Plastic Bags

This is what I'm talking about, right here:

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2001/01/treebags.html

This article makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, even though it is quite old. I hope these guys are still around, taking plastic bags off the trees of the city. I heard about a forest outside of Mexico City that just died as each tree was coated in plastic bags, cutting off sunlight to the leaves, but I can't independently confirm it so I'll just leave it as apocryphal for now. However there is a story about banning plastic bags in San Francisco in the Economist which includes this phrase: "[Plastic bags] get caught in trees (hence the epithet “Witches' Knickers”)". Um, what? Google tells me this is a delightfully evocative Irish description, but I don't quite get the "hence".

Anyway, great idea -- they're being replaced by recycled compostable potato or corn starch to try to boost composting as well, and it's just so handy. If you haven't planned a shopping trip it's hard to remember a tote (at least it is for me, anyway, since I'm stupid as well as lazy), so great alternative. Whole Foods gives you 10 cents off for each bag of your own you bring in, but it would be nice to have a better option at the store as well.