Isn't there a more eco-friendly alternative to the newspaper's plastic bags?
| Wednesday, Aug 25 2010 05:27 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Aug 25 2010 05:27 PM
Q: While I greatly appreciate that The Bakersfield Californian is encased in a plastic bag when delivered to my driveway in rainy weather, I hope that TBC is working on finding a way to eliminate the plastic bags during all the rest of the year. As one who carries cotton bags whenever I shop, it distresses my "green" soul to see the pile of the newspaper's plastic bags I have accumulated.
Maybe a machine can fold them as the newspaper boys used to, or maybe you could return to the single rubber band, or maybe some clever person has developed an environmentally friendly way of tossing the paper without having them fly apart.
Is The Californian staff working on that? Although maybe the greenest solution would be for me to read TBC on a computer, I truly hope to avoid that. Thank you.
-- Jerry Ludeke
A: John Wells, vice president for advertising, circulation, marketing and operations at The Californian, answered:
This is the first comment/concern that we have received on plastic bagging of the newspaper. We need to put it in a bag (even in the dry months) as sprinklers turn on, water runs down driveways etc...and readers complain about a wet paper. Plus we have received numerous complaints when a carrier stops using bags and begins to use rubber bands. The readers complain the paper is too "crinkled and can't be opened flat."
We also get complaints when we stop using bags as many readers re-use the bags when they take their dog out for a walk.
We can look into more environmental friendly bags, however I suspect the additional cost will not sit well with our subscribers. Thank you for the thought and we will continue to look at our options.
