Simple Changes

I have a confession to make. Even though I wrote about reducing the number of plastic bags we use, I have struggled with what to do when it comes to my dog. It’s very convenient to throw a plastic bag in my pocket when we go for a walk so I have something handy to pick up his poop.

I realized there had to be a better way to do this and was determined to find a solution.

I heard that our city had supplied biodegradable bags in the off leash areas, I started looking around to see if I could find similar bags for sale commercially. I did.

Community Natural Foods in Calgary sells ECOSAFE biodegradable bags for doggie litter, kitchen garbage and trash bags (www.degradableplastics.com).

Regular plastic bags take decades to break down. When you consider the number of bags you throw away in a year and multiply that times the number of people in your community (and beyond), it is a huge problem for landfills. Biodegradable bags, on the other hand, totally degrade and turn into a food source for microorganisms.

I will be using up all the plastic bags I have (reuse and recycle) and will do my best to eliminate as many plastic bags as possible (reduce) by using either paper bags or reusable bags I keep in the trunk of my car.

Originally posted in the Airdrie Echo September 19, 2007

Filed under: Earth | Tagged: Environment, plastics |