Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I thought this might be a good area to discuss bans of plastic grocery bags. Are they banned in your area?
In California, we have a state wide ban. It wasn't an easy process getting there and involved multiple elections and the same tired arguments each time. My county had banned the bags much earlier than the state wide ban. We started using re-usable canvas bags even before the county ban because they're simply so much easier to use.
I continue to be kind of astounded at the complaints people have about bag bans. Training myself to remember my bags took less than a month. Groceries that would require 8-10 plastic grocery bags now fit in two canvas bags that I can sling over my shoulder. Instead of making 2-3 trips to the car to unload, it's done in one. And I don't have a bunch of extra bags to have to dispose of.
So - are plastic bags banned in your area? And even if they're not, are you using re-usable bags?
In some neighboring cities, yes they are, but locally, I don't think so.
As far as reusable bags, yes, I've been using them for decades. I think what started me on that kick was just careful product placement in the campus book store.
Now, it just rather fits into the mental image of myself more than anything else. Texas marine biologist who is also a belly dancer, drives a Subaru Forester, eats lots of fruit, you know, things like that.
There's no ban on plastic bags where I live but some cities now require customers pay a small fee (usually five cents each) if they want one. I've been using reusable bags for years now and would certainly support a ban if it were proposed.
The general California forum currently has a discussion totalling 300 comments on this issue (the latest post being on March 11). Apparently Southern Calif. has just implemented a bag law, following the earlier lead of Northern Calif. Bay area.
Some people are commenting that the overall litter problem has actually gotten worse since the ban, because people no longer have plastic bags to put their other litter in, so they throw their other litter along the roadside.
..........Some people are commenting that the overall litter problem has actually gotten worse since the ban, because people no longer have plastic bags to put their other litter in, so they throw their other litter along the roadside.
We-ll, such things happen when humans become part of the equation. People tend to think that changing one part of the equation will make people behave a certain direction while what happens is that they find another way for their desires......and it can go both ways.
Take when the vote is for a new highway and the voters say "NO" either to tell the government no new highway or use the money you already have more efficiently. Instead what happens is that the government goes off and finds other funding to build that highway.
As far as the other, that it has gotten worse, that's a hard to say issue. Worse certainly for the scenic beauty but is it worse for the clogging and biological food intake hazard that a plastic bag represents (ie, sea turtles consuming the bag because they mistook it for a jelly fish).
I don't know; I would have to look at the litter that goes in that bag. Certainly the straw is a hazard to animals as is the plastic top, the waffle food container (holds many), the food box, and the 6 pack rings.
On the face of it, though, animal wise, taking one major item out of the plastic equation is probably a very good thing.
yes, my small town banned them a few years ago, without a vote. which pissed a lot of people off who bike or walk everywhere (it's a very bike-friendly town), like me and my dad. because obviously it's easier to carry around bags if you have a car, and you can just put some in there and not have to think about it every time. but, since I would usually like to stop by the store on my way home, after school or a bike ride, or whatever, it was obviously more of a pain to have to carry them around. I've gotten used to it, since I had to, but it's still annoying, since it was obviously crafted by yuppies, who obviously drive everywhere (or to get their groceries at least), and wanted to make themselves feel better, by thinking they're doing something great for the environment, while obviously not considering the people who walk and bike, who improve the environment every day by not polluting, and how their actions inconvenience them.
it's also stupid, because you can just take the plastic bags from the produce section, for free, which I use for my garbage can. as well as the paper bags, which I now have to buy.
and, if you want to go in another store while you're out (since, as I said, if you don't have a car you have to carry your bags around everywhere.), they act like you're going to steal something, since you have big tote bags.
I thought this might be a good area to discuss bans of plastic grocery bags. Are they banned in your area?
In California, we have a state wide ban. It wasn't an easy process getting there and involved multiple elections and the same tired arguments each time. My county had banned the bags much earlier than the state wide ban. We started using re-usable canvas bags even before the county ban because they're simply so much easier to use.
I continue to be kind of astounded at the complaints people have about bag bans. Training myself to remember my bags took less than a month. Groceries that would require 8-10 plastic grocery bags now fit in two canvas bags that I can sling over my shoulder. Instead of making 2-3 trips to the car to unload, it's done in one. And I don't have a bunch of extra bags to have to dispose of.
So - are plastic bags banned in your area? And even if they're not, are you using re-usable bags?
I am also in CA, and despise the ban. It's not about simply using bags for groceries, I used those plastic bags for many things:
I used them to cover my salad bowl when I tossed it around to mix it up.
I used it to pick up dog doo.
I used it to hold the dirty cat litter I just scooped out.
I used it instead of plastic wrap or zip loc bags to store food.
I used it for packing.
I used it for putting things in, ie: misc things that one might find in a "junk drawer" such as rubber bands, paper clips, even my CD collection is inside a plastic bag.
I used them for many reasons, not just tote my food home and then toss them. So what did CA save? Did they save on the amount of plastic that people use? No.
What I do now is I double bag my meat and use one of those plastic bags for some of things I used to use the grocery plastic bags for.
Or I have to buy plastic wrap for food. Or I have to buy more junk for packing or storage.
Or I have to buy more plastic for garbage bags for cat litter. Or I have to buy more plastic bags for dog doo pick up.
It didn't stop any plastics being used at all. Yet another "feel good" legislation that solved nothing...but it did mean I have to spend more money - on plastic - so thanks, CA. I really enjoy spending money on something that I used to get for free.
yes, my small town banned them a few years ago, without a vote. which pissed a lot of people off who bike or walk everywhere (it's a very bike-friendly town), like me and my dad. because obviously it's easier to carry around bags if you have a car, and you can just put some in there and not have to think about it every time. but, since I would usually like to stop by the store on my way home, after school or a bike ride, or whatever, it was obviously more of a pain to have to carry them around. I've gotten used to it, since I had to, but it's still annoying, since it was obviously crafted by yuppies, who obviously drive everywhere (or to get their groceries at least), and wanted to make themselves feel better, by thinking they're doing something great for the environment, while obviously not considering the people who walk and bike, who improve the environment every day by not polluting, and how their actions inconvenience them.
it's also stupid, because you can just take the plastic bags from the produce section, for free, which I use for my garbage can. as well as the paper bags, which I now have to buy.
and, if you want to go in another store while you're out (since, as I said, if you don't have a car you have to carry your bags around everywhere.), they act like you're going to steal something, since you have big tote bags.
Why don't you use panniers? I have two and each hold a full brown paper grocery bag's worth of groceries. In fact, they clip on and off easily enough you don't even need an extra bag... you could just take them in to the store with you and leave the bags behind. Also if you're stopping by on your way home from work (as I often do) then you shouldn't have all that much to carry home. I usually figure out a way to balance items in my arms until I get to my panniers, but I also try to keep one of those chico bags on hand too.
I love our city's bag ban and I wish we collectively tried harder to reduce our dependency on food packaging. It's really ridiculous. So yeah, I'm not seeing plastic bags blowing around so much any more, but there are still an astonishing amount of plastic containers and wrappers dirtying up my neighborhood. Let's just be real here: We can do better.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,563 posts, read 81,147,605 times
Reputation: 57767
Quote:
Originally Posted by nurider2002
seriously, my question is, if we ban plastic bags, what do I use to pick up the dog s___ when walking the hounds?
The parks and trails around here will have signs indicating the laws on picking up after the dogs, with a box providing the plastic bags for that purpose. We do, however, see a lot of people walking dogs around the neighborhood with supermarket plastic bags in hand.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
as well as the paper bags, which I now have to buy.
