AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Environment BAG less!

Those both sound like positive and productive solutions, Jim! Glad to hear of them as I was not aware of these types of facilities.

Researching the internet I found a lot of skeptics on the subject of compostable plastic bags leading me to believe that the subject bears a lot of political opinions, so I will stay far from that.

In our household we re-use the bags we get in stores for garbage bags and they are excellent, in size and shape, to separate garbage into daily small quantities (we carry out the trash daily into 3 categories). We don't have enough of them, so we have to buy extra plastic bags.

When at least the bags we get would be bio-degradable, it would make an environmental impact. Banning bags at stores will only lead to our household having to buy more plastic trash-bags.

That is my personal opinion.

To all you folks coming up with problems to this plan, you may be the problem. It is working well in other countries. Even places like Turkey, and Indonesia. By the way I lived in Hawaii for 30 yrs, when I left the reef was ruined, no fish, no turtles. Which seems to be the situation here. After being gone from Maui for 20 yrs I went back 2 yrs ago. I was amazed. It puts the reef system and fish and conservation of Belize to shame. Healthy reefs, turtles lots of fish. I understand Maui has lots of $$$ to spend on this conservation that Belize does not. Its baby steps, and its not the tourist throwing thier plastic in the sea. My first stop was in Home Depot on Maui, bought a bunch of small stuff, hardware and after paying they went on to the next person. I gathered up my belongings in my arms and walked out. If your personal cloth bags are dirty thats your fault. Not the rest of our problems. Or should it be the problem of worldwide pollution.
Come on Short..your a smart guy...get a bucket and take your trash to the garbage bin. Then have it taken to the dump. Then repeat, then repeat. Have you been snorkeling or fishing lately?? Plastic bag sales have actually decreased in the 19 countries, countys that have banned plastic, these places have as well banned paper bags. This simple but huge statement of conservation in alot of small countys has spread on as a basic slap in the face to not liter, to conserve, To recycle, its amazing. You all just need to go someplace that is doing this to see how well it is working. You cant spout off about something you dont know about..

I have listened to many arguments about problems in the world by people who pick up a grain of sand on the beach and think it is meaningful. Energy was one where someone wanted to collect old cooking oil from the restaurants to solve the energy problem. They had no concept of how large a problem they were talking about.

These are all well-meaning and will make you feel good but the problem is that it won't solve the problem of plastics. As a matter of fact it may do the opposite. It takes away from the pressure needed to really solve the problem. We need deposable plastic for many of the consumables and that is the only way to really solve the problem. All the rest is just a distraction.

We try to do our part. We use paper bags and use paper wrap for our burgers. we use Corn based Clam Shells from EcoFriendly Belize, for some sandwiches. We use paper souffle cups for dipping sauce. There is also a guy that comes by and collects our used french fry oil.

I worked with solid waste for 15 years. Once anything is placed in a landfill it is entombed for ever. If a paper bag blows into the water it will be gone in a month or two.