FOOD Meantime, the single use, biodegradable-resistant plastic bags are getting a really bad name. The time has come for reusable shopping bags the darndest things happen if you wait long enough. Take the matter of the reusable shopping bag. Sure, whatever goes around, comes around. Reusable shopping bags have long been with us. But not like this. They are a a a a a a a a a a really big deal now. The national grocery chain Whole Foods began selling good-looking cotton shopping bags by London designer Anya Hindmarch for $15 earlier this month. They carried the message: "I Am Not a Plastic Bag," and in many stores the bags sold out in a matter of hours. OK. OK. Maybe it was the cute, environmentally sensitive message that did the trick. Or maybe it was Hindmarch's name. (Ordinarily her leather purses sell for $1,000 or so.) Or, just maybe it was the fact that the bags came out in limited edition. It was a case of first come, first serve and only three bags per customer. And if you think that's amazing, consider this: When the bags went on sale in Taiwan last June, they created a stampede. Ac- United States, cording to the New York Times, people use 1 mil- bags cost even more. And prices get passed along 30 lion of them every minute. (The to the consumer. (Many markets do make people went to the hospital. same that proviOf don't have group reports the sions for their recycling.) course, you to average American spend $15 or consult with family accu- Still, reusable bags present a problem. How do health your mulates 60 plastic bags in only insurance provider if you get customers in the reusable shopping bag trips to the store.) And the habit, to bring them four want to the reusable back to the store every time you go Washington, D.C., Worldwatch shopping bag route. In West- Institute has reported that they shop? ern New York the bags, made Maybe a magnet on the car dashboard. "Bags of differing Americans annually discard in designs and materi- 100 billion plastic bags. It Trunk," it would read - like "Baby on Board" als are readily available at Tops re- in more innocent days. How about selling strings and Wegmans as well as Janice Okun barrels to tie around quires about 12 million of oil to make them. even - a fingers? Or better bracelet smaller outlets for 99 cents and No like the colorful rubber ones espousing different wonder measures to ban up. And buy as many as you COMMENTARY them are being considered causes that have become so popular through the all like - the bags are being con- years? over the country. San Francisco stantly reordered. already bans their use in supermarkets and Cute, colorful, message bearing, fashion forlarge Meantime, the single use, biodegradable-resis- other stores. Meantime, the single-use bags fes- ward. Oh sure, maybe they might not cause a riot tant plastic bags are getting in Tapei. a really bad name toon tree branches and vacant lots, and they ineven though SackingTheEnvironment.org But properly handled, the bracelets could befound- terfere with marine life. ed by of come the next environmentally sensitive big deal. a group University of Georgia students The bags are expensive, too. It's estimated that reports their use is at an all-time high. In the each and every one costs from 1 to 3 cents; paper e-mail: jokun@buffnews.com