The Loma Prietan
July/August 2005
Cooking Green: Plastic Bags: What About Recycling Them?
(This is the second in a three part series on plastic bags.)
by Kay Bushnell
Today most shoppers at grocery stores
and farmers' markets carry home their
fresh produce and other purchases in plastic
bags. Plastic bags are also commonly
used in most retail stores today, and few
shoppers realize that the lightweight bags
they take for granted cause serious environmental
problems.
According to the Marine Conservation
Society of the UK it takes 450 -1000 years
for plastic bags to break down. Plastic in
the marine environment never fully
degrades. The end product of the break
down, "plastic dust," is ingested by filter
feeding marine animals. The dust and the
biotoxins, such as polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) that the plastic dust
accumulates, are passed up the food chain
to fish and humans.
Biodegradable bags made of cornstarch
and other degradable components
do exist. However, they need air and light
to break down, conditions which most
landfills don't provide. At best, biodegradable
bags take months to years to break
down, are more costly than plastic, and as
a category comprise only a tiny fraction of
the market. Some recycling coordinators
predict that improvements in biodegradable
bags may make them a more attractive
and more affordable choice in the
future.
Several chain markets and a few independent
groceries offer a 1¢ to 5¢ cent per
bag discount if customers bring their own
bags. Safeway and Albertson's maintain
collection bins for used plastic bags. In
2003 Safeway collected 7,000 tons of
plastic grocery bags, pallet-wrap plastic,
and dry cleaners' bags. The plastic is sold
to a company that makes Trex, lumberlike
boards generated from plastic bags
and "reclaimed pallet wood and waste
wood." Unfortunately, composite lumber
made partly with plastic is not considered
to be recyclable even though it may last a
long time.
Annette Puskarich, Recycling
Coordinator for the City of Palo Alto
points out it is a misperception that recycling
makes money. The broker who purchases
recycled plastic bags from the City
of Palo Alto pays the City $20 per ton for
them only if they are baled. Considering
the process of trucking the plastic bags to
and from the recycling center and the
expenditure of labor to handle and bale
the bags, the preferred alternative to recycling
plastic bags is not to use them at all,
says Puskarich. She strongly recommends
reusable cloth bags instead.
Gloria Chan of San Francisco's
Department of Environment points out
that San Francisco does not accept plastic
bags in its single stream recycling mix and
that at the present time they end up in
landfill. She reports that plastic bags cause
problems when they are incorrectly tossed
into the single stream recycling mix and
become tangled in the sorting machinery.
When this happens the machines must be
shut down to remove the bags. As in other
cities, used plastic bags in San Francisco
can be deposited in collection bins at certain
grocery stores.
At the time of this writing San
Francisco is considering a 17 cent surcharge
on both plastic bags and paper bags
at major supermarkets to encourage shoppers
to use their own cloth bags. A study
by the City of San Francisco determined
that 17 cents is what it costs to handle
each discarded plastic bag. If the surcharge
is implemented, San Francisco may be the
first city in the U.S. to introduce it.
The Berkeley Plastics Task Force says
that plastic recycling programs may give
people a false assurance concerning the
benefits of recycling because processing
used plastic can cost more than virgin
plastic. Finding a market for used plastic
is challenging, says the Task Force,
because the manufacturers of virgin plastic
strongly resist legislation requiring
recycled content in their packaging products.
Less expensive "...virgin resin [is]
flooding the market," thwarting the
efforts of recyclers, says the Task Force.
Continued in next issue:
"Switching to Reusable Cloth Bags"
Resources: If you want to help reduce
plastic pollution contact Ann Schneider at
schneiderann@juno.com. Ann is Chair of
the Loma Prieta Chapter's new "Zero Waste
Committee."
Picnic Potato Salad
The complementary flavors of this crunchy
potato salad make it a favorite at any gathering.
Prepare it a day ahead for maximum flavor.
Remember to use planet-friendly cloth bags when
shopping for these ingredients.
6-8 medium size red potatoes (about 4 cups
boiled, cooled, and peeled in 1/2”
dice)
1/2 cup Nayonaise or other egg-free mayonnaise
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. mild dijon mustard
1/3 c. celery, strings removed, very finely
chopped
1/3 c. green onion (including stems,) very finely
chopped
1/8 c. red pepper, very finely chopped
2/3 c. water chestnuts chopped in 1/4” dice
1/3 c. sweet pickle relish, drained
1/4 c. parsley, very finely chopped
1+ tsp. salt or to taste
Pepper to taste
Place
potatoes in a
cooking pot, cover with water and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook until barely fork
tender. Drain water and allow potatoes to cool to
room temperature. Then remove potato skins
and slice potatoes in 1/2" pieces into a medium
size bowl.
While potatoes are cooking combine the
Nayonaise, lemon juice, and mustard in a small
bowl. Set aside. Add celery, onion, pepper, water
chestnuts, relish, and parsley to sliced potatoes.
Gently blend all ingredients with a rubber spatula.
Add the Nayonaise mixture, and thoroughly combine
it with the potatoes and vegetables. Stir in 1
tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Place salad in a covered
container, and for best flavor refrigerate it for
a few hours or overnight. Decorate it with thinly
sliced radishes, cherry tomatoes, and sprigs of
parsley, if you wish.
Copyright, Kay Bushnell