Editor:

I am writing this in the hopes that I can allay the fears of the writer in last week’s edition regarding the health risks of using reusable bags.

I first started using reusable cotton/canvas bags when I was in my early twenties, I am now in my mid-fifties and still using cotton/canvas bags, so yes I have been using them for a very long time! If I am totally honest, I will say that I rarely wash them, but when I do, they require no extra work than throwing them in with regular laundry.

I must also admit that I always keep them in the trunk of my car, regardless of the weather. I can honestly say that my family and I have suffered no ill effects or health issues from this practice spanning 30 years!

Additionally, most of my bags I didn’t even have to buy! A lot of businesses give out cotton bags as a marketing gimmick and nobody seems to care if I show up at the grocery store toting a bag advertising Servco Oil. Shame on the Big Y for spreading such fear mongering amongst its customers!

Lastly, whilst I commend those that say they reuse these bags let’s not forget the three R’s of waste hierarchy: REDUCE — Reuse — Recycle.

Sian Nimkoff

7 Hundred Acres Road, Newtown    June 25, 2019