Dallas Plastic Grocery Bag Ban-Need Help (Denton, Howe: sale, neighborhoods, buying)

[bencronin04]

The reusable bags are only 99 cents.........

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by RJ312

The adjustment to the new, re-usable grocery bags has been relatively seamless for me. I just have to remember to put them back in the car after I put away whatever it is that I buy.

Storing them in the garage helps me remember.

[pharpe]

Originally Posted by HockDad

Not quite. The argument has less to do with laziness and more with the city infringing on businesses and how they operate. I am all in favor of the city stepping in to make sure that its citizens are safe (health inspectors, child welfare services, etc.), but I am more concerned when the city starts to tell citizens how and where to live (eminent domain, banning fracking even with reasonable restrictions, billboards, etc.).

Personally I hate the plastic bags, but I hate even more a city manager that makes this his pet project compared to far more serious problems.

Aw the slippery slop fallacy. Since there are really no good arguments for plastic bags, shift the focus to extreme hypotheticals? We are not talking about eminent domain, banning fracking even with reasonable restrictions, billboards, etc. We are talking about one issue and that is trying to reduce the number of disposable plastic bags filling our land fills and clogging local creeks.

[HockDad]

Originally Posted by pharpe

Aw the slippery slop fallacy. Since there are really no good arguments for plastic bags, shift the focus to extreme hypotheticals? We are not talking about eminent domain, banning fracking even with reasonable restrictions, billboards, etc. We are talking about one issue and that is trying to reduce the number of disposable plastic bags filling our land fills and clogging local creeks.

I guess your response would work anytime that people worry about the government infringing on businesses. Basically the government is saying that we are banning a product for your good because you don't know how to police yourself and use the product like a responsible citizen. Well, thousands of people every day use the product in a responsible manner, but a relatively small percentage, litter, thus we are going to punish the whole group.

[BigDGeek]

I'm just amused by all the outrage and vitriol over banning something that is:

1.) Wasteful
2.) Hard to recycle
3.) So flimsy that it's usually good for only one use, if that
4.) Not biodegradeable
5.) A nuisance for municipalities to clean out of trees, fences, creeks/rivers/lakes/storm sewers, and off barren lots

Seriously. Just use a damn reusable bag. It's not hard. Most are even machine-washable. Get some, put them in your trunk, and move on. If you were using them to clean up your dog's poop...well...you are braver than I am. One time getting poop on my hands from using a bag with a tear in it (that I obviously didn't see before) was enough for me. I buy the special bags for dog poop if I don't have any of those bags that my paper came in. Those are excellent for dog waste.

As for my small trash cans in the bathroom...here's a tip. Unless you're throwing away totally nasty stuff like used sanitary products, you can just tip all that bathroom trash into your kitchen trash right before you take it out. That way, you don't have to change the bag. I so rarely empty my bathroom trash it's not even funny. I don't have a TOM anymore (thank god for early menopause) and most of what goes in there is recyclable anyway...toilet paper rolls, bottles of mouthwash, etc.

SRSLY.

[VegasMan_72]

Originally Posted by HockDad

I guess your response would work anytime that people worry about the government infringing on businesses. Basically the government is saying that we are banning a product for your good because you don't know how to police yourself and use the product like a responsible citizen. Well, thousands of people every day use the product in a responsible manner, but a relatively small percentage, litter, thus we are going to punish the whole group.

I agree. Just watch for black helicopters coming to get you next. I hope you bought the survival backpack from Glen Beck. I know it is going to save me.

[VegasMan_72]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

I'm just amused by all the outrage and vitriol over banning something that is:

1.) Wasteful
2.) Hard to recycle
3.) So flimsy that it's usually good for only one use, if that
4.) Not biodegradeable
5.) A nuisance for municipalities to clean out of trees, fences, creeks/rivers/lakes/storm sewers, and off barren lots

Seriously. Just use a damn reusable bag. It's not hard. Most are even machine-washable. Get some, put them in your trunk, and move on. If you were using them to clean up your dog's poop...well...you are braver than I am. One time getting poop on my hands from using a bag with a tear in it (that I obviously didn't see before) was enough for me. I buy the special bags for dog poop if I don't have any of those bags that my paper came in. Those are excellent for dog waste.

As for my small trash cans in the bathroom...here's a tip. Unless you're throwing away totally nasty stuff like used sanitary products, you can just tip all that bathroom trash into your kitchen trash right before you take it out. That way, you don't have to change the bag. I so rarely empty my bathroom trash it's not even funny. I don't have a TOM anymore (thank god for early menopause) and most of what goes in there is recyclable anyway...toilet paper rolls, bottles of mouthwash, etc.

SRSLY.

Well said.

[bencronin04]

Originally Posted by HockDad

I guess your response would work anytime that people worry about the government infringing on businesses. Basically the government is saying that we are banning a product for your good because you don't know how to police yourself and use the product like a responsible citizen. Well, thousands of people every day use the product in a responsible manner, but a relatively small percentage, litter, thus we are going to punish the whole group.

Originally Posted by VegasMan_72

I agree. Just watch for black helicopters coming to get you next. I hope you bought the survival backpack from Glen Beck. I know it is going to save me.

I get where HockDad is coming from, but I don't think banning something that hurts our environment is infringing on business rights. That's why there are regulations in place. If not we would see more blood/toxic filled rivers from plants.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by bencronin04

I get where HockDad is coming from, but I don't think banning something that hurts our environment is infringing on business rights. That's why there are regulations in place. If not we would see more blood/toxic filled rivers from plants.

I agree. I think we're using the word "rights" kind of loosely here. Does someone have an inherent right to pollute, or to litter? I don't think so. That's just my opinion.

This plastic bag ban isn't upsetting me at all; it will affect me since I do shop in Dallas and from time to time I get caught out because I didn't bring enough reusable bags to carry all my stuff. It'll teach me to be more vigilant about that.

I also have kind of a head start on a lot of people since I lived in Europe for years where reusable bags are much more common and have been used for a lot longer than here. Some of my reusable bags even came with me when I moved back here.

[VegasMan_72]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

I agree. I think we're using the word "rights" kind of loosely here. Does someone have an inherent right to pollute, or to litter? I don't think so. That's just my opinion.

This plastic bag ban isn't upsetting me at all; it will affect me since I do shop in Dallas and from time to time I get caught out because I didn't bring enough reusable bags to carry all my stuff. It'll teach me to be more vigilant about that.

I also have kind of a head start on a lot of people since I lived in Europe for years where reusable bags are much more common and have been used for a lot longer than here. Some of my reusable bags even came with me when I moved back here.

It's so funny you said that. I still have a bunch of Carrefour bags, I use them at Aldi.