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Supermarkets 5 cents a bag... Short sightedness at it's best! (pg. 17)
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| Jayx1 |
| quote: |
By Keith Leslie, The Canadian Press
TORONTO - The growing popularity of reusable grocery bags could pose a health risk to Canadians by increasing their exposure to dangerous bacteria, says a study commissioned by the plastics industry released Wednesday.
The Canadian Plastics Industry Association hired two independent labs to conduct what it said was the first study of so-called eco-friendly grocery bags in North America, and found 64 per cent of them were contaminated with some level of bacteria.
Forty per cent of the reusable bags tested had yeast or mould, and some had detectable levels of coliforms and fecal intestinal bacteria when there should have been none, said Dr. Richard Summerbell, who was commissioned to evaluate the lab findings.
The problem is similar to a situation where bacteria can be transferred from kitchen countertops and cutting boards to foods, and the more waterproof the reusable bag is, the more likely it is to become a breeding ground for bacteria, Summerbell said.
"Something that's a plastic weave, it takes longer for the moisture level to drop down, and so you can get what microbiologists call a bio-film building up ... a population of bacteria and possibly some yeasts, or even in severe cases, mould growth as well," he said.
"The main actual hazard involved is if there's a little bit of spillage in there from some meat or some eggs, then food-poisoning organisms could be transferred over to other food."
The study also warned of other potential health problems if the reusable bags are used to carry gym clothes or diapers in addition to groceries, which could lead to exposure to the superbug called community-acquired MRSA (methycillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
"The bacterium may enter grocery bags if they are reused to carry athletic equipment," Summerbell said.
"People are so acclimatized to using single-use bags that they throw away, they don't connect bags with hygiene."
The World Wildlife Fund, which worked with grocery chains such as Loblaws to convince retailers to charge five cents for each plastic bag to discourage their use, said the concerns raised in the study could be addressed by washing the reusable bags.
"It's a valid point, but I don't think we need to go back to disposing billions of plastic bags across Canada," said WWF spokesman Steven Price.
"We need to take care of the objectives, which is to be safe and healthy, so let's wash the bags."
Loblaws started charging Toronto customers for plastic bags in January, and in April stopped giving them away free across the country to meet its goal of diverting one billion plastic bags from landfill sites by the end of this year.
The company issued a statement Wednesday saying it stands by its reusable bags.
"Food items placed into reusable bags, for the most part, do not come in direct contact with the bag given their product packaging," Loblaw Companies vice-president Inge van den Berg said in an email.
"Perishable items are put in plastic bags or other types of wrap packaging prior to being placed into the reusable bag, providing minimal opportunity for contamination of the bag."
Summerbell said people need to be educated on the need to properly clean their reusable grocery bags.
"Governments really should think about some standards for how these bags are to be hygienically handled, actually doing studies that validate cleaning procedures," he said.
Ontario's Environment Ministry said Wednesday it is reviewing the findings of the study. |
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| DigiNut |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
The environment is now being used as a cash grab. Just wait until the "smart" hydro meters take effect. |
I'm not following you here. Smart meters and sub-meters actually save everyone money - residents and utilities alike. To the best of my knowledge, the Ontario government isn't getting a penny from it.
More on topic: Longos is apparently still not charging. No mention of bags at the cashier or on the bill. Good for me, since that's where I do 90% of my shopping. |
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| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
I'm not following you here. Smart meters and sub-meters actually save everyone money - residents and utilities alike. To the best of my knowledge, the Ontario government isn't getting a penny from it.
More on topic: Longos is apparently still not charging. No mention of bags at the cashier or on the bill. Good for me, since that's where I do 90% of my shopping. |
Apparently the pilot project in milton has seen everyone's bill go up an average of 20% |
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| DigiNut |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
Apparently the pilot project in milton has seen everyone's bill go up an average of 20% |
I would love to see the data on that, because there have been half a dozen pilot projects before that, done for a year or more, that showed an average decrease of at least 25%.
Utilities have little incentive to try to overcharge on rates. Their objective is demand reduction, not for environmental reasons, but because that is where their biggest risk lies. |
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| rabbitjoker |
| I just paid $0.10 for 2 bags and it was no big deal (forgot my reusable bags at home). |
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| Abercrombie |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
[COLOR=#99CCEE]I'm not following you here. Smart meters and sub-meters actually save everyone money - residents and utilities alike. COLOR] |
BULL, I'm spending more because of these fcuking meters they put in last year. |
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| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
I would love to see the data on that, because there have been half a dozen pilot projects before that, done for a year or more, that showed an average decrease of at least 25%.
Utilities have little incentive to try to overcharge on rates. Their objective is demand reduction, not for environmental reasons, but because that is where their biggest risk lies. |
I would like to see the data too. I read it in the paper but i dont believe everything i read in the paper.
But i dont think the hydro companies would do something that LOSES them money. They cried last year when they wanted a 10% rate increase due to the fact that they were making less money due to a drop of usage due to conservation. |
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| Jayx1 |
i dont plan on doing laundry at 2 am on sunday night and i certainly dont plan on shutting off the a/c at 2pm on a hot summer day.
More social engineering. |
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| Abercrombie |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
They cried last year when they wanted a 10% rate increase due to the fact that they were making less money due to a drop of usage due to conservation. |
so true |
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| patpicos |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
i dont plan on doing laundry at 2 am on sunday night and i certainly dont plan on shutting off the a/c at 2pm on a hot summer day.
More social engineering. |
just get a fixed rate contract :) |
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| DigiNut |
| quote: | Originally posted by Abercrombie
BULL, I'm spending more because of these fcuking meters they put in last year. |
Are you sure that's because of the meters, and not because the rates went up? I wasn't even aware that they had time-of-use billing in Aurora.
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
i dont plan on doing laundry at 2 am on sunday night and i certainly dont plan on shutting off the a/c at 2pm on a hot summer day.
More social engineering. |
You don't need to do it at 2 AM. Have you actually looked at the rates?
Most people run their air conditioners/heat on weekdays when they aren't even home. Especially with the kinds of winters we have, you could throw in a programmable T-stat and cut your bill in half. And don't even think about saying "what about weekends!?" because weekends and holidays are considered off-peak. The highest rates are when most of us are at work, or during the 2-3 hours before or after. If you're using so much electricity during those hours... well, what the hell are you doing?
Anyway, utilities have every right to charge different rates for usage during different times of day. That's how it's always been done for industrial and large commercial customers, and in places like Alberta many consumers actually pay hourly rates.
It's strange that you of all people would complain about electricity, seeing as how it's excessive regulation in Ontario that has kept prices artificially low. The only reason these things weren't done 10 years ago was because of outdated OEB regulations and the antiquated Tenant Protection Act. Don't you think you're being a bit of a hypocrite? |
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| Abercrombie |
| quote: | Originally posted by devnull
just get a fixed rate contract :) |
The majority of users who sign on with the canvassers have been proven to pay more over their term.
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
Are you sure that's because of the meters, and not because the rates went up? I wasn't even aware that they had time-of-use billing in Aurora.
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we got the new meters in last summer |
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