As to the energy used to produce bags, consider the amount of deforestation required to make paper bags, and in the process, eliminate carbon dioxide-reducing foliage. And then there is the energy required to truck trees to the paper mills, produce the paper to make the bags and then truck them to their various outlets. As far as litter is concerned, I see many more beer bottles and cans, as well as cigarette butts along the road, than I do plastic bags. How long does a bottle or can take to decompose? Speaking of which, how long will it be before the City Council decides it’s time to charge a tax on bottles and cans? Technology exists to make plastic bags from biodegradable material; the government just needs to mandate that it be used. Problem solved.

Stew Mosberg

Bayfield