Cut to this morning, weekly trash day. I had put one of these light green alterna-bags in our kitchen barrel.
H: What is this?
ME: It is a biodegradable trash bag.
H: It's too small. I'll need to put it into another, regular bag.
ME: Just try to compress it first.
H: There is a pizza box in here. (BTW, pizza boxes - as a rule - are not recyclable in Medford.)
ME: OK, I guess. You can't just tie the handles?
H: No. But, we can use them in the bathroom trash can.
ME: (thought bubble) "Biodegradability is pointless if its inside a non-biodegradable Glad bag."
When he leaves for work, I promptly put an EARTH ESSENTIALS bag in the bathroom, bedroom, and wherever else I can find a short barrel.
Moral: Eco-products have to look like or be "as useful" as standard products, otherwise *laziness* might take over, at least in my family.
I don't think they're recyclable anywhere. They aren't in Cambridge either.
ReplyDelete" otherwise *laziness* might take over, at least in my family."
ReplyDeleteTotally relate. I just realized that it seems like I only recycle in the kitchen. Is it really so hard for me to take the empty toilet paper roll to the recycling bin?
Liz,
ReplyDeleteGet an old box out and make a non-kitchen catchment for paper/plastic ... you'd be surprised at how much you'll collect :)
I wonder if pizza boxes not being recyclable is related to the fact that they are typically coated with Teflon?
ReplyDeleteI think your story, Dominica, illustrates a larger point about consumer behavior. We are extreme creatures of habit. We find something that works, and we stick with it. We're loyal to our "brands," right? Therefore, to introduce a new eco-version of a familiar product, it is going to have to tick all the boxes and provide some added benefit--not just make us feel good about doing the right thing. I know a lot of people (myself included) who tried the biodegradable garbage bags once, only to have them break and spill all over the floor when emptying the bin. I'm now at least using recycled plastic garbage bags, which don't break...