LOVED that Orion Magazine article, goodlingo, it’s very encouraging.
Works for me. We have to use something, there are over 5 billion of us. Sounds to me like we have found the holy grail of material to buy time. Imagine if it was paper and all that dye and chemicals leeching into the environment. Or worse, use something that takes much more energy to make. I’m satisfied that plastic is the only thing that makes 10 billion people living in comfort a possibility. The “throwaway society” it has encouraged can certainly be adjusted, but I see 0 alternatives to plastic that are less harmful.
As for shopping bags, the ideal is undyed reusable PLASTIC bag, as anything else takes too much energy to make, and the cloth only wins if you NEVER lose a single bag and never wash it.

LOVED that Orion Magazine article, goodlingo, it’s very encouraging.
Works for me. We have to use something, there are over 5 billion of us. Sounds to me like we have found the holy grail of material to buy time. Imagine if it was paper and all that dye and chemicals leeching into the environment. Or worse, use something that takes much more energy to make. I’m satisfied that plastic is the only thing that makes 10 billion people living in comfort a possibility. The “throwaway society” it has encouraged can certainly be adjusted, but I see 0 alternatives to plastic that are less harmful.
As for shopping bags, the ideal is undyed reusable PLASTIC bag, as anything else takes too much energy to make, and the cloth only wins if you NEVER lose a single bag and never wash it.