Old-fashioned wax paper: A bit of “Acorn” news

Submitted by Acorn Farmers Market & Café Board

If Acorn is going to sell locally grown food – why are we talking about wax paper? Who uses wax paper anymore when plastic bags that zip shut are so nice and convenient!

Well, I was inspired in March when visiting my brother in California. We went to Target and I realized at check out that they do not provide any plastic bags to take your purchase home in. With a proximity close to the Pacific Ocean, they are keenly aware of the tons of plastic bags already in the oceans.

Wax paper is a compostable wrapper that will decompose in a very short time (weeks) while a plastic bag can take 10-20 years. Did you know that the average family uses 1500 produce bags a year – the bags grocery stores offer to put your apples and other produce in?

So how can all of us help keep plastic out of oceans, lakes and rivers? Try using wax paper instead of zip closed plastic bags, get some cloth mesh bags which are now for sale in many places (stores and on line) which have a drawstring and a tag that says how much the bag weights. Use them and then wash them in your washing machine.

Many people take cloth shopping bags to the store for purchases – if you don’t have any of these shopping bags, the Manchester Farmers Market has nice big yellow ones for sale for $1 each. Ask Laura to purchase some. Give non-plastic alternatives a try!

Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café will be a non-profit food store in Manchester, MI next spring. Acorn will support the use of re-useable bags and compostable products like wax paper. The address will be 327 W. Main. To follow progress on this new food store, which will sell locally grown produce, meat, dairy, eggs and more – all produce by local farmers – go to the web site www.acornfarmersmarketcafe.org and like us on Facebook Acorn Farmers’ Market and Café.

Donations to help get this non-profit store opened are very much appreciated – send checks to Acorn Farmers Market & Café, PO Box 794, Manchester, MI 48158.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.