While doing a bit of unrelated research today I inadvertently discovered our sites arch nemesis! Behold - Save the Plastic Bag.com, a classic case of becoming so caught up in the details and losing the big picture. To be as fair and unbiased as I can be, their site does make quite a few valid points against the use of paper bags instead of plastic. They mention the Times Online article and the often used figures linking plastic bags and marine animal deaths that have since been proven false. As well as highlighting the problems inherent with government regulated solutions.

Their focus needs to be broadened a bit too see the real issue at hand. Since the advent of mass production and plastics, we have been living in a disposable society. Whether it's our product packaging, batteries, food containers, or the shopping bags that we carry them in; our culture is based on a system that generates entirely too much trash. We need to take a close look at the life cycle of all our products and make the appropriate changes to reduce waste. That introspection has to start somewhere, and why not with plastic bags?