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Paris is Degrading

May 31, 2006
According to LOI n° 2006-11 du 5 janvier 2006 d'orientation agricole, article 47...
Go France!
...as of January 1, 2010, all plastic bags in France will be compostable and biodegradable. The new sacks are being introduced this week as part of a campaign to promote people shopping at the outdoor markets. Aside from their obvious ecological advantage, they're incredibly soft and supple. I told my fruit vendor that they felt "comme un fesse du bébé" ("like a baby's bottom") and he just looked at me, sort of perplexed and stunned.
I guess that didn't translate very well, and I'm certain I'm now on some master liste de dégradeurs at the Préfecture de Police.
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Comments

I seem to recall an episode of the Drew Carey Show when he commented that he couldn't sign up for the Playboy Channel, 'cause he'd heard that if you subscribed to Playboy AND the Cartoon Channel they put you on a special list.
I can't believe le Prefecture de Police Francais would go out of their way to prosecute/persecute an innocent such as yourelf... but those cherries DO look awfully suspicious...
I'm just sayin'...
Posted by J. Bo at May 31, 2006 5:21 AM
You are funny! The bags seem a bit sturdier to me as well as being soft as a roll of Charmin.
Posted by Lucy Vanel at May 31, 2006 5:56 AM
We can buy those bags here in the supermarket. They are really very soft, but beware, if you overstuff them with leftover green stuff and then leave them hanging about for more than a couple of days they start to biodegrade. Then you have to put them in another bag, and so it goes on ...
Posted by Ash at May 31, 2006 6:54 AM
So, dear David, where are you planning to Summer this year? We are all agog to know!
Posted by a dear, dear friend at May 31, 2006 7:35 AM
Having just returned from a week's vacance in Paris, my wife and I noted that most Parisiens are neither obese nor overweight. We speculated that it had to do with their diet of healthy foods such as non-enriched breads, cheese and wine - with very little sugar. What are your thoughts? We also noted that most of the larger people were tourists.
Posted by Arthur Grynspan at May 31, 2006 7:37 AM
Dear David,
well, you know how the french get upset when you "massacre "their language, may be if you had said"comme une fesse de bebe", he might have repressed a mischevous and conniving smile......( just kiiding you !) Now that I have lived here in california for over 20 years,I feel that I see Paris practically through the same eyes as you. You keep me connected and laughing all the way.thank you.
If you have a milisecond, and still interested, you might check my little blog" lunch with pouke"
all the best
Pouke
P.S: isn't dough like une fesse de bebe ?
Posted by pouke at May 31, 2006 11:35 AM
Dear David,
well, you know how the french get upset when you "massacre "their language, may be if you had said"comme une fesse de bebe", he might have repressed a mischevous and conniving smile......( just kiiding you !) Now that I have lived here in california for over 20 years,I feel that I see Paris practically through the same eyes as you. You keep me connected and laughing all the way.thank you.
If you have a milisecond, and still interested, you might check my little blog" lunch with pouke"
all the best
Pouke
P.S: isn't dough like une fesse de bebe ?
Posted by pouke at May 31, 2006 11:36 AM
Posted by Dianka at May 31, 2006 2:47 PM
Very cool and forward thinking of the French. I'd love to see legislation like that in the US. Well, California at least. Heck, I'd settle for just San Francisco. Any clue what the bags are made out of?
Posted by Brett at May 31, 2006 4:31 PM
J.Bo: If you think those cherries may be 'suspicious', you must've been watching the 'Shaveeverywhere' link a few posts back.
Lucy: Yes, they are squeezably-soft. Although I wouldn't substitute one for the other.
Ash: Glad to hear those bag do what they're supposed to do!
Arthur: You were obviously hanging out with very chic Parisians. Any man who can squeeze into a Hedi Slimane suit can't be gorging on too much cheese and chocolate (Note: I can't wear a Hedi Slimane suit either.) The main reason: In France, good food is inexpensive and junk food is expensive, whereas in America, it's just the opposite.
DDF: Vacation? I'm American. We don't get vacations.
Dianka: I hope you're laughing with me, not at me.
Pouke: I am staying away from baby bottoms for a while.
Brett: If it's any consolation, at the market, they put your things in plastic bags first...then put those in the biodegradable bags.
Talk about unclear on the concept!
BTW: Folks can read more about the bags at here.
Posted by David at June 1, 2006 1:28 AM
http://www.cawrecycles.org/
http://www.treehugger.com
will both reassure you that we in Northern California are trying to get bags LEAST as soft as a baby's bottom. And babies DON'T need to shaaaave.
Posted by peggycooks at June 1, 2006 1:41 AM
There are dog parks here in Los Angeles where people stuff their unused grocery store bags in convenient spots for others who may not have been prepared to pick up after Rover, or Tinkerbell, or whoever. These new bags could prove to be humorous, as well as ecological. After the bags have "weathered" a few days and then someone tries to use one...hmmmm...might be worth bringing some popcorn to the park just to sit back and watch.
Posted by Kevin at June 1, 2006 12:55 PM
P.S. My Pocket Coffee arrived yesterday. I'm typing this at 890 words per minute. I love Italy (and you for posting on them!) whooooopeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!
Posted by Kevin at June 1, 2006 1:25 PM
Hi David,
Love your blog and well everything is being monitored these day's so be careful with those cherries!
Would love to interview you for my site, check it out!
www.stirthepot.org
Jeremy
Posted by Jeremy Shapiro at June 1, 2006 2:34 PM
I think a all bags should be made to biodegrade.
Posted by Jane at June 4, 2006 10:46 AM
Hi David - I love your blog - I'd forgotten all about it until I read this but my lazy-ass 9th-grade science fair project consisted of burying biodegradable and non-biodegradable plastic bags in the backyard and digging them up again to see what had happened. The result? Not a thing. No change at all. (As you can imagine this made for a very interesting presentation). I hope there have been some advances in the process used to manufacture them since then!
Posted by Tiny Banquet Committee at June 4, 2006 5:53 PM
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