7Gen Blog

Is it water wise?

I'm wondering if the water that is used to wash all those little plastic bags is worth to save the bag from going to the landfill, or anywhere else.
I think we should focus on not to promote the production of plastics, and use safer products like glass or aluminum foil.
I also read somewhere that when plastic bags are recycled there is a great amount of contamination released to the environment. I hope you have more information about this so we can really be able to take the most healthy "green" action.

Susan329 is right on!

I even once bought a do-dad to dry plastic bags made out of bamboo (much to the dismay of my husband), and there it sits in the drawer because I simply stick wet bags over the paper towel holder (since we so rarely use paper towels anyway) or the baby bottle drying rack.

We are big fans of two products:

1) sandwich wrappers that are reusable and darn cute:

www.reusablebags.com/store/wrapnmat%C2%AE-p-2.html

2) pyrex glass storage containers that go from freezer to fridge to microwave or toaster oven or oven to table - they even look nice as simple servingware. when I'm alone, I often just eat leftovers right out of them:

www.pyrexware.com/index.asp?pageId=103&pid=348

Both of these things have cut down so much on the plastic bags we use! Then I don't have to worry if washing the bags is breaking down the plastic in an unhealthy way...

Common Sense is...

It's funny. We live in one of the richest nations in the world, and we take it so disgustingly for granted. Most of us have absolutely no concept of true poverty. Everything in our culture, our society, our way of life is a disposable commodity. Use it once, then throw it away. Not too much more than a hundred years ago, such an idea was preposterous. You used something until it didn't work anymore. These days, we use things until we decide we want it in a different color...or until it gets a slight chip...or until the newer model comes out with a few new features we don't need any more than the last few new features...and we throw away the "old" one. It astounds me how we've come to presume that we can always just run out to the store to get more of whatever. My folks give me grief that I sometimes live "like a hobo." I hardly think that's the case; and it's not that I live frugally, either, I just don't see the need to constantly throw money at products I could simply reuse. I reuse sandwich bags, water jugs, boxes, media mailing envelopes, wrapping paper - and from the couple that raised 4 kids on a military income, I get, "You act like you're poor! If you need more of that stuff, just buy it!" SOOOOOOOOO frustrating! My point is that this disposable mentality is simply that - a mentality. It wasn't there before such-and-such generation, and it needs to be unlearned. So for everyone who constantly gets grief for reusing what everyone else is blythely throwing away, hold that chin up and stick to your principles! You're not the ones who are wrong, they are! One day, hopefully, society will come around, figure it out, go, "Oh! DUH! Why didn't we do that earlier? Man, we had it all backwards!" and you'll be able to quietly say to yourselves, "THANK YOU!!!!!"

It's called common sense

Do not mean to sound arrogant but I think its stupid to not use glass containers for storage. Grew up in the 50's and 60's in a family with parents who were in the early forties when I came along, and having been thru the Great Depression and WW2 they taught me so many valuable lessons that have saved me money.

Think about the money you save when you reuse plastic bags (if you use them to begin with), and how the 50 cents here and there adds up. Growing up we never left the water running or lights on when not in the room since this was paying for something we were not even using. My Dad would have me visualize $1 here and there floating away.

Today I pick up stray aluminum cans and take them to the recycling center that also pays me. I reuse the 30 gallon garden bag and wash it after each use. One bag can last a year before its torn. Even then I use it as a block cloth in garden areas where I want to hold in the heat for the soil while blocking out weeds.

Our son and his family are equally wise in reusing things. Growing up this was called common sense. Now its called being 'green'. Maybe if we made these ideas common sense again we would have more 'average' Americans wanting to change wasteful ways. Make it a money saving issue and more people will want to do it.

~Beth~

Reusing plastic bags

Well, it only takes one person to use it, and reuse it..., but planted in the ground, takes 1000 years to go away and unless it's made from corn say, isn't ever reuseable. Recycling's not easy though. Something like an upside down mopped crane is like the start of it, but it doesn't end there! Factories have work to do too, plus the companies that make the materials. Not easy, and pretty soon, bags are going to cost money, so, this is a never ending world. I can't even get my parents to care for the Earth one bit and I've tried teaching them my whole life. Part of caring for the Earth is taking care of your health properly, too. Unfortunately, I can't get them to do, think or remember anything until someone repeats the story, but they never do it. I am and will, always, as much as I am allowed and have time for. I promise, for I still live with them.

Your mom was right.

I love reusing my plastic bags; they like many things in my house take "demotion" as they have been used more and more. Your mom had it right drying them on the cabinets though, why buy a dryer when you can utilize something you already have. It's taken me a long time but I try to think about not buying those little purchases w/ as much enthusiasm as I have when I cheat the system and reuse something.

Another ad for "stuff"

I wonder how many plastic bags could be made out of the petroleum it takes to make a "Telescoping Plastic Bag Dryer."

Hang a short clothesline above your sink, or dry them on your outdoor clothesline.

Sounds Like My House!!!

I keep trying to make small steps to being green and my husband fights me the whole way. The only way I can get away with any changes is if they don't affect him, but he still picks on me for it. Good to know I'm not the only one fighting that battle.