In the midst of this bucolic setting, American consumerism and waste is manifest in the mouth of one calf, about 6 months old. For 10 or 15 minutes, instead of chewing its cud, the cow gnaws a white, plastic shopping bag, occasionally shaking its head until the wind catches the bag like a small parachute and rips it from the cow’s jaw.
This plastic bag is just one of 100 billion polyethylene bags that are thrown away annually in the United States. And less than 1 percent of them are recycled, says the independent research organization World Watch Institute.
In celebration of the 38th Earth Day - founded by former Wisconsin governor and U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson in 1970 - local grocers are promoting the use of canvas bags through giveaways and sales.
H-E-B stores in Temple and Belton will hand out reusable shopping bags to anyone who brings five plastic bags to their stores on Earth Day, this Tuesday, between 3 and 7 p.m. The giveaway is part of a statewide Earth Day celebration in which the Texas-based grocer plans to give away 150,000 bags. They also expect to collect 750,000 plastic bags for recycling.
“We’re excited to be able to do this,” said Adams Avenue store manager Brenda Johnson. “Many people are starting to buy them (reusable bags) and about one-tenth of our customers are using them now.”
Ms. Johnson said they have 400 bags to give away at their store alone. The reusable bags hold between two and three times more groceries than the plastic bags. She said people should look for the large wooden recycling bins and store personnel out front. Recyclers may also bring six-pack soda can rings, dry-cleaning bags and plastic newspaper bags.
Additional “green” bags - made from non-woven polypropylene - are available for 99 cents. The bags on average last between one and two years and are recyclable. H-E-B will donate one nickel from the sale of each bag to a grant program with Keep Texas Beautiful.
The Temple Wal-Mart store manager said they would give out 500 canvas bags to customers at the check out stand over the weekend. They also plan to give away 50 more canvas bags on Earth Day to third-graders at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Temple.
“We’re trying to encourage people and teach the advantage of canvas bags over plastic bags,” store manager Joe Stewart said.
In Salado, Brookshire Brothers grocery has their reusable shopping bags on sale for 88 cents.
Environmentalists have said ubiquitous, lightweight plastic baggies, which are easily swept away with even a mild breeze, can kill wildlife.
“Every year, tens of thousands of whales, birds, seals, and turtles die from contact with ocean-borne plastic bags,” wrote Alana Herro, a staff writer for World Watch Institute. “Americans reportedly throw away 100 billion plastic grocery bags (annually), which can clog drains, crowd landfills and leave an unsightly blot on the landscape.”
Across the country, and across the Pacific Ocean, government and grocers are making plans to “sack” plastic disposable bags for good.
Austin-based Whole Foods will discontinue use of plastic bags at all their stores beginning on Earth Day. Checkout staff will bag their groceries in paper bags made from recycled materials for customers without reusable bags.
As of last November, large grocery stores in San Francisco can no longer use plastic bags to sack up their customers’ purchases, per a city ordinance.
The Chinese government has banned small and large stores alike from using the thin plastic bags beginning June 1.
