I heard on the news today that this is the day that New York City bans stores from using plastic bags. In my opinion, this is a big mistake.
First, I must say that I believe in recycling. I have been recycling long before it was mandatory. When I was younger, I would return cans and bottles for a deposit. We saved our newspapers for our neighbor who would collect them and take them to a recycler and receive cash which he would then put into a savings account for his grandsons' college. The supermarkets used paper bags then and they were reused as garbage bags. We even used them to make covers for our school books. When we switched to plastic, I used them as small garbage bags or to cover shoes when I travelled.
Any pet owner will tell you that these plastic bags are necessary and not wasteful. They are not one use plastic, they are used by dog owners on their daily walks. I have a cat and use these plastic grocery bags when I clean the litter box daily. They are NOT one use bags, however, when all cities ban these bags, I will have to buy bags that I will use only once to clean the litter box. How is that good for the environment?
I have also heard of another use for these bags. Many food pantries use them to distribute food to the needy. These pantries rely on donations of food, money and plastic bags. If the bags are banned, the food pantry will have to buy bags leaving less food available for those in need.
I hope city leaders will rethink their plans to ban these bags.
