You know all those ubiquitous self-populating plastic bags that collect in a drawer or under your sink and seem to come home from practically anywhere you shop anymore? Turns out they'll outlive you. And your kids. And their kids. And about the next 25 generations too. And they're mummifying in our landfills.
California recently passed legislation requiring that plastic bags be recycled, but I wonder at the actual efficacy of this notion. After all, we've all come home with bags rendered unusable from being speared by an errant sharp bit of something, like a pineapple maybe, or anything with the relative sharpness of a fingernail. So what about those bags? They'll have to be thrown away. Into the landfills with all the others.
One small town in England has instituted a ban on the things, and it would be wonderful if other communities followed suit, but with the ubiquity of them I have to wonder if this is even possible on a widespread basis, though South Africa has banned their own "state flower" and communities in Europe do seem to have concern and attention to the problem.
Until this problem is addressed in a serious manner, perhaps by legislation requiring changes to manufacturing requirements, making plastic production more uniform so that it is more easily recycled perhaps, I will continue killing trees by choosing paper. Hobson's Choice? I'm afraid so. Anyone have any better ideas? 'Cause our kid's kid's kids will appreciate it.
