4 ms·

Klick and Wright have claimed that the San Francisco plastic bag ban leads to an additional 5.5 deaths in the city annually, the mechanism being food-borne dise

Klick and Wright have claimed that the San Francisco plastic bag ban leads to an additional 5.5 deaths in the city annually, the mechanism being food-borne diseases growing in unwashed reusable bags [1]. I understand that there have been objections to the research [2], but has it been definitively followed up on? [1] http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2196481 http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2196481 [2] http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/saunders/article/S-F-s-plastic-bag-ban-may-be-unhealthy-4264075.php http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/saunders/article/S-F-s-plastic...

kijin 11y ago
My family has been using reusable bags whenever possible for several years now, and they do require frequent cleaning. Bags collect condensation from cold products, which attracts mold. They collect dirt from raw vegetables and from other surfaces they come into contact with. (Imagine how the seat of your pants would smell if you rode a city bus for a week without washing it. American public surfaces are filthy!) Worst of all, some grocers just can't seem to keep the bottom of milk cartons and other dairy products clean. A hint of stale milk + condensation + fabric + time = a perfect recipe for food poisoning. One problem is that most reusable bags aren't designed for frequent cleaning. Canvas bags get ragged after only a few cycles of typical washing & drying. Some bags are built much stronger and heavier, but they need to be hand washed and thoroughly air dried. I just can't see getting enough uses out of them to offset their carbon footprint.
- simplexion 11y ago
  Wouldn't a better idea than washing be to put them in the sun for a while?
  - chinpokomon 11y ago
    Wouldn't it be great if all cities had sun like that. In Seattle for a typical year, that would be how to wash them, not dry them.
- leni536 11y ago
  In Hungary this thing is not uncommon for shopping: http://www.kosarhaz.hu/upload/product/44/2001401200004_adxn.jpg http://www.kosarhaz.hu/upload/product/44/2001401200004_adxn.... Although mostly the elderly use it. Arguably it's not as practical as a foldable bag and much more expensive too.
  - ArekDymalski 11y ago
    >it's not as practical as a foldable bag That's why something like this [1] used to be popular in Poland. And I bet that in Hungary too. [1] http://retro.pewex.pl//uimages/services/pewex/i18n/pl_PL/201305/1369989549_by_krzys_500.jpg http://retro.pewex.pl//uimages/services/pewex/i18n/pl_PL/201... http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xBJfAPwd83Q/UgZ11_Iw-9I/AAAAAAAACa0/neRQ5ClHLck/s1600/zmniejszone+(2).JPG http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xBJfAPwd83Q/UgZ11_Iw-9I/AAAAAAAACa...
    - leni536 11y ago
      I have never seen it in Hungary.
- gkanapathy 11y ago
  Also it's not clear to me that the environmental resources required to wash a reusable bag on a household scale (sink, water, soap) is lower than that required to produce a disposable bag on an industrial scale.

kijin 11y ago

My family has been using reusable bags whenever possible for several years now, and they do require frequent cleaning. Bags collect condensation from cold products, which attracts mold. They collect dirt from raw vegetables and from other surfaces they come into contact with. (Imagine how the seat of your pants would smell if you rode a city bus for a week without washing it. American public surfaces are filthy!) Worst of all, some grocers just can't seem to keep the bottom of milk cartons and other dairy products clean. A hint of stale milk + condensation + fabric + time = a perfect recipe for food poisoning. One problem is that most reusable bags aren't designed for frequent cleaning. Canvas bags get ragged after only a few cycles of typical washing & drying. Some bags are built much stronger and heavier, but they need to be hand washed and thoroughly air dried. I just can't see getting enough uses out of them to offset their carbon footprint.

simplexion 11y ago
Wouldn't a better idea than washing be to put them in the sun for a while?
- chinpokomon 11y ago
  Wouldn't it be great if all cities had sun like that. In Seattle for a typical year, that would be how to wash them, not dry them.
leni536 11y ago
In Hungary this thing is not uncommon for shopping: http://www.kosarhaz.hu/upload/product/44/2001401200004_adxn.jpg http://www.kosarhaz.hu/upload/product/44/2001401200004_adxn.... Although mostly the elderly use it. Arguably it's not as practical as a foldable bag and much more expensive too.
- ArekDymalski 11y ago
  >it's not as practical as a foldable bag That's why something like this [1] used to be popular in Poland. And I bet that in Hungary too. [1] http://retro.pewex.pl//uimages/services/pewex/i18n/pl_PL/201305/1369989549_by_krzys_500.jpg http://retro.pewex.pl//uimages/services/pewex/i18n/pl_PL/201... http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xBJfAPwd83Q/UgZ11_Iw-9I/AAAAAAAACa0/neRQ5ClHLck/s1600/zmniejszone+(2).JPG http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xBJfAPwd83Q/UgZ11_Iw-9I/AAAAAAAACa...
  - leni536 11y ago
    I have never seen it in Hungary.
gkanapathy 11y ago
Also it's not clear to me that the environmental resources required to wash a reusable bag on a household scale (sink, water, soap) is lower than that required to produce a disposable bag on an industrial scale.