No, that’s not what you think. In this case, I’m referring to bringing your own bags to Maui, as in shopping bags. Although, back to the more common use of that acronym for a moment, we are fond of bringing home a bottle or two of Maui’s Ocean Vodka. 
The Debate
I’ve been seeing article likes this one from the Star-Bulletin about once a week or so these past few months from different sources. The latest debates are around Hawaii statewide legislation that could ban the use of plastic shopping bags in supermarkets and retailers by 2011. In fact, Maui County had already started that same push last summer, trying to help keep these things out of their landfills.
Now, I’m not one to jump into these arguments and volley back and forth on the issues, and I’m not going to start now. I will say, however, while the lawmakers and other organizations battle it out, you can still make your own choices. That’s what we do.
What We’re Doing
Like more and more people we’re seeing everyday here in Chicago, people are starting to bring their own re-usable shopping bags to the grocery store. We started ourselves around mid-summer last year, and we’re planning to bring them with us next week when we visit Maui. The majority of the bags we’ve seen around us have been about $0.99 each, with an insulated bag (for the freezer stuff) going for about $1.99 each. That doesn’t seem too high to make a difference.
So why do it? It just seems like a good idea. Sure, there are metrics out there to support the cause eliminating plastic bags. They’re probably giant numbers in the billions or trillions of bags per year, depending on who’s counting. Those numbers just seem too large to comprehend sometimes, and besides from looking up all those statistics, it just seems like a very easy way to help the environment. By not throwing these plastic bags away, or recycling them, each week, we’re eliminating either the space they will take up in a landfill or the cost and energy involved in recycling them.
Making a Difference?
Maybe it’s just a very small difference for one family to make, but it is a difference none-the-less. Consider this scenario. You’re grocery shopping on vacation like we do, and get pegged as an out-of-towner (usually because of our Chicago-based savings card at Safeway). You have been thoughtful enough to bring your own bags from home, or purchase them in the store itself. It shows the cashier and the bagger that even though you don’t live in Hawaii, you don’t want to leave more of your garbage behind when you return to the mainland.
You might not actually get a shaka for it, but rest assured that they will take notice that you’re respecting their land just as much as they do, and that you have just a little extra Aloha Spirit in you than other visitors.
Talk Story
Have any tips or tricks of your own for being green on your vacation? Share them with us.
Mahalo,
- Kris
