I’m pretty sure that I bought a green washed product

I have tried very hard to reduce the amount of plastic that my family uses, specifically the amount of plastic bags we use.

We pack lunches in reusable containers, we save and reuse glass jars as storage containers, we shop with reusable bags (including reusable produce bags), when possible we wrap items in aluminum foil, and we save and reuse plastic bags that items (such as grapes) come in.
As much as we have reduced our plastic bag consumption we have not eliminated it all together.

This is especially true for 1 gallon Ziploc® bags (which we mainly use for freezing).

I will say that we have dramatically decreased the amount of Ziploc® bags we use. Our last box of 20 bags lasted ~9 months (compare to the box a month we were going through before our eco-friendly adventure started).

With that said, 1 gallon bags were on my shopping list.

I had every intention of buying 1 gallon biodegradable bags at the Natural Food Store but when I got there they were all sold out.

I weighed my options; wait and buy them on-line (too expensive when shipping is factored in plus the carbon waste of having them shipped to me plus we needed them now), wait for the store to get another shipment (better option. I would check back the following week and hope they had some but what about our immediate need?)

I decided to wait. That is until I went to the next store.....

The minute I picked it up I knew that it was green washing but I bought it anyway.

Introducing Ziploc® evolve™ Sandwich and Storage Bags—These ultralight bags are made with 25% less plastic* and manufactured using wind power.

*Compared to regular Ziploc® Sandwich and Storage Bags.

Why is Ziploc® evolve™ Better for the Environment? (According to Ziploc® FAQs page:)

• Made from a new resin blend using 25% less plastic.*
• Using less plastic means using fewer limited resources to make our bags.
• Manufactured with less energy.
• Using less energy is a step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Manufactured using approximately 50% renewable wind energy.
• The makers of Ziploc® brand products have partnered with a wind energy supplier to support renewable wind energy. Every year, Ziploc® purchases approximately 50% of the estimated energy involved in manufacturing Ziploc® evolve™ in the form of renewable energy to be put back on the electrical grid.
• Packaged in a 100% recycled paperboard carton, with a minimum of 35% postconsumer content.
• Using recycled paperboard means conserving more trees.

Then why did I buy them if I knew that it they are still bad for the environment? (i.e. will take many years to photodegrade which means breaking apart into chemicals)

Because we "needed" them, they were less expensive than the biodegradable ones ($1 for 20 bags), and they were readily available (the main reason).

Like The Impulsive Buy said, "It is a step in the right direction" albeit a baby step (I am still pretty sure it is green washing and I don't feel 25% less guilty about buying them)