Green Bags, Can they make you sick?

I’ve written a couple of posts about green bags and one thing I’m not sure about is the claim they the best thing since sliced bread for the environment.

I do want to save the environment, I do what to protect it, I do want to do my bit to save the world. But by stopping the use of plastic carry bags, I think it will create more problems than it solves.

Firstly, many people used to use the plastic carry bags more than once, in fact 2-3 times before they went into land fill, They’d get used for the shopping, then used for lunch, or to carry the dirty/wet clothes from sports, or even to carry something to give to the neighbours and then used as bin liners.

Now to get a bin liner, you need to BUY plastic bags off the shelf. I am the first to admit that I don’t visit, nor do I buy plastic bags, not bin liners, not big black garbage bags. Once every two years I go and buy the BIG orange plastic bags and that is to protect my Christmas Tree for 24 months. Notice I say once every 2 years? – that’s because it’s true. Every time I do have to visit the plastic bag section, I can’t believe the variety of new bags that are available, scented plastic bags, tie top plastic bags, zip lock plastic bags and the choices continue to grow.

Secondly and possibly more importantly, I was listening to Melbourne Radio on Friday and I heard that a major player in the open air markets had stopped the use of plastic bags, great, hey they are doing their bit for the environment. Problem, Plastic is impervious to leakage, impervious to water, hell what goes in has trouble getting out. So blood that manages to seep past the paper is contained in the plastic bag outer layer. Well they are stopping the use of plastic bags in the meat and deli section as a start. Then this morning I read this article Shopping Bags, A Health Risk - Study It made me think twice.

How often does a plastic bag come home from shopping and there has been leakage? Be it blood from meat? Liquid from a purchase? These ‘drips’ then stay on the bag and cross-contaminate the next item contained in the same bag, or the bag across from the one leaking due to contact. Or even the boot of your car. It creeps me out. Don’t get me wrong. I use ‘green’ bags, I use back packs, my son today took 3 plastic bags with him for sport, one for muddy shoes, one for a clean towel and one for his wet soccer ball. These bags will more often than not get re-used for the same purpose, OR as a garbage bag for either the car or the house.

So wash your green bags, make sure that IF there has been a leak, you wash the all the bags from the outing. And even if no leaks, wash the bags once a month, you wouldn’t use the same tea towel for 2 weeks straight without washing would you?

All food for thought and living better, cleaner and healthier than we have done in the past.

My previous posts on green bags and the environment.
Shipping Containers, The New Plastic Bags of the Sea
Recycling and Re-Usable Carry Bags
Antibiotics, Your Health and Your Childrens Health