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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
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Nova Southeastern University
3301 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33314-7796
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Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33314-7796
The Reusable Bag
If you count how many times you go to your favorite grocer during the week, or how many times you visit a convenient or pharmacy store that could add up to approximately 200 plastic bags, a year, in our landfills. Reusable bags were first introduced to the United States in 1977 and there has been a growing demand for them ever since. Retailers are now offering these “Bring Your Own Bag” alternatives more than ever and it has been said that Wal-Mart was considering making 3 of their California stores reusable bag stores only. So what is this recent surge in “B.Y.O. Bag” awareness about? It can be that consumers are, over the past years, becoming more environmentally savvy. With movements, like going green and being eco-friendly everyone across the world is trying to do their part no matter how big or small.
Majority of reusable bags that consumers utilize today can be made up of cotton, plastic, canvas, or cloth. There have been numerous reinventions to the standard reusable bag by retailers and clothing designer to make them more fashion forward and reflective of one’s personal style. No one ever said that you couldn’t be fashionable and green at the same time. There are bags made of recycled denim fabric as well as old advertising banners. Pretty much any material that can be sewn together can be made into a reusable bag.
There have been studies conducted by both a Toronto based company, Sporometrics, and a joint study by the University of Arizona and Limo Loma University that researched health concerns with using reusable bags and not properly washing them. Both studies found that the bags could be breeding grounds for dangerous food bacteria if not properly sanitized. One suggestion would be to use color coded totes for different materials. For example you can use a certain color for your raw meats and another for your fruits and vegetables as not to cross contaminate your food. Also it is very important to wash your reusable totes as often as possible.
Reusable bags are being imported more than ever and consumers are catching on to the “B.Y.O. Bag” craze. Leave them in your car and some by your door so they are ready to grab and go on your next trip to the store.