The tragedy of the plastic baggie
Elizabeth Rogers, co-writer of The Green Book, The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet, One Simple Step at a Time
One of the biggest challenges I face as a mother comes in a strange shape and size. It is something that often keeps me up at night, and I have on many occasions tortured my seven-year-old son for not following my very specific directions about how to handle it. It is the dreaded PLASTIC BAGGIE.
Baggies in my house are a red flagged item. As a mother who is concerned about the environment, getting a shade greener every day (and raising a son who is obsessed with the environment), baggies take up a lot of airtime in our house. Why? Why do Baggies get this much attention? Well, it's simple.
I have almost perfected packing him a waste-free lunch. Every morning we wake up and pack a healthy organic lunch in his reusable, insulated lunch bag made from recycled plastic soda bottles, with the green frog print on it (now that is a product all moms must have). But every so often, my perfectly balanced (well, not really -- what mom has anything perfectly balanced?) waste-free lunch goes awry... when my son cries out for chips in his lunch.
If he wants chips, what do I put them in? I have everything else down to a science, and in my calculations I have figured out that in a year's time the average school lunch creates as much weight in waste as a nine-year-old child! So with this in mind, when the call for chips comes, I cringe, grab a baggie, and recite the following rules to my seven year old...
"I want to see this baggie again after school," I tell him, "and use it at least three or four more times." He knows this drill, unfortunately, oh so well. Poor kid is probably the only one at school saving his baggies and having panic attacks if the teacher's assistant accidentally throws it away, 'cause you know that did happen one ugly Monday.
Little one came home in a tear-stained shirt, lunch box in hand, and looked me in the eyes and said…"Mom, something bad happened at school today."
Naturally, being the sensitive, connected and loving mother that I am, I embraced him and drew him to my bosom and cried, "Oh no dear, what happened?"
That's when the mother-son ultimate green moment came to life, right there in the middle of the living room on that ugly Monday. He told me that his T.A. had thrown away his brand spankin' new baggie. That baggie had only seen the light of day once! The potential for so much that baggie had in our home! I had big plans for that blasted bag and they were gone with the wind, and that damn T.A.!
We sat quietly. As only a mother and son can.
We planted a tree for the baggie.
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In lieu of the plastic baggie, I've found a great product that can be reused AND is biodegradable (may also be recyclable in certain cities)! Only catch with them is that the ones I've found in my town are not resealable, so I wrap reused rubber bands or reused bread twisty ties. Just a thought!
In lieu of the plastic baggie, I've found a great product that can be reused AND is biodegradable (may also be recyclable in certain cities)! It's the infamous waxed paper bag. Only catch with them is that the ones I've found in my town are not resealable, so I wrap reused rubber bands or reused bread twisty ties. Just a thought!
I've been packing waste-free lunches for my kids for over 9 years with no plastic baggies. I haven't seen the need for them. Everything goes in its own tupperwear, rubber-maid, glad wear... what ever brand I happen to have container. Even chips. The chip container can be reused without even washing for a couple of days, especially if the chips come home unfinished. I also pack a cloth napkin. My daughter is so well trained now she even brings home wrappers from treats given at school so she can recyle them. Dump the baggies. Go for reuseable containers. They last longer and are easier to clean than baggies.
I've been packing waste-free lunches for my kids for over 9 years with no plastic baggies. I haven't seen the need for them. Everything goes in its own tupperwear, rubber-maid, glad wear... what ever brand I happen to have container. Even chips. The chip container can be reused without even washing for a couple of days, especially if the chips come home unfinished. I also pack a cloth napkin. My daughter is so well trained now she even brings home wrappers from treats given at school so she can recyle them. Dump the baggies. Go for reuseable containers. They last longer and are easier to clean than baggies.