The law of unintended consequences creeps up again. Via Discovery News:

Over the past few decades fewer supermarkets have begun offering traditional brown paper shopping bags, and most have turned to lightweight, strong plastic bags. This convenience comes at a price when the bags end up in landfills, strewn along highways, or in the ocean where they can choke and kill marine life.

In the age of “reduce, reuse, and recycle,” re-using sturdy shopping bags makes good sense and is a logical solution. If you’re going shopping anyway, just bring along your own bag. You’ll save the environment (and, in many stores, save a nickel).

I never knew those little bags could be so dangerous. I mean they choke and kill marine life and you can literally save the entire environment by banning those nasty little bags.

But, there always is a trade off. If you spend a few bucks for a single bag to save a nickel, you could wind up with a nasty problem:

Most folks don’t give the hygiene of their reusable bags any thought, but according to a new study from researchers at the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University, they should.

The study, “Assessment of the Potential for Cross Contamination of Food Products by Reusable Shopping Bags,” found that nearly all (97%) of shoppers who use reusable bags do not regularly (if ever) clean them. Furthermore, most of us freely mix meats, vegetables, and other foods in the same bag, and don’t think twice about it.

According to the study, “Reusable bags, if not properly washed between uses, create the potential for cross-contamination of foods. This potential exists when raw meat products and foods traditionally eaten uncooked (fruits and vegetables) are carried in the same bags, either together or between uses. This risk can be increased by the growth of bacteria in the bags.”

Indeed, half of the bags that researchers examined tested positive for coliform bacteria, and 12 percent had E. coli bacteria. These bacteria, and others, contribute to the 76 million cases of food poisoning each year. (emphasis added)

Not only do you have to spend $2.99 for a single bag (less the nickel you save at check out) and you need to store the bags in your car or urban folding bicycle that converts to a shopping cart so they are with you when you get to the store. Now you have to wash the things regularly as well.

I ‘m sure the energy, water and detergent needed to wash my reusable is not a good trade off. Plus, you would probably want to dry them as well because you wouldn’t want the damp canvas bags laying around the house. You never know what could grow in the damp canvass after a couple of days.