Greener Plastic Bags

While Americans are re-examining everything they do with an eye toward reducing their carbon footprint, the “paper or plastic” battle has taken on a new wrinkle: biodegradable plastic bags. Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? The New York Times is about to convert the bags the company uses to deliver newspapers around the country to an “oxo-biodegradable poly bag.” GP Plastics manufactures the product, calling it the PolyGreen Bag. The plastics company includes an additive to the plastic that causes it to break down when exposed to oxygen — over a few months in the open and over two or three years in a landfill. And the bags can still be recycled. The New York Times adds that, despite the additional cost, it’s the first national newspaper to commit to oxo-biodegradable bag technology. And for citizens of the Big Apple there’s related news: Mayor Bloomberg is pushing for a 6 percent tax on grocery store bags. Where will New Yorkers get their doggie doo-doo pickup bags? Questions can be sent to Jim Parks at jrparks@mac.com.