How to Ban the Plastic Bag

Towns and countries working to reduce plastic bag consumption. Interactive version available at http://bagitmovie.com/bagittown.html.

I’d love to thank our reader, NJResident, for commenting on the trailer we posted for the film Bag It and asking some questions about how one actually goes about banning the bag. At Throwaway Nation, we’re huge advocates of never seeing another single use plastic bag ever again. And we’re even huger advocates of showing people how they can make that happen in their community.

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What do mall rats and plastic bags have in common?

Mall rats wear clothes, and new clothes wear plastic bags.

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3 Minute Pasta with a Side of Plastic Bag

I saw this commercial last night, and I don't know about you, but the 3 minutes Ronzoni's pasta portions would save me is enough time to accomplish all sorts of major tasks. It's enough time to get done all those pesky chores like laundry and installing that ceiling lamp in my room that I always grumble about. "If only I had 3 extra minutes at dinner time, my life would be in order!

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Which countries already have plastic bag bans?

Part of the Argentian campaign to reduce plastic bag usage.

We talk a lot about government overreach these days. And by “we” we mean the politicians who are somewhat ironically doing the overreaching.  But as we know, overreaching is in the eye of the beholder, and one man’s EPA is another man’s socialism. 

The thing about citizenry, though, is that we’re like water. We find the path of least resistance and take it. And that means choosing the most convenient option. For instance, a large majority of grocery shoppers know that single use disposable bags at checkout are bad for the environment, but, “Oh shucks, I left my reusable bags in the car again. What’s the big deal if I take a few bags just this once?”

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Did a hurricane ruin your weekend, too?

It may be sunny now, but Irene is bearing down on us--and fast. Watch how a single use disposable plastic bag stuck in a tree ruings Liz Lemon's weekend the same way Hurricane Irene ruined mine.

No Medals for Plastic Bags

Ah, the Olympics. The world’s greatest harmonizer. The we’re-really-all-the-same-inside harbinger of international good will.  And one of the few times in any given four-year span when so large a quantity of concessions are consumed, tchotchkes purchased, and single-use packaging strewn about the land.

But London 2012 just might be without one of the most notorious SUDs around. In other words, Go World.

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