plastic bag ban has negative effects on local economy (Mart: costs, stores)

[HappyTexan]

Based on that article saying the ban had a negative impact, Austin should go back and revisit their ban in one year and get feedback from the business community and residents. See how it goes and be prepared to deal with the feedback in a way that will help the community (business and people) rather than try to make a global political statement about itself.

A more lasting impact is to educate the people, not inflict punishment by taking away their bags.

When people do it of their own accord then it will last and have further reaching impact.
When I go to the mall and buy that first item and get a bag I usually use that bag for several other purchases and tell the clerks that I have a bag already and to save a tree. So you see, I have cut back and all on my own without any laws taking away my bags. And I do it all over so there will be cities and towns that don't have a bag ban yet I will use less bags because I consolidate my purchases into that first bag.

[Adamson865]

Any word yet on whether stores in neighboring jurisdictions will go along with the ban, or will the HEBs et al in the burbs still be giving out plastic bags?

[eileenkeeney]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Just a related side note:

I ate lunch with my daughter at the new Whole Foods at Wm Cannon/Mopac yesterday. We got our food from the salad buffet, using those cardboard-like bowls. We ate next to the condiment counter and trash. The entire time, there was an employee stationed there teaching people how to properly throw away stuff.

There are 3 bins: Compost, Recycle, and Trash. The food bowls and left-over food and napkins are compost. The plastic utensils are recycle. Almost everyone he intervened with was getting ready to throw the wrong stuff in the wrong bins, mainly, the plastic utensils with the paper bowls into one of the 3 bins unseparated.

Point being, whether it's recycling, or getting consumers to adopt reuseable bags, this behavior modification ain't cheap for the stores on the front line, and it's, based on my unscientific observation, too complicated even for what ought to be the more sophisticated, pre-disposed, "right minded" folks at Whole Foods.

Study methodology aside, common sense says it can't be cheaper to stop using plastic bags, and it's definitely not more convenient for the consumer to have to bring their own, so it's not unreasonable to assume there is an embedded cost that's going to show up somewhere. This survey just shows one example, but I'm more inclined to agree than to dispute it.

Steve

I think that signs with pictures would have been almost as useful (useful for education, maybe not for enforcement)
However, I am in favor of employing as much of the population as reasonable.
Therefore if whole foods can afford it, I am all for them using an employee there to educate people.

[scm53]

More negative consequences.

[JoninATX]

I still support the bag ban.

[Austinite101]

It still says they don't have any data to support the notion of increased theft. So until they can prove it, this is all speculation.

[Trainwreck20]

Bah, probably 1/3 to 1/2 of the people at our store were carrying in their own bags before the ban, although I doubt it was a shoplifting issue to begin with.

[Gorfml]

Ban will be gone soon...don't fret freedom lovers...

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Gorfml

Ban will be gone soon...don't fret freedom lovers...

Actually, I'm enjoying shopping at HEB and paying a buck so my entire order is in non-reusable plastic bags. LOVE the looks as I wheel my entire order out in a white plastic covered shopping cart. I may have a car full of reusable bags and do it anyway.

Consider it the last great act of defiance.

[TexasHorseLady]

Well, that was more than a little predictable (one of the first things that occurred to me when I heard about the ban) - it doesn't create more thieves but it DOES make it a lot easier for them. And I say this as someone who has been using reusable bags for a long time.