11/28/2007: "BYOB! The solution: Bring Your Own Bag"

By David Dehlendorf

The problem: Plastic and paper shopping bags are inundating our island, county, state, country, and planet. The U.S. consumes an estimated 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually, requiring 12 million barrels of oil for their production -- contributing to pollution and global warming, as well as increasing our trade deficit. The production of pulp for paper bags has a similarly negative impact on our environment.

Plastics used in most plastic bags are not biodegradable. It takes over 500 years for plastic bags to deteriorate in landfills. And who hasn’t driven one of our island’s roads and seen numerous bags littering the roadside and snagged in the bushes, or walked our beaches and seen bags tangled among the rocks and driftwood?

Fortunately, this problem is solvable. Several countries and U.S. cities have already limited, eliminated, or taxed the use of plastic bags. But actually all we need to do is change our habits as consumers and decline plastic and paper bags when they are offered to us at the check-out counter. We can either take our purchases home without a bag, or acquire reusable bags -- now available free or at a minimal cost (see below) -- and then use them over and over again when shopping.

King’s Market and Market Place are launching a new program to help us change our bag habits. From November 28 to December 4, King’s will provide a free reusable fabric shopping bag for each $25 purchase (excluding beer, wine and tobacco). From December 5 to 11, this program will be available at Market Place. Both stores are already selling reusable bags for only 69 cents each. And that’s not all. Customers receive 5 cents off their purchase each time they fill one of their own bags. So even if you buy a bag, you will recover your investment after only 12 visits.

The Soroptimists are also helping. They have donated a supply of canvas bags (the same size as paper grocery bags) to the Food Bank; and are making the bags available to other members of the community for a donation of $6, or two for $10, at The Toy Box, Garuda and I, and Pat Hansen’s chiropractic office. All proceeds from bag sales will support the service club’s on-going community activities. Gently used fabric bags are also available at no cost from the Thrift Shop.

Local merchants are encouraged to follow the example of King’s, Market Place, the Soroptimists and the Thrift Shop. Businesses can start by taking a look at how they are currently packaging purchases at their cash registers, with an eye toward changing their practices to be more environmentally sensitive.

What You Can Do

• BYOB! (Bring your own bag!) Bags are available at King’s, Market Place, the Thrift Shop, and from Soroptimists. Keep reusable bags in your vehicle at all times and remember to take them with you whenever and wherever you shop.

• The next time a merchant offers you a plastic or paper bag at the register, and you have purchased something that can be tucked in your pocket, purse or backpack -- or can easily be carried -- go bagless
.
• Suggest to your friends and family members that they get on the BYOB bandwagon too!
You can email sjilitter@rockisland.com with any other suggestions for reducing the use of plastic and paper bags on San Juan Island.

(David Dehlendorf is the co-counder of San Juan Island Anti-Litter Initiative)