Carry Bags - Paper vs. Plastic

As a layman in the world of sustainable lifestyles, I instantly associate plastic with "not good" and paper with "good". If either is recycled, then "very good". The reason for this distinction is the conventional wisdom that plastic is not degradable ... or, to be more correct, takes forever to degrade.

So, I am actually intrigued, when I read about an Indian company called Biotec Bags in this article. Actually, I am not intrigued by the company - it is using "bio-degradable plastic" technology to make bags. The curious part is the comparison between paper and plastic bags on their website. The conclusion, quoted here from their website:

"Except the degradable period all other points are favoring Plastic bags than Paper bags. Since Bio degradable Plastic bags' degradable period is approximately 6 months only, Biodegradable Plastic is better in all aspects than paper and normal plastic bags." (Source: http://www.biotecbags.com/plasticmenace.php)

As I understand - normal plastic bags are better than paper bags, except for the degradability period. With bio-degradable plastics, even this disadvantage is nullified - suggesting that bio-degradable plastics should be the eco-friendly material of choice for, at least, carry bags.

Sadly, there are no references in this comparison to any research or study, which might have lent more credibility to that conclusion and driven some fact-based decision-making for consumers. And there is no information which can help gauge, how widespread is the use of bio-degradable plastics across the world, what are their applications (apart from carry bags), and so on. One reads about plastic bags being restricted or banned in many places - in more than 25% of the world, according to this entry in Wikipedia. (individual examples: here, here, here, or here). But is that a better solution in light of this information (assuming it is factually correct)? What about recycled plastic bags (as shown below)?

For me, I'd like to think that recycling to be the lesser of the evils - irrespective of whether it is paper or plastic. Maybe I'll be proven wrong someday with some new scientific study out there. Till then, I'll follow recycling in good faith.

The real lesson from this is: just carry your cloth bags or totes with you whenever and wherever you go shopping. Forget plastic or paper.

Please share any more information you may have on this topic - your thoughts on the same are most welcome.

A Case for Being A Herbivore

The first 20 years of my life, I was a hardcore vegeterian. Except for that one little incident in school when I decided to taste some boiled egg from Shailesh W's "dabba" (lunch box) - and, yes, where I come from, eggs are considered non-vegeterian. I incurred the envy of my sister and the wrath of my mum - two tight ones across the cheeks (after the first, I did not even need to offer the other cheek, as Gandhi proposed) and a house arrest later, I was wiser. Eggs, chicken, mutton ... all of it was off-limits.

At college, I rebelled (or experimented, depending on how you look at it). And it continues till this day. I am not a vegetarian anymore. But lately, I have been thinking about the arguments about how being vegeterian or vegan is environment-friendlier, and, possibly, healthier. You probably must have read about this somewhere...or heard about it from friends...or simply knew it intuitively (I don't think my mum or sister knew it that time either... but that's another story all together!)

Yesterday, I saw this graph on a blog post from Sustainable Dave. Originally based on an article from Scientific American, I think its probably one of the first pieces I have seen that actually quantifies the environmental price we pay for some our our diet choices... I thought this was quite creative.

Courtesy: Scientific American

Jokes apart, this does appeal to me to reduce my meat intake ... or rather, I think, it makes a good case for adopting a balanced diet. And isn't that what doctors have been telling us since like ... forever?

Your thoughts?

Breaking the Silence

Back after a lengthy period of review, discussions, and decisions.

Its been a fruitful period, in the sense, that we have now become more focused in what is it that we are trying to achieve. We've become more realistic about our challenges and also picked out our opportunities.

In the first rush of euphoria and excitement about starting this venture, we kind of overlooked some key details ... and now, I dearly hope, we've become a tad bit wiser.

Also, in tangible sense, there have been a few milestones...

On 21st July, we handed in our company registration papers ... the process is now in its last stage.

On 3rd August, we got ourselves one of those cornerstones of legal existence - a bank account!

On 10th August, we received our first shipment of sample products ... the joy of it ... :-)

Slowly, but surely... we're getting there.