Plastic Bag Ban

Plastic bags are hard to find these days. There is a Plastic Bag Ban in Chicago since August 1. Now, not that plastic bag are totally prohibited as pure evil. Just grocery stores and department stores give you paper or some other things instead... if you call your favorite restaurant to order things you still get your food in plastic bags. The idea is: use that re-usable bag and save the environment! Certainly good intention. But is it working?

Now without plastic bags what are you going to use for your various garbage cans around your house? How do you pack your lunch? How do dog owners pick up their dog stuff? If you have to buy bags what environmental difference does that make? Your wallet just hurts more. It already hurts you when grocery stores need to pay more for paper bags and their customers (you) will eventually pay for.

Also, see this: http://www.bagtheban.com/multimedia/item/the-truth-about-plastic-bags.

It says grocery bag requires 70% less energy to make than paper bag and takes 7 trucks to carry them for same number of grocery bags.

Now when I go to Panda Express I have to lie to say "to go" even if I eat "for here" in order to take the plastic bag home for collecting garbage at home.

So I think... reward is better than ban. Give people 5 or 10 cents credit if they bring in re-usable bag may be better incentive.. and I think, someone should come up with better bags that is more environmental friendly.