do we use too much plastic...need for debate

Happyrob --

I was once working for a small software company with about 120
employees when someone suggested via e-mail that we all consider using
plastic shopping bags instead of paper, as it saved trees.  It started
a flame war over e-mail between the dozen pro-plastic employees and
the dozen pro-fiber employees that was so bad that it crippled the
e-mail system, with the anti-plastic side arguing that oil is a
non-renewable resource while trees are renewable.  (Luckily I don't
remember any long-term effect on the company.)

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

As I read in RD once, concerning checking out at the grocery store,
the kid says, "Choke a fish, or kill a tree?"

Do we use too much plastic?  As Americans, definitely.

Don't get me wrong -- I am as guilty of this as everybody else.  But
think for a minute just how "one-time use" our society has become.

Everything we buy is in plastic -- we throw away plastic bags instead
of reusing them, rarely anybody recycles plastic, and everybody sees
plastic as a disposable.

If you bought a metal bowl, you'd keep it forever.  A plastic bowl
gets a little stained...well, I can always buy a new one.  Plastic is
cheap!

Heck - look at ziploc bags.  I had a coworker once who re-used his
zilpoc bags for his sandwhiches at lunch.  And they weren't even the
good, real Ziploc brand ziploc bags.  They were the cheapo Kroger
brand 300 for 99 cents crap.  Anyways, he would use them until they
were frail and torn.  I always thought he was a psycho, but in
retrospect, he was the only one I've ever seen actively trying to make
a difference.

If your question is whether we use too much plastic as opposed to
paper, then it's a touchy subject.  Reusing ONE paper bag as opposed
to using 100 plastic bags one time each?  In this case, probably paper
is better.  Throwing both away when you're done with them?  Equally
bad.

If we actually consciously wanted to make a difference, we'd use and
reuse cloth bags.

But nobody cares.  Cars are the same subject.  We have the highest
smog production of any country in the world.  Why?  All those people
in their SUVs and other gas guzzling cars.  Cars could be heaps more
efficient, and they're not for one reason and one reason only:  The
consumer does not demand it.  We're Americans.  We're cowboys and
cowgirls and we like our powerful horses under the engine.

We are a disposable, single serving society.  We take comfort and
convenience over care and diligence.  Everybody is apathetic to mother
nature, and take advantage of her for all she's worth.  We have no
long-term cares or concerns and will "take care of problems when they
arise" (not before), and one day, probably in my lifetime, it's going
to come back to bite us in the @$$.

Another interesting point that might help you out:

In Ireland they introduced a 15 cent (Euro) tax on plastic bags.  The
net effect is that ppl buy durable bags and reuse them or, more often,
they squabble to get ownership of the cardboard boxes that
supermarkets get their good delivered in.

I have actually seen stand up arguments between two strangers trying
to get the same cardboard box.

Streams and parks are no longer littered with plastic bags.

I think the tax was a good idea.

Here's an article (before the tax was introduced):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1853305.stm

Happyrob-
I have to ask what you mean by "better". Better for the economy,
enviroment or convinence to name a few. I like plastic bags because
they are easier to carry more stuff. The paper bag are not as easy to
reuse (mine become lunch bags). Today trash bags will breakdown fairly
quickly in sunlight. recyling plastic is not as easy because depending
on the type of plastic you can only add a small percent back to the
virgin product, unlike glass or aluminum where you can add  <90%. As
far as cloth bags are concerned cleaning them (as well as cloth
dipers) use our fresh water to be cleaned. I not coming down on one
side or another, just some ideas.
Take care,
Andy