While I was in Las Vegas last week attending the Packaging and Container Expo, I met a delightful woman walking the Convention Center wearing a strangely attractive skirt made of assorted plastics and carrying a sign asking, “Are Your Bottles Biodegradable?” It turned out that Megan was representing the Enso Company located here in Mesa, Arizona. (Enso makes the polymers that can be injected into plastic bottles during manufacture that makes them 100% biodegradable! Much more about Enso to follow!)
Over a cup of coffee during a break from interacting with curious attendees who took pictures of her fabulous skirt, Megan and I got talking about recycling. I was telling her that I was re-using plastic produce bags over and over rather than getting new bags every time I shopped. She told me about a study that UofA had participated in that shed a rather scary light on reusable grocery bags…and she sent me a link to the study (http://uanews.org/pdfs/GerbaWilliamsSinclair_BagContamination.pdf). I HIGHLY recommend that you take a look at the results and consider washing those bags. And of course, I recommend Arctic Blast!!
If you have a cotton bag, wash it in the machine in warm water with half a cup of Arctic Blast and 2 tablespoons of Peppermint Power. If you have a plastic woven bag, spray Arctic Blast on a soft cloth and wipe the interior thoroughly. And wash those bags frequently! You also need to use a separate bag for carrying meat and fish, not the same bags you use for produce.
We live in complex times. Head’s up! And spread the word. In light of some of the recent scary food pathogens we’ve been hearing about, this is important information. Pass it along.
Peace and simplicity,
Diann