It's in the Bag
Reporter Chris Lawrence really nailed it in Tuesday's show: "Biodegradable, compostable bag" really doesn't have the same ring as "plastic" when you're at the store. As a former grocery store bagger (it was my very first job), I have to say that plastic bags are easier to pack and carry than paper. On the other hand, I can't count the number of plastic bags I've seen on the side of the road.
It's not known exactly how long it takes for these things to decompose - estimates I found ranged from a hundred years to thousands. One thing that seems certain: The plastic bags we use now are likely to be around a lot longer than we are. But the biodegradable bags mentioned in today's show cost more, and that could spell out higher grocery prices if they appear at a store near you. So the question is this: Would you be willing to pay more for the biodegradable stuff? And if so, how much more would you be willing to pay?
76% of my 6B class say that we should use the bio-bags. A few of these said that we should use them but shouldn't absorb the costs.
Beth: we already spend money on what we don't need, let's spend it on something to save the world.
CJ: We should use the brown paper bags
Katie: Use the bio-bags even if they are more expensive
Bethany: We should carry the food.
I think protecting the environment is very important!Thats why my family brings carrying bags to grocery stories.The biodegradable bags seem like a very good idea.Spending a little more money to replace the normal plastic bags in the stories would make huge impact in the protection of our environment.By replacing the normal bags, people are going to help the next generation.
I think that the new bags are a good idea. I don't think alot of people will want to pay more just for the bags though. Protecting the environment is important, but I don't think that making biodegradable bags is the way to go. There has to be something else that can be done. We need to make the environment better for the next generations.
I think this is a good idea. How would we pay for it? My idea is to make it so that one cent is added to "junk" food or maybe just make everything cost one cent more. This would make it look like nothing has happened in the price if things only increase by one cent.
I think Megan makes a very good point here: Bringing carrying bags to the store would eliminate the need for new bags in the first place.
What if you had the choice to either A) bring your own bags from home, or B) pay an additional cost of ten cents for each biodegradable bag you needed? Do you think that would be an effective solution?
Protecting the environment should be one of our top priorities. If we keep wasting bags all our resources are going to burn up quickly. We need to think about what were doing. I would suggest bringing large bags that could replace about three regular bags. This would save time for the person with the bag and it would help out our pal the environment. If you had to pick one thing, an extra ten cents or a better future what would you pick?
Plastic bags might be more convenient, but then, so are big, diesel-omitting cars, and look what they’ve done to the environment. We could’ve kept using plastic bags if people recycled or reused them properly afterward, but that didn’t happen, so now it’s time for some action. Using the Bio Bags will not only decrease the amount of plastic bags filling up landfills and lining the streets, but it will also raise people’s awareness about how big an issue items that are not biodegradable have become.
~Hannah, Ms. Farrell's Journalism Class
P.S. Mr. Azuz, in response to your choice of A or B, I would choose A. But I actually think that it's wishful thinking, because many people who go grocery shopping do so while they're out. They're not going to plan it out and stock their car with bags, and they may not like it, but they'll most likely end up paying the extra ten cents.
Using the biodegradable bags would be much better than using plastic bags although, using a carrying bag is better than both paper, plastic, and biodegradable! If you think about it it uses fuel and gasoline to even make the plastic bags so that would raise the price of gas which would cost us more eventually, so long term wise it is better to use your own bag. Even so you may forget that bag sometimes and a step down from your own bag would be the biodegrable bag, so the stores should carry a supply of biodegradable bags in case!
The new bags are a good idea to protect the environment. It is important to protect the environment. If the bags didnt cost any more money then they would be more successfull. I don't think that people will want to pay more money for the bags.
I think this act is a good idea becuase it will help us with our waste problems and reduce landfills to make our world greener. But itt would also help others if we still used little number of these bags because it may help the elderly with baggage.
I think the new bags area a good idea because I see tons of bags on the side of the road and even if people throw them away, they’re going to take a really long time to decompose. This is the kind of thing people have to do if they really want to “save the environment”, it’s not all just greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing trash is something we really need to work on if we’re going to make the world better. If people don’t want to pay for the bags then they should just bring their own reusable bags or something. If people are so against more expensive bags, they should have just recycled the old ones instead of putting them in the trash or leaving them on the side of the road.
You say, “how much will you be willing to pay for bio-bags” but the question you SHOULD be asking is, “how much are you willing to save the environment.” My thought on this is that everyone should either bring there own bag, like a backpack or something, OR they should use bio-bags. Even though it’s more expensive, nature doesn’t have its cost. And if we don’t do this, we BOTH will have to pay the price.
i think the plastic bags should not be here any more because of the little kids we should just have the paper bags.
I think that the new bags are a good idea. I don’t think alot of people will want to pay more just for the bags though. Protecting the environment is important, but I don’t think that making biodegradable bags is the way to go. There has to be something else that can be done. We need to make the environment better for the next generations.