The Wise Demise of Plastic Bags

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Photo courtesy MOTHER EARTH NEWS
It can be fun and easy to ditch plastic grocery bags in favor of reusable canvas bags. It's an easy way to make a positive difference for the environment.

It’s not unusual for consumers to reconsider a familiar product and wonder “Was this a bad idea?” Hazardous products may face a recall, declining sales, or in some cases, an outright ban. It’s happened to a wide range of consumer products including dangerous toys and medications with harmful side effects. Environmentally damaging products that have been phased out include leaded gasoline, many pesticides and ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

In recent months, several initiatives have banned some familiar, but wasteful, products because there are now greener options available. Here’s a rundown of which products are being banned and the better options that are replacing them.

Plastic Grocery Bags

Where: San Francisco and Leaf Rapids, Canada, recently banned plastic grocery bags made from petroleum.

Why: The bags are hard to recycle, they’re made from petroleum, and on the coast they often blow into the water, where they’re an eyesore, and hazardous to marine life if ingested.

  • Published on Jun 1, 2007
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