that you and I can buy them at low prices. And when you wash the bags you are also using detergents (some of which are high in phosphorus) and water, which end up going down the drain as effluent that is partially processed and eventually reaches a river or the ocean. Many times, some of the effluent is very reach in nutrients, which may cause algae blooms and other problems in water bodies.

After you’ve read all this you may just want to scream and throw your hands up in the air like the monk in the video. But don’t despair. The solution is to find a good middle ground and be responsible about your choices because nothing you get is ever perfect, thus you must compromise. So what do I do?

Plastic bags: I usually try to minimize my use of plastic bags but if I go to a store that uses plastic bags I sometimes either take a bag myself, choose paper bags, take the items in my hand if they’re not that many, or if I end up with the plastic bag, I collect it at home and drop it off at a local grocery store, since many of them have collection bins to recycle plastic bags–of course, you must sort the bags, so that they fit the profile that the store recycles.

Paper bags: For certain items, a paper bag does the trick and I really like them because they are from renewable resources and they readily decompose. If you have a composting heap or bin, paper bags are a great way to add fiber materials to it, which prevent other greener materials from stinking as they decompose.

Cloth bags: Ideally, if you really need a bag, you want to use reusable bags and for that cloth bags are just great. Be on the lookout for craft shops or fairs where you can find bags that are cute and by purchasing them you are helping preserve the art of sowing at home. Some stores also have their own cloth bags that you are encouraged to reuse–think Trader Joe’s or Barnes and Noble. I particularly love my B&N bag: you can hold it on your hand or over your shoulder; it holds tons of stuff; it is rather sturdy; and once folded it occupies very little room in your car or luggage. Whenever I travel, my B&N bag is always with me to carry magazines or extra stuff on my return.

So the whole point that I want to send across to you is that you should think before you shop for anything! And don’t forget that reducing consumption is better than reusing an item and reusing, in turn, is better than recycling. And just about anything is better than trashing and item that is going to stick around till after the next millennium!!!