News-Record.com

A reader writes:

With the world looking at ways to stop using plastic bags, don't you think the newspaper should also look into it? My suggestion is to return to the pole-mounted newspaper boxes that used to be used. I am sure they can be made of a plastic that is recyclable. Even if you charge a nominal fee, it would definitely save on plastic bag use.

We still use pole-mounted newspaper tubes in some places and the tubes are made of recycled plastic. Problem is, there aren't many people in the city, at least, who really want a newspaper tube on their property by the side of the road. And I can't imagine what it costs to the pocketbook or the environment to produce the plastic and metal for 60.000 or 70,000 tubes. Then there's the gas consumption caused by a carrier's car stopping and starting at every tube, rather than slowly cruising by and tossing the paper.

Still, she poses an interesting green question: How do you keep papers dry? By and large, those bags do it, but are they the most cost-effective green solution? They are made, by the way, from recycled plastic, too.

(I know that people can read the news online and not worry about getting a wet paper. But tens of thousands of people still want news on newsprint, and I'm glad about that.)