The Use of Plastic Bags and the Enviroment

[ronboster]

Since this seems to be a hot topic in the BB Deals thread, I thought I'd start a separate thread on the topic (for those interested).

This thread is dedicated to the topic of plastic bags and the environment. Subjects like local ordnances that charge for plastic bags (anything other than Best Buy Deals ) etc etc.

[RustinCohle]

“No bag, thanks” is the first thing out of my mouth if I’m only buying one or two small things. Now if it’s Black Friday and I’m holding a stack of 30+ movies, then I’ll get a bag. But for my weekly 1-3 movie purchase, it’s no bag for me. No point.

[Lee A Stewart]

Bernalillo County (Albuquerque) NM is under a no plastic bag mandate. Paper only. But that only covers what a store can use. The mandate allows the shopper to bring their own plastic bags with them. I do this all the time when grocery shopping. I use the heavy duty plastic bags that Walmart used to charge ten cents a piece for. I carry a small backpack with 10 bags in it when I go shopping all the time.

[unberechenbar]

Plastic bags are useful to use as trash bags. I usually do that with the plastic bags they give at the supermarket to put vegetables and fruit in. Of course that doesn't work if you have a big trash can.

[MrHT]

Considering that I live in NY, don't own a car and walk everywhere I go, I am very annoyed till this day about the ban on plastics bags. Having to carry around reusable bags with me everywhere I go is a big hassle and sometimes, the ones I bring are not big enough to accommodate everything that I plan to purchase. So you need to plan ahead on what you are going to buy and bring along the appropriate size bags. And shoving them all in my pocket along with my keys and wallet is an even more annoying.

I don't understand why people support this nonsense! There are better ways to help the environment. I don't even drive, so I'm already helping the environment a lot, so why am I being punished??

[VictoryAtNight]

Our city implemented a plastic bag ban for almost 5 years. Target gives 5-cents off (discount) per reusable bag that you bring in at the checkout. Safeway gives "free" recycled, brown paper bags. Most of my shopping, I bring my own reusable bag.

[atomik kinder]

I read somewhere the absolute worst for plastic pollution is cigarette filters.

Most of the plastic bags we get, we take back to the store to recycle, a few are used for trash, but not many. For groceries, we bring our own reusable bags.

[ctujackbauer]

Originally Posted by atomik kinder

I read somewhere the absolute worst for plastic pollution is cigarette filters.

Most of the plastic bags we get, we take back to the store to recycle, a few are used for trash, but not many. For groceries, we bring our own reusable bags.

They're pretty bad too, same with plastic straws. Which is why in a few years or decades we'll have nothing but biodegradable straws, bags, and veggie bags.

[Gold Ranger]

I don't really get the whole No Plastic Shopping Bag thing, when stores sell Plastic Spoons/Knives/Forks, bottles and he'll, even Trash bags!

I don't buy trash bags, I just use the shopping bags as trash bags.

[MifuneFan]

Because reducing any kind of plastic use is a start...It's not an either/or thing. Hopefully we can continue to reduce our reliance on plastics more and more as they are incredibly bad for our planet in numerous ways.

[Bigdog]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Because reducing any kind of plastic use is a start...It's not an either/or thing. Hopefully we can continue to reduce our reliance on plastics more and more are incredibly bad for our planet in numerous ways.

The funny part here is 30 years ago the same was said about paper bags and why the need to go to plastic.

[ronboster]

Originally Posted by Bigdog

The funny part here is 30 years ago the same was said about paper bags and why the need to go to plastic.

I don't think you are correct. Plastic bags were cheaper (and had those handles). The change had nothing to do with the plastic bags being better for the environment.

I also googled why we started using plastic bags and this came up

https://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/...-plastic-bags/

If you can find some article that says we started using plastic vs paper because we thought it was better for the environment, I'd like to read it.

[JMS1223]

Originally Posted by ronboster

I don't think you are correct. Plastic bags were cheaper (and had those handles). The change had nothing to do with the plastic bags being better for the environment.

I also googled why we started using plastic bags and this came up

https://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/...-plastic-bags/

Very interesting.

[MifuneFan]

Yeah, so many products switched to plastic because it was simply cheaper to mass produce. Unfortunately most plastic doesn't really break down, and isn't recyclable. so we just are filling up landfills with it (among other places)

A couple vids worth watching about the subject

Plastic Wars (full film) | FRONTLINE - YouTube

Dirty Business: what really happens to your recycling - YouTube

[scullymills]

I’m glad there’s a plastic ban where I live, it goes to waste, people liter the streets, and I end up with too many in the house. Having reusable bags are sturdier, various sizes, and I just keep them in the car. It takes adjusting but I think it’s a better way to go.

[Anthony P]

where I live at some point they were charging 5 cents a plastic single use bag and now they are no longer allowed.

sometimes I do miss that convenience. you might end up popping into a store and you need a bag. But even before all this started. But back when bags were plentiful,If I did not need a bag I would just take my stuff without one, I reused them for trash, but let's face it bags had gotten so thin that most would not be re-usable and you never used all of them for trash so you ended up with two bags of bags and then you would throw away the first one.

[Dubstar]

northern Virginia is toying around with the idea of beginning to charging 5 cents a plastic bag by January of next year, I'm sure they'll do it since Washington DC and Maryland does this - incidentally, Virginia is the only part of the DMV that has a tax on groceries (2.5%), something I never, ever noted or realized, Northam is trying to eliminate that tax.

[Bigdog]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

where I live at some point they were charging 5 cents a plastic single use bag and now they are no longer allowed.

sometimes I do miss that convenience. you might end up popping into a store and you need a bag. But even before all this started. But back when bags were plentiful,If I did not need a bag I would just take my stuff without one, I reused them for trash, but let's face it bags had gotten so thin that most would not be re-usable and you never used all of them for trash so you ended up with two bags of bags and then you would throw away the first one.

Yes now you can spend that on a paper bag that can't even hold 1/10th of the weight the plastic one could. I seriously rip every paper bag i get from a supermarket today, don't even dare try and use the handles unless you want to play 52 pick up!

[Mnementh]

Originally Posted by ctujackbauer

They're pretty bad too, same with plastic straws. Which is why in a few years or decades we'll have nothing but biodegradable straws, bags, and veggie bags.

San Francisco and Berkeley banned plastic straws. Restaurants now use paper or bamboo straws. The former feel strange but the latter work just fine.

Of course, some people carry around reusable metal or silicone straws.

[BluBonnet]