Every Little Bit Helps

All this talk about “going green’ and saving the planet is not something new. Long before these became talking points we were all taught during our formative years not to waste. Many of the problems we are facing today come from exactly that, waste. To be more specific disposal of waste.

When the grocery stores used paper bags for shoppers to tote the groceries home, the bags often had a second use. Book covers, party confetti, overnight bags, freezer bags, lunch bags, costumes, floor protectors, coloring paper, to name a few. Then “poof” just like that these flimsy plastic bags appeared at the checkouts. Nothing ever seemed good about them. They tip over, it’s like you get one bag for each item, and they are difficult to carry.

Making the best of things I used them in the household trash cans, and in my office trash cans. It felt a whole lot better than balling up twenty of them and putting them into another bigger plastic bag heading for the landfills.

Thanks to my extended stays in Germany I got in the habit of carrying a reusable bag. I feel so good about doing this, more than just talk but real action, doing my part to keep the world a cleaner place. Also, by doing this I hope others around me will catch on to this easy way to contribute to a great cause.

But, and there’s always a “but”, some folks just don’t get it. Checking out of a supercenter today I let the clerk know I brought my own reusable bag and handed it to her. I proceeded to insert my chip card to pay the bill. When finished she handed me my purchased items and my reusable bag scrunched up neatly inside a useless plastic bag.