(Not food)

I found myself back at my previous favorite Chinese restaurant tonight. My current favorite Chinese restaurant was forced to close a few weeks ago when the building it was in was condemned after some speeding asshole in a SUV bounced off of four cars, flipped onto its roof on the sidewalk, and caused a fire in the building it careened into. He also hit a parking meter with such force that it was projected through a second-story window. Of course, no one in the SUV was severely injured (although a couple of them had to be removed with "the jaws of life"). So, back at my old place, I noticed a new colorful array of specials posted on the wall. Actually, they were the same specials that had been posted before, but someone had decided that different colored paper for each of the specials would present a less drab appearance than all white paper (and it does!). Frantically, I began to search for the sign that had always mystified me. Apparently, my Chinese restaurant has a sideline business selling garbage bags. I guess they get them at such a good discount that they figured they could make a few bucks selling them on the side. The sign never fails to make me smile. It reads: "Garbage (Not food) Bags (1) box for $11 (2) boxes $21." Even more mysteriously, the new sign also included the word "Actual" (quotes included), hovering alone in the upper righthand corner. As you can imagine, that (Not food) has been like a Zen koan to me. I've studied it for years and it still mystifies. I mean, what could the author have been thinking? Is he suggesting that given the chance, Americans might order garbage to eat and be disappointed that the garbage bags aren't edible? Or, perhaps, does it suggest that Americans, barraged by so many foreign words on the menu, might be easily confused, forget what the meaning of "garbage" is, and give it a try along with their pork fried rice? And what does that "Actual" signify now? Were the previous garbage bags only imaginary? Was the previous sign not taken seriously enough? Like me, did other customers think it might be some sort of cosmic joke? Is that "Actual" there to assure them that the garbage bags do, in fact, exist? See what I mean?! The questions are endless!