Anchorage banned plastic bags in October. Residents were warned that the ban was coming, and most of us started collecting reusable bags. We were just getting used to taking the bags into the stores with us when COVID-19 hit town. Then we were told that we should not take our reusable bags into the stores because they could be contaminated with the coronavirus.
Suddenly, plastic bags were not so bad!
According to John Stossell, Anchorage was not the only city to ban plastic bags because there were more than 400 cities that succumbed to the demands of politicians and environmentalists. In fact, numerous states banned plastic bags, beginning with California and Hawaii, and including New York, Oregon, Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont. Consumers were told that plastic bags were “evil” because they were dangerous for animals. Now they are told that cloth bags carry bacteria.
The truth is that the reusable bags have always carried bacteria into stores. Most consumers do not wash their bags but merely put them back into their cars for the next trip to the store. I tried to always put raw meat in plastic bags before placing the meat into my bags to avoid food poisoning. Now my groceries are delivered in paper and/or plastic bags.
I prefer my reusable bags to paper or plastic despite the risk of sickness. They hold more food, and they do not tear. Plastic bags are stronger than paper bags, but they must be doubled for safety. They have convenient handles, but they do not measure up to reusable bags.
I expect to see plastic bags banned once again when the COVID-19 scare is over. I do not see plastic bags as a problem in America because Americans are good are recycling reusable materials. However, I expect politicians and environmentalists to demand that plastic bags be discontinued. Then consumers will have to remember to take their bags into the stores.
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