This is in response to the April 20 letter, "Plastic bags are still a bad idea."

I presentely have six of these bags that I use to carry frozen foods. After putting these food items in the plastic bag, I put that item in my reusable cloth bag, with the rest of my goods. When frozen or refrigerated foods come into contact with warm air, they sweat and get my cloth bag damp. This moisture can grow mildew. Preventing that problem is good reason one for plastic bags.

These same plastic bags are great for those small wastepaper baskets found in many bathrooms. That's good reason two for plastic bags.

As a professional painter of 30-plus years I've adopted the practice of wrapping my brushes in these plastic bags at day's end. The next day I can take out my brush and start working. At the end of the week I then wash my brushes. This saves time, water, and means less latex paint washed down the drain. For oil paints, it means using far less thinner − from three gallons weekly to one, or less, resulting in less toxic thinner to be safely disposed. Good use number three.

And plastic bags can be safely disposed.

Plastic bags are not bad. Letting irresponsible people have them is.

Thomas  J. "Spike" Lamy

Mystic