A guy on Slashdot suggested that this is not exactly something that hasn't been researched before.

Its going to made into CO2 no matter if you let nature do it or if you speed up the process. After the carbon is removed from the ground thats where it is going to go.

Because then you don't have landfills packed to the brim with the stupid things.

We all just need to stop buying cheap Chinese crap that has no purpose but to fill our landfills (and poison our kids). I say boycott Wal*Mart and every "dollar" store out there until they smarten up.

Gee, I'm grumpy today.

In an span of time where a dollar rubbed together with another dollar will get you jack and sh*t don't bet on people giving up their Walmart.

Boycotts only work for people who have enough money to buy with their ethics. Considering the rising costs of healthcare against Wal*mart offering a lot of generic drugs for $4 a bottle, well, money speaks.

While I guess it's interesting the kid found some bacteria that biodegrades plastic, it seems misguided. It's just treating a symptom instead of fixing the problem.

Almost every retailer around here is selling reusable bags. Many grocery stores have plastic bag recycling bins. Plastic bags can be recycled, so why go to all the trouble of decomposing them? Are the people who can't be bothered to recycle them today suddenly going to start saving up their plastic bags for the biodegrader?

Start charging 25 cents a bag at the grocery store for plastic and see how many people start using the reusable bags.

Okay... but his research was only on the specific plastic (polyethelene) used in grocery bags. It'd be great if it worked for non-recyclable plastics and who knows, maybe it will, but it's coming off as a wondrous solution for the Great Plastic Bag Plague, which it's not.

The producers are subsidized by the Chinese regime and therefore can afford to flood North America with garbage that nobody on this continent can compete with in manufacturing. Then, in order to further line their pockets, the Chinese manufacturers use sub-standard and dangerous materials to save another buck. Wal*Mart then brings it in by the container-load to sell to Ma and Pa Hillbilly. Lead-laden paint and all.

We North Americans just can't seem to get enough and we won't learn until it's far too late.

Man,... I'm really cranky today. I'm going home for a drink.

I don't know why, but that just sounds funny to me. I mean, aren't all the mexicans up here in the states now? Why do they have a university?

Uhh kinda lots of slanted ranting but whatever makes you feel better.

No matter how you spin it forwards backwards or upside down the fact is China is tired of living in huts and is taking their slice of the pie.

The simple answer for the individual is to just not use them, or at least reduce the consumption of them as much as possible. Don't let the cashier throw two things and a bag and start a new one. Don't bag large items, like jugs of milk and juice. If it's just a couple of things, tell the cashier to keep the bag. If you're disciplined, carry some bags with you to use. My wife has three collapse-ables that fit in her purse and a canvas bag that she keeps in the car. We've damn near quit using them completely. I'd use paper for any overage we have at the store if I could find it in the self-checkout lanes. I know that's the hippie answer and probably not practical on a large scale, but my personal consumption of the god-forsaken things is the only thing I can really control.

It only took one beer and a good sleep to make me feel better today. Sorry for the rant. Todays mantra is; Reduce, re-use, recycle. Ahh, I do feel better.