To the editor:

The perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list is reusable shopping bags. The Enterprise recently printed Rosalie Fontana’s informative commentary on the enormous problem that plastic disposal presents to our world — namely, that the plastic we discard is essentially here forever. Hannaford and Price Chopper deserve major kudos for encouraging the transition to reusable bags by charging for single-use plastic and offering alternatives. Aldi has introduced our community to how simple it is to bring your own bags. Remember that of the motto, “Reduce, reuse, recycle,” reduce is most important.

It is easy to bring your own bags to the grocery store, and every store. Once in the habit, you will soon appreciate how much more manageable it is to cart your groceries around in a stronger bag.

Reusable bags are long lasting. I don’t recall ever throwing one out, and indeed, my oldest bag dates from the ’70s. At that time, the dire consequences of plastic was not even in the forefront. The bag says “save a tree.” I launder them when dirty, use them for carting stuff everywhere and keep a couple in my car for unplanned shopping. Reusable bags come in a variety of sizes and materials.

I have had the good fortune to do some travelling. In Hawaii, single-use plastic bags are not provided in the entire state. Hotels in Hawaii provide a complementary reusable cloth bag for their guests to use and keep. How simple, and guests walk around town with the hotel logo on their bag. As a tourist community, the Tri-Lakes hotels could model this. In Europe it is always bring-your-own-bag. Now when I travel anywhere, I put a couple of my lightest bags into my suitcase.

Reusable bags are also perfect holiday gifts for business owners and managers to give to employees (an opportunity to spread your logo). They are perfect swag at events and conferences. Of the 15 or so bags I have, I really only purchased a few.

Reusable bags: not exciting, but a gift that everyone would appreciate.

Peggy Wiltberger

Saranac Lake