20 cent tax on grocery bags enacted (Seattle, Shoreline: city hall, costs, groceries)

[seattlenextyear]

Originally Posted by Freebird2007

I went to QFC last night for some grocery shopping (versus just picking up an item or two) and the thought of trying to cram in 4 bags of groceries into a single canvas bag or having to carry around 4 of them makes my head ache

That would take 2 canvas bags, and believe me, they're easy to carry around than the plastic bags. I'd use canvas bags for groceries now even if they didn't have any environmental benefit. They're way easier to carry.

You need quality canvas bags though, with a long strap. The short handled ones might not be very comfortable.

[tada]

Originally Posted by jenlion

Isn't that pretty much the same thing??

No. Negative reinforcement vs. positive reinforcement.

[Freebird2007]

this thread has inspired me.


yes, I will no longer accept plastic bags from retailers in Seattle as they will cost me .20 per bag.. I will help reduce usage of plastic bags in Seattle


and bring my own bags when I shop in Seattle........



























BRING MY OWN DAMN PLASTIC BAGS FROM SNOHOMISH COUNTY WHERE I CAN EASILY FIT 10-20 PLASTIC BAGS IN MY COAT POCKET RATHER THAN TRYING TO STUFF ONE CANVAS BAG IN MY LAPTOP CASE.....MUAHAHAHAHA

[mmcguy]

Question: Will the new law apply to the plastic bags they use at department stores and variety stores (Target, K-Mart, Sears, Macy's, etc...)? If not, it's just more hypocrisy on the part of our fine leaders. A plastic bag is a plastic bag!

Also, what about those plastic and paper bags we all use in the produce department of the grocery store? Same product as the check-out bags, only smaller.... eh?

If the city really has issues with plastic bags, then for gods sake, JUST BAN THEM OUTRIGHT!!! Don't use a "green" cause to charade the true intent of the new law (which is to generate about $10-12 million annually for the city coffers!). The city has started down a very slippery slope that will come back to bite them big time a year or two down the road....

I've had enough of the People's Republic of Seattle and their "nanny-state attitude!

[bigtrees]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

That's an interesting editorial, which makes some good points. But, I guess he didn't think anyone already owns resuable bags or will buy cloth ones instead of #5 plastic ones. If you eliminate the #5 ones which I assume are those faux-retro ones you get at Trader Joes, his argument is significantly weakened. I also think he'd be surprised at how quickly a reusable bag will replace between 100-300 plastic bags, making it "worth it" in terms of resource use.

Problem is the plastic ones will cost less than the canvas ones. A lot of people won't care whether they buy plastic or canvas ones.

As far as quickly getting 100-300 uses out of each bag (about two to six years worth of use at my frequency of going to the grocery store), it all depends on the person and how much they love their bags. Problem is a lot of people won't be responsible to bring their bags with them and will buy new ones a lot.

Or - the bags will become a fashion statement and people will want the latest and greatest style, and replace them before they are worn out. (I think it's highly likely).

This is my main gripe about all of the environmentalists in this state. Our society is setup to cause you to want to buy something even though your existing item is perfectly good. How many people have cell phones that are newer than 2 years? You don't need them, the old ones work fine. How many of you wear clothes until they are worn out and threadborn? How many people buy a dress or a shirt for one evening's use? You see, Seattle is built on a society of people spending money on things they don't really need. Starbucks and Tullys are prime examples, but look in every shopping mall, every art fair, every other place. We don't live a simple life here in America, and people in Seattle are no exception to that rule.

So I don't think that using a reusable plastic bag instead of a disposable plastic bag will save the planet from pollution, global warming, or many other problems. We have far more work to do.

[seattlenextyear]

If anyone else finds any good editorials or articles about this, let me know. I think I might incorporate the issue into a case study assignment for a class. The issue has a million shades of gray: perfect for encouraging critical thinking.

[70Ford]

I'm bringing a backpack.

Nothing says "Legit customer" like a dude shoving crap into a backpack.

Or....

http://www.bagstogo.com/AB42.jpg
I got a couple of these kicking around, too.

[gnab gib]

Originally Posted by Freebird2007

I went to QFC last night for some grocery shopping (versus just picking up an item or two) and the thought of trying to cram in 4 bags of groceries into a single canvas bag or having to carry around 4 of them makes my head ache

Seriously, it is NOT that big of a deal! We've bought about half a dozen bags from Whole Foods for about $2 each. They're nice and big, they're sturdy, they're made from recycled plastic bottles, and they fold down to almost nothing. We keep 'em in the back of our car, and when we haul them in the house full of groceries, we just take them back out to the car the next morning. Easy. And if you don't drive to work, you can easily fold a few down into a backpack or briefcase, as someone else said. I promise you, it's not that big of a pain.

My wife loves doing this for the "green" aspect. I like doing it because we don't end up with a pile of plastic bags cluttering up the trash can every week. And if you're used to having bags around the house for things like litter disposal, you can always buy some of that scoopable/flushable litter instead. There are always ways around a problem ... it's just a matter of getting a little creative sometimes!

And yes, as someone else said, it's individual merchants that give you bag credits. Although, of course, there's nothing stopping a municipality from mandating that companies offer bag credits to their customers.

I am a little surprised that this applies to paper bags, too. Paper is completely biodegradable and recyclable, and it's a renewable resource, for heaven's sake. I do think Seattle overplayed its hand there.

[bigtrees]

Originally Posted by DestinationSeattle

And if you're used to having bags around the house for things like litter disposal, you can always buy some of that scoopable/flushable litter instead.

But now you are wasting 1.6 gallons of water, which had to be filtered (most places), chlorinated, stored, and pumped into your house.

So it is better to save one bag from the environment or waste 1.6 gallons of water?

I'm not trying to be a pest, but am trying to put everything in perspective. "There's no such thing as a free lunch."

[70Ford]

I think they are just trying to destroy Halloween. Think about the children!