Plastic bag law... (Concord, Berkeley: sales, university, to live)

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by NextStage

We started using canvas bags before it was even mandated in our county. The county law passed long before the statewide law. A big part of the reason that we started early was those **** Costco boxes!

You'd end up unloading things one by one to the trunk. The loaded boxes were generally too large or too heavy to be managed by anyone other than a strong man. Then you get the joy of the reverse UNloading when you get home. People are talking about having staff take the groceries to your car but I don't see much mention about the trips you need to make from your car back into your home.

I found some good sturdy canvas bags with handles long enough to sling over my shoulder. I can carry more weight that way and end up making fewer trips into the house than I would if I were using plastic bags. We've been using and washing these bags for years now and they're in the same shape as new.

After using mostly canvas for quite a few years now, I can't think of a single time I've missed having access to a plastic grocery bag.

Same here! And most of the Costco boxes had one side cut out of them so they are beyond useless. We use canvas bags, but we do have a large reusable insulated plastic bag for frozen stuff, it works out well when we won't be going home right after we shop.

[DaisyMaeB]

I hate this new law so much!

I sewed up 10 reusable grocery bags, they are nice and roomy and very durable, best of all washable.

I also ended up buying a box of plastic T-shirt (grocery) bags from Amazon. I got 1,000 for $25 which is $0.025 each. They seem a little thicker than the old free plastic grocery bags. Now we have plastic bags for recycling and cleaning up after our pets. I also plan on taking some of these plastic bags to the store with me when I go shopping for raw meats.

[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by Podo944

I also used to use them to scoop the unflushable cat litter into them... um so I'm going to just buy plastic bags again?

In the hopes this will help, when I had kitties, I used to buy the pkg of 50-100 brown paper lunch bags in the market. They weren't pricey & the paper seemed to absorb litter odor. However, I soon switched to just using newspaper. There are plenty of free flyers & free papers in many paper boxes around & about cities & many just chuck them into the trash, rather than recycle, so I feel I'm at least utilizing the paper for a purpose. It works fine & is free & if it's not available, buying a large Sunday paper might work for you & be cheaper than other bags.

I've just returned to SoCal & keep forgetting about the 10-cent charge per bag & keep forgetting to carry them into stores with me. After 1-mo, I've got about 12 in the car. I'm going to start stapling them to the sleeves of all my jackets & sweaters.

[NextStage]

Originally Posted by A.Typical.Girl

I've just returned to SoCal & keep forgetting about the 10-cent charge per bag & keep forgetting to carry them into stores with me. After 1-mo, I've got about 12 in the car. I'm going to start stapling them to the sleeves of all my jackets & sweaters.

That first month or so is a bear I was pretty good about remembering them for Costco but training myself to take them into a regular store took a little more work.

What helped for me was to tape my grocery list to a bag. When I got home, I'd start a new list immediately of things I couldn't find or knew I'd need on my next trip. Taped it to the bag and left it on the counter on the table. After a few weeks of having that bag be in my way CONSTANTLY I think I finally trained myself

Although, stapling them to your sleeves could start a new CA Couture Trend!



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[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by NextStage

That first month or so is a bear I was pretty good about remembering them for Costco but training myself to take them into a regular store took a little more work.

What helped for me was to tape my grocery list to a bag. When I got home, I'd start a new list immediately of things I couldn't find or knew I'd need on my next trip. Taped it to the bag and left it on the counter on the table. After a few weeks of having that bag be in my way CONSTANTLY I think I finally trained myself

Good idea, Next. It just needs to become a habit, like online gambling. Oops, that's another thread.

Although, stapling them to your sleeves could start a new CA Couture Trend!

Right again. I'll never forget to bring my own bags again... ever!

[citizensadvocate]

I find it silly for anyone try or feel obligated to get into the "spirit" of the law. Or should I say the scheme to control you. Yes the scheme is not really about the type of bag, but it's about controlling you. In the end you will buy more plastic bags for household purposes and garbage than you used before the law. I shopped in Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in the past as they used paper or reusable I ended up buy plastic bags or shop where there are plastic bags for household purposes. Also people in bag ordinance cities tend to double their usage of those handleless roll bags in the aisles negating any plastic reduction. Those are far less useful for household purposes and are more likely to be thrown out after returning home.
In conclusion it's better to find stores that sell good thicker bags that have handles like the old t shirt bags such as what Walgreens use. Or try to shop in small produce or fish and meetmarkets that are exempt from this scheme then reuse the bags when you must shop larger stores that only sell paper bags and for household purposes. Better yet shop online grocery for items that don't need to be bought fresh such as dry groceries.

What I would want to ask is what was the corporation that instituted the referendum and ballot initiative doing with the $5 million dollars they spent on this. I see no tv or radio ads in fact with all those campaign signs on the side of the road I have yet to see one that says No on 67 yes on 65. No one seem to be educating the voters of the need of having such a referendum and initiative.
This industry seems the most incompetent lobbyists of all the othed corporate lobbyists.
You know voters have defeated this quite a number of times in ballot measures in the past in places like Seattle, Durango, and somewhere in Oregon and Alaska though radio annoucements and tv ads were aplenty prior to the vote. Though the lack of guidance for this election caused many voters to be confused with some thinking voting yes repeals and no retains and that voting no on 65 repeals the bag fee. I bet this confusion caused 10 percent of voters or more to accidentally vote against their interest or to a less extent vice versa. While the rest just blindly followed voting guides often written by left leaning media.

In reality more than 80% of California shoppers "vote" for plastic regularly at the supermarket check stand even when given a choice of paper, plastic, or reusable.
And every survey done in the state other than the USC dornlife survey done among college students showed most were against a ban or fee.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by citizensadvocate

In reality more than 80% of California shoppers "vote" for plastic regularly at the supermarket check stand even when given a choice of paper, plastic, or reusable.

Well, of course they do; it's more convenient. And a lot of them are ignorant about the environment; if it doesn't affect them personally, it doesn't matter to them.

And every survey done in the state other than the USC dornlife survey done among college students showed most were against a ban or fee.

A statistical sample of college students only would hardly be valid.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by citizensadvocate

I find it silly for anyone try or feel obligated to get into the "spirit" of the law. Or should I say the scheme to control you. Yes the scheme is not really about the type of bag, but it's about controlling you.

umm..yeah sure it's about 'controlling us'

[Dane_in_LA]

Originally Posted by citizensadvocate

I find it silly for anyone try or feel obligated to get into the "spirit" of the law. Or should I say the scheme to control you. Yes the scheme is not really about the type of bag, but it's about controlling you.

This law is about controlling behavior? The things you tell us. Yet, upon reflection, I seem to recall that being the case for most, if not in fact all, laws.

In the end you will buy more plastic bags for household purposes and garbage than you used before the law. ... Also people in bag ordinance cities tend to double their usage of those handleless roll bags in the aisles negating any plastic reduction.

This sounds, well - unsourced.

[NewbieHere]

It's a stupid law but we manage to get around it. By car we use the shopping cart, by feet we double up on the vegetable plastic bag and carry them home. I will pay no stinking 10cent bag.