plastic bag ban has negative effects on local economy (Austin: purchasing, living)

[Onedarkrose]

No energy or non-renewable resources like water will be used to clean the reusable bags that become contaminated from raw meat, chemicals, contact from the floor (home, bus, car2go, etc.), and contact with animals.

Everyone will wash their reusable bags too before they're placed in the bagging area at checkout and handled by the cashier.

Moderator cut: off topic

[Onedarkrose]

Are the people who are concerned about the environmental impact of plastic bags also riding bikes, carpooling, walking, and taking public transportation too?

It seems like some people jumped on this bandwagon because it's an extremely easy way to seem "green" without changing much else in their lives.

If we're going to be green, then let's go all the way! Why not offer recycling bins all across the city and not just by UT? Why don't we improve public transportation in this city?

I know there's no demand for improving public transportation because it's not a concern for many because they'd rather drive. I wish we could truly put our greenness where our mouth is.

[N. Olikee]

Originally Posted by scm53

Welcome to your future, Austin:


No Grocery Bag - Portlandia on IFC - YouTube

Thank You......funny......love Portlandia! I now have a BAG COMPLEX! Even the other day at Patagonia, they asked me if I wanted a bag.......I had to mull it over......did i really "need" one? Could I make it to my car without one?....ya know......everyone's going to see what I bought.

Used to be "Paper or Plastic?" Now it's Bag or No Bag.
Moderator cut: off topic

[G Grasshopper]

I know lots of people are arguing about petroleum use, economics, convenience issues, etc., when banning plastic bags. There are always two sides to a story, and those arguments can be made. But what is unequivocal is that many, many bags end up blowing in the wind, and eventually in rivers and the ocean, where they kill millions of sea turtles, fish, birds and marine mammals each year. Most are not biodegradable in this situation, so they eventually shred into small pieces and, mistaken for plankton, they continue to kill as smaller creatures ingest the pieces. They are one of the biggest components of the "trash dumps" that circulate in our oceans. This is the biggest issue for me; people are careless. They don't think about the damage they do when they let a bag get into the environment, so we have to ban the bags to avoid their lethal effects. That's why I am glad about the ban; there is no other reason for me.

[N. Olikee]

GG..............give me hard facts and figures! I'm not seeing too many plastic bags "blowin' in the wind"........thank you Bob Dylan.............and I have recently been (by car) all over this grand landscape we call the US!

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by scm53

Next to ban? Linoleum flooring?... None of those things get recycled and are made of petroleum.

Heh. No, linoleum is not made of petroleum. And it's normally compostable.

From the nets...

"Linoleum is a floor covering made from renewable materials such as solidified linseed oil (linoxyn), pine rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour, and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate, most commonly on a burlap or canvas backing."

Anyways, why this and not that? Because runaway bags are highly visible and annoying, and because it's an area of consumer behavior that is perceived as easy to change and having little downside to it. And it's a symbolic action that makes people think about the larger issues.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by G Grasshopper

I know lots of people are arguing about petroleum use, economics, convenience issues, etc., when banning plastic bags. There are always two sides to a story, and those arguments can be made. But what is unequivocal is that many, many bags end up blowing in the wind, and eventually in rivers and the ocean, where they kill millions of sea turtles, fish, birds and marine mammals each year. Most are not biodegradable in this situation, so they eventually shred into small pieces and, mistaken for plankton, they continue to kill as smaller creatures ingest the pieces. They are one of the biggest components of the "trash dumps" that circulate in our oceans. This is the biggest issue for me; people are careless. They don't think about the damage they do when they let a bag get into the environment, so we have to ban the bags to avoid their lethal effects. That's why I am glad about the ban; there is no other reason for me.

Millions of sea turtles killed by our plastic bags...yeah, ok. I guess we'll just take your assertion that this is "unequivocal".

[Trainwreck20]

The simple(r) answer would be to put a nickle or dime surcharge onto every plastic bag and let everything change naturally. The tax would have to be split into some specific programs (preferably existing) such as litter clean up or landfill cost.

Ofc, every third idiot would be complaining to the baggers that more stuff needed to go into each bag. Guess you would have to make em bag their own .

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Onedarkrose

No energy or non-renewable resources like water will be used to clean the reusable bags that become contaminated from raw meat, chemicals, contact from the floor (home, bus, car2go, etc.), and contact with animals.

Everyone will wash their reusable bags too before they're placed in the bagging area at checkout and handled by the cashier.

We're such a progressive city! That's why we've had nothing, but male mayors, except in the 1970s, since 1840 while those horrible non-progressive cities like Dallas and Houston have voted in women, gays, hispanics, blacks, etc.

just a small point, water is a renewable resource.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Komeht

Millions of sea turtles killed by our plastic bags...yeah, ok. I guess we'll just take your assertion that this is "unequivocal".

Plastic Bags & Their Effects on Animals | eHow.com

<<Although many websites and news articles state that 100,000 animals are killed by plastic bags every year, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), along with the London Times, report that there is no scientific study to back up that claim.

Read more: Plastic Bags & Their Effects on Animals | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5860772_plastic-bags-effects-animals.html#ixzz245rZn260>>