The New York Times' Green Inc. business blog is reporting today that in 2009, the Times will begin using PolyGreen biodegradable bags to protect its newspapers shipped around the country. The bags, from GP Plastics Corp., are supposed to degrade in an open environment within a few months, "and within two to three years when in a landfill," according to a Times spokeswoman.

She said the Times is the "first national newspaper to commit to using this environmentally friendly bag. While this new bag is more expensive, we believe it is an important change to make."

Blog readers will recall that we covered the introduction of PolyGreen back in February, with the pithy headline "Will newspapers pay a premium to avoid being hypocritical?"

And now we know one that will.