When California banned single use plastic bags in stores we switched to cloth bags. Then California decided that cloth bags were possible spreaders of Covid-19 even though it was demonstrated that surface contact was not really a transmission vector. Later, California decided to transition to heavy duty plastic bags that would be capable of reuse up to something like 180 times. OK, we embraced that strategy. We have faithfully reused the plastic bags over and over and over and over and … you get the idea.
Not only are we fine with reusing the bags but we are, frankly, not thrilled with having to pay 10 cents per bag over and over again. We have a small pile of bags that we take to the supermarket every time we shop and we gladly reuse the bags to help the environment. Now I’m told that “pretty much nobody” reuses their bags. Really? If this is true I have to wonder what the heck is wrong with most Californians. It seems we will now be pushed back toward using the “unclean” cloth bags. Alternately we may now be pushed toward buying paper bags.
I must confess I have had several of those fail either in the parking lot or at home while transporting my groceries into the house from the car. Will we ever reach an equitable compromise between “sustainability” and “usability”? We are willing to help with whatever is decided but we do wish that a “real” solution will be embraced soon.
— Michael A. Gullick, Chico
