What's up with the bag laws here? (Eugene, Florence: buying, live)

[bler144]

Originally Posted by Mini-apple-less

Can't they at least mandate that paper bags should have handles? And are plastic bags really any worse? I often re-use them too, so I don't see how burlap is that much better aside from being more durable.

Sometimes I think you must be trolling. Burlap/paper are both readily biodegradable, particularly paper. The main selling point of burlap is that it's reusable.

Plastic is arguably reusable, but in practice nobody does so, at least for shopping. It has limited recycle-ability, and the half life on the most common type of plastic in those bags is roughly 50 years.

Similar to the person complaining about the costs of bags after coming in from the coast to shop, expecting that someone will pay $2-6 for a few shopping bags hardly makes a city "anti-poor." You're presumably saving $200 a month just on rent by living in Eugene vs. Portland, no? You're saving a ton on gasoline by not having to come in from a rural town to shop. And you're really worried about a one-time expenditure of $5 as a reflection of the burdens of being poor?

Heck, go through the dumpster behind the nike outlet or target and find a perfectly backpack that they've tossed, for free.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by bler144

The Willamette Market of Choice at least charges $.05 per paper bag.

It is a bit amusing that someone would drive 90 miles for groceries, with a gas expense of $10.00+ each way, and then gripe about a charge of a few cents per bag. That's not even counting maintenance/depreciation/insurance/risk, etc.

I suppose it could be the straw that broke the camels back. But still, unless you're filling 200 bags per trip, it's really not anywhere near being a significant expense in the course of your overall run.

Do they? I don't recall ever paying for a bag at the Delta Oaks Market of Choice.

[bler144]

Perhaps they feel it wouldn't go over as well in North Eugene Or that they have more competition in North Eugene, whereas the Willamette store by and large really only "competes" with Capella Market and maybe the 18th Safeway to a lesser extent.

But I was shopping at the Willamette store just last week and had the charge on my receipt.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by bler144

........ and the half life on the most common type of plastic in those bags is roughly 50 years............

I don't know about the plastic bags in the rest of the country, but those plastic grocery bags in Oregon are biodegradable. The plastic is made with corn starch added and if you leave one of those things in the sun, in a couple of months it will crumble to dust.

Not that that would justify allowing them to blow around, but the majority of users don't toss them out onto the street. Many people re-use them.

I'm fine with paper shopping bags. Trees are a renewable resource. The paper bags get re-purposed at my house, just like the plastic bags do.

First the tee huggers were shouting that paper bags were murder and to always use the plastic ones. Now the plastic ones are destroying the earth, so use cloth bags, which incidentally are not very eco-friendly when you add in both their manufacture and disposal.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

One of things I disliked about shopping in Eugene was that some people would bring these nasty bags with all manner of bacteria that would be placed on the checkout counter where people put their food.

That's me you are talking about. I drive around with both cloth bags and dogs in my car, so my cloth shopping bags are covered in dog hair.

Rather than rolling through the aisles of the grocery store, followed by a floating cloud of dog hair, I leave my cloth bags in the car. I just put my groceries back into the trolley and when I get to my car, they are moved into-- wait for it--- not cloth bags, but Rubbermaid tubs that keep my car clean.

I like the cloth bags, though. I use them for all sorts of uses, just not usually groceries.

[Hawk J]

I live out in the mountains, so when I go into town for vittles & other goods, I bring some coolers/ice chests to put the cold items in...

[Lizzaa]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Do they? I don't recall ever paying for a bag at the Delta Oaks Market of Choice.

I shop at Delta Oaks all the time. Yes, they are charging you .05 for every bag or deducting it if you bring in your own bags.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Lizzaa

I shop at Delta Oaks all the time. Yes, they are charging you .05 for every bag or deducting it if you bring in your own bags.

That's nice. Maybe I just didn't notice. They've never said anything like, "it's going to be five cents a bag" the way other stores always do, and I don't look at receipts unless something's obviously off. It's also been maybe a year since I've been there; I moved away. I do miss that store, though.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by boulder2015

If you're driving 90 miles to shop, it may behoove you to actually bring your own bags? A little forethought...

Also, yes, plastic is recyclable... the problem is people DON'T and then they wind up blowing around and into creeks, rivers, etc. Paper bags at least decompose.

And how many trees are you going to cut down to make all those decomposable bags? I can reuse plastic bags for trash. Otherwise I need to buy trash bags at additional cost. I agree with the OP, these bag laws are just a war on the poor.

Trash needs to be properly recycled. Bag laws do not accomplish that. As a matter of fact it's more of a way to avoid solving the problem.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by bler144

It is a bit amusing that someone would drive 90 miles for groceries, with a gas expense of $10.00+ each way, and then gripe about a charge of a few cents per bag. That's not even counting maintenance/depreciation/insurance/risk, etc.

I don't drive 90 miles for groceries. I drive 90 miles to shop for things I can't buy on the coast. The cost of the bags is not the problem, so much as I resent being told what type of bags I should be using, and I sure don't think the government should be forcing stores to charge me for bags, that would otherwise be free. That should be between me and the stores I shop at.

Force people to recycle, and fine them if they refuse to cooperate. I don't have a problem with that. I'm as big a nanny state person as anybody. But don't pass dumb laws that don't accomplish anything, and don't solve the problem.