Notes:
disposable shopping bag レジ袋;
petroleum 石油;
semitransparent 半透明；
*********************
In Japan, about 30 billion disposable shopping bags are used in a year. When the amount is divided by the Japanese population, It means that one person uses about 300 bags a year. Most of these are thrown away as rubbish. If people keep using too many, it is a waste of petroleum. That’s why many stores are trying to reduce the amount of wasteful disposable shopping bags.
When I lived in my hometown, Ibara, many stores offered the bags for free, but if people bought something and refused the bag, they would get points. When they collected enough points, they could get coupons. It seemed that not so many people refused bags. After I came to Izumo, I realized that you have to pay for the bags. It is a more effective way of making me refuse them. Now, I have gotten into the habit of carrying my own shopping bag. I think it is more fashionable to carry my own shopping bag than the semitransparent store bag. In this way, rules can change habits. The shops’ attempts and rules may contribute to saving petroleum. (written by student K, edited by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
*********************