Published: February 22, 2008 10:01 am      

Paper or plastic? Or fabric?

County Market switches to ‘green’ totes

The novelty of choosing between paper and plastic grocery bags wore thin years ago.

Now, shoppers have a third option that does more for the environment than save trees — it saves energy and reduces pollution, too.

Supermarket chains across the country and the world now offer moderately priced, reusable shopping bags. Danville’s County Market in the Village Mall is one of them.

Assistant Store Manager Jeff Rambole said, “We’ve had (the bags) since about July. They’ve been a big success.

“A lot of our regular customers have them,” he said. “Some even personalize them with permanent marker.”

The bright green bags, available in the aisle in front of the checkout area, bear on both sides the manufacturer’s name, “earthwise,” and the recycling symbol. Unlike some fabric totes, they have a rigid bottom to make packing items easier. They are priced at two for $3.

Steve Wood, the store’s grocery manager, has noticed that many senior citizens who live in the area purchase the reusable bags. Theft and misuse of the bags hasn’t been a problem, he said.

“They’re handy,” Wood said. “They don’t break or tear. (Customers) just put them in their carts when the shop.”

Danville’s Craig Chambers tried out one of the bags before he left County Market. He’d just packed his groceries in two of the store’s plastic bags, but he found they fit easily into one of the reusable bag.

“We reuse our (plastic) grocery bags,” Chambers said about him and his wife. “But we might consider switching to these.”

The bags County Market carries are made of non-woven polypropylene, a durable material that is 100 percent recyclable. Besides being a convenient size, the strong bags are washable and water repellant.

Estimates of plastic bag consumption vary, but worldwide numbers are in the billions each year. Experts agree that the item, once considered an environmentally friendly alternative to paper bags, leaves a destructive trail.

Countries including France, Germany, Ireland and China have limited their use through surcharges and recycling fees. Japan’s ban will begin in June.

San Francisco banned the plastic bags last year, and other American cities and states have similar proposals pending.

In Danville, the choice to go green remains the customer’s option.

Sharon Tipsword, a Georgetown resident, does most of her grocery shopping in Danville. She noticed Tuesday the reusable bags for the first time.

“I have tons of plastic bags at home,” Tipsword said. “I hate to throw them out because of the environment.”

Tipsword added two bright green totes to her grocery cart as she headed for the check out lanes.

Making the switch impacts the environment in many positive ways.

Environmentalists agree that reusable grocery bags made of high-quality materials don’t harm the environment during pro-duction. The bags County Market sells fit that category.

In addition, the bags can replace hundreds of plastic bags during a user’s lifetime.

Associated Press reported in a January story about a proposed plastic grocery bag ban in Washington state, “Environmental groups say plastic bags waste valuable oil, release toxins when burned and contribute to global warming because of the energy required to produce them. They also say bags littering the oceans kill sea turtles and other marine animals that mistake them for food.”

Scott Stanton, store manager of County Market’s Towne Centre location, carried the bags at one time but discontinued them.

“We didn’t have a lot of demand,” he said. “We did switch to a heavier duty plastic bag which can hold more. It reduces the number of bags people use.”