I have canvas shopping bags that are around thirty years old, many times washed, several-times mended (I also have a whole lot of newer ones). When they finally become unusable they can go into my compost. But they look ready for another thousand more uses before then.
Plastic bags have a few undeniable uses that cannot be duplicated by biodegradable substitutes, but they are few. It is not absurd in the slightest way to look for ways to divorce ourselves from the unsustainable practices that are poisoning our planet. Limiting plastic bag use is very far from the most effective thing we can do as consumers (limiting your consumption of industrial-farmed meat and big fat cars would go a lot farther), but it is not nothing.
As for the OP, I have found that in most cases of rudeness, disarming friendliness and a little self-deprecation goes a lot farther than one-upmanship, and reduces the possibility of escalating emotions, frightening behavior, and/or the mere total ruin of a day. Revenge may be temporarily satisfying but empathy, even the tiniest trickle of it, actually improves the world.
The judging without all the facts has to stop somewhere. Okay, it doesn’t, but it would be nice if it did.
This is another of those areas where people sometimes choose the wrong option based on initial appearances.
Biodegradable plastic bags actually have more of a negative impact on the environment that regular polyethylene bags in their manufacture, and offer very little in the way of advantage over poly bags in terms of benefit in regular use.
(Link is specific to oxo- and photo-degradeable bags, but the less popular starch-based bags have most of the same problems in that they require more energy to produce and in general use offer no advantage over poly-bags.)
But…if I didn’t stick around, we wouldn’t have the wonderfully satisfying ending of her hypocrisy.
This was exactly my intent. I’m glad you got what I was going for. While my retort of “I walked here” may seem a bit out of place to some when reading the encounter, believe me when I say she knew what I meant.
I like plastic bags too. I actually meant to mention this in my OP. About 1/3rd of my shopping is done while I’m already out of the house and I purchase plastic bags at those time, which works well to provide me with sufficient bags. I use them for many of the same uses as you (garbage/lunches). If I don’t remember to bring reusable bags when coming from home (the majority of my shopping), I find I’m overflowing in bags. There’s only so many plastic bags I can use, and they can pile up fast!
This is my favourite response in the thread. QFT.
I always wondered about this. Do you (or anyone else) have a cite or link for further reading?
If she had initiated the interaction in a respectful manner, I would have responded that I do bring reusable bags when coming from home, as I ‘noted’ in the OP. When she came at me in an inconsiderate manner, I chose a different approach. I certainly could have been a lot less civil.
And to your second comment, no, you either misread me or I was not clear in my post. She did not buy plastic bags.
That’s your problem right there. If you lived in the southern United States you’d know the proper way to deal with unwanted advice is to say in the sweetest possible voice, “Well bless your heart!” If you can do this while using the same stare Superman uses while melting steel, even better.
The problem with the garbage here is volume. If only a percentage do break down that is something.
I use just enough bags to contain my trash, which still needs to go somewhere. If I didn’t use supermarket bags I would have to buy them all anyway. The best I’ve come up with is: a) Use a minimum of plastic bags and b) not buying pre-packaged whenever possible (our supermarket allows people to grab one loose pepper, if they so wish, which goes straight to my reusable bag, so minimal packing waste. Unfortunately we still need extra packing for meat, cheese, and pretty much everything but produce. That for me seems to be a bigger problem than bags.
I have gotten a few raised eyebrows when I just lay down NAKED veggies/fruits on the conveyor belt THAT ARE NOT IN PLASTIC PRODUCE BAGS…but I always think hell, I’m gonna wash 'em when I get home anyway, so why do I need to use the bag? Which will go in ANOTHER bag anyway? i will admit I’m not the most eco-conscious consumer but I do try to utilize common sense and minimize waste. I think the woman in the OP is the type of person who has a job where she is belittled to the point that, rather than resolve to avoid being that type of person, becomes what she hates in order to feel a semblance of power/authority/bitchiness/you name it. Such people apparently drive Jeeps.
Here in Death-To-The-Planetsville, we not only get “free” plastic bags at the supermarket, they will often double-bag for heavier items. This is fabulous, as we have built up a stockpile of bags for handy poop-hauling when we take Patience the Labrador out for walks.
I suppose we could carry reusable canvas bags to pick up after our beast, but they might reek after a time.
Dude, your entire post serves only the purpose of judging the OP. You clearly just said the OP is so horribly judgmental that he believed he was being judged. So enlighten us: how would a nonjudgmental person such as yourself interpret her remarks?
And are you seriously of the idea that responding back to someone being mean to you and getting them to shut up is a bad thing? Are you really saying that standing up for yourself is just as bad as bullying someone? Because that’s all this stuff* is–the adult form of bullying.
