The Animal Lover who Won’t Give up Plastic Bags
November 13th 2008 21:00
Photo supplied by DanRos. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Years ago I met this woman who said she was an animal liberationist. She told me how passionately she cared about animals’ welfare. So far so good. But somehow the discussion led to plastic bags.
Now, as a big greenie, I hate plastic bags. I carry extra ones on me at all times so I don’t have to take new ones when I go shopping. I also love how my favourite bookstore, Borders, charges ten cents for a plastic bag. The other reason why I hate them is their impact on wildlife, especially when they end up in the ocean and marine animals ingest them or end up with them wrapped around their bodies.
So you would think this woman would be dead against plastic bags. Unbelievably, she wasn’t. Her argument was since large plastic rubbish bags are legally for sale in supermarkets, she would continue to accept plastic bags whenever she went shopping. Not only that, she couldn’t see why she should carry plastic bags around when shops can provide them for her.
“What about the environment?” I asked.
“F*ck the environment,” she said. “I won’t be around when it gets really bad.”
“What about your children? It will impact on them.”
Again she said she couldn’t care less. I find this weird. Don’t animal rights and concern for the environment go hand-in-hand?
Apart from the incongruity of her comments, I think a large part behind her attitude is pure laziness. I admit I used to be guilty of this too. I would go shopping and forget about bringing some bags to carry my groceries in. I soon ended up with dozens of plastic bags. Then one day, I decided enough was enough and vowed never to accept any more plastic bags from shops. It has now become a habit and I’ve found it a lot easier than I thought to slip a bag or two into my handbag when I go shopping.
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Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Ive only bought a 'green' bag from woolies once, I was buying tuna and litter and had to walk home and I knew that the plastic wouldnt make it.
Like you I hate how destructive the things are, and regret having to use them, but at least I know mine are heavy, so they wont be blowing out of the landfill, they will be buried. Generally the bags that snare wildlife are renegade bags.