lovesouthernsocial.com

Returnable bags may be great for the environment, but not necessarily for you if important care is not taken.

Recently, several cities around the world banned the use of plastic bags. Many people, then, opted for the use of returnable bags, the ecobags. In Brazil, according to a survey conducted by Fecomércio-RJ/Ipsos in 2012, in which a thousand people from 70 Brazilian cities were heard, the use of returnable bags is growing. 17% of respondents reported that they always use ecological bags instead of plastic ones, which, according to the survey, represents an increase of 12 percentage points compared to the result of 2010, when the question began to be asked to respondents. That year, only 5% of respondents answered that they always used eco-friendly bags. The percentage of those who never use eco-friendly bags dropped from 84% in 2010 to 60% in 2012, while those who use them occasionally rose from 11% in 2010 to 21% in 2012. This change is welcome but should be accompanied by some precautions.

A study by the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University in California randomly tested 80 reusable bags from consumers in Tucson (Arizona), Los Angeles and San Francisco. In half of the sample, the presence of coliform bacteria, including E. Coli, was detected at levels significant enough to cause serious health problems and even death, according to Charles Gerba, co-author of the study. This is because most of the reusable bags analyzed were washed infrequently: 97% of respondents never washed the reusable bags. Another similar survey, conducted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, in collaboration with US food company ConAgra Foods, revealed that only 15% of Americans wash their returnable bags regularly.

The returnable bags must be cleaned regularly, as it is natural that the surface of products and foodstuffs contains some bacteria due to the handling of the merchandise and even due to its origin, as explained by one of the researchers, who also emphasizes that bacteria are a particular danger for children, who are especially vulnerable to food-borne illnesses. And the best method of killing bacteria is washing.

Care of returnable bags

There are other precautions with returnable bags in addition to washing. Check some and beware:

• It is recommended to clean the returnable bag whenever you use it or at least once a week;
• The bag must be stored in a clean, ventilated and dry place. Never leave it in the trunk of your car, as the heat causes bacteria to proliferate;
• When shopping, wrap meat, poultry and fish in plastic bags before putting them in the bag and when possible, different bags for each use are good practice: one for raw meat, one for ready-to-eat foods and one for cleaning products ;
• Avoid using your bag for other purposes, such as carrying books for example.