Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should be Avoided

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should be Avoided

ANGEL 11 — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 01:03:53 GMT

WAKE UP THE WORLD PLEASE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE !!

SERIOUSLY LOOK AROUND, EVERYTHING IS DYING !! INCLUDING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY !

TAKE ACTION, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS !http://http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/help-ban-plastic-shopping-bags-in-boise

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should be Avoided

MikeGPrice — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:06:44 GMT

The article claims that San Francisco alone uses one million plastic bags per year, a number that is clearly out of the ball park. Probably one billion was intended, that's letter b not m, and it's 1000 times greater.
For routine grocery shopping we bring cloth tote bags, which are reusable indefinitely, are more comfortable to carry, and have a greater weight capacity than plastic or paper. You only have to remember to bring one or more along with you. Some stores even give a tiny discount for having your own carrying bag.

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should be Avoided

wolfdancewoman — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 16:59:51 GMT

I would love to stop using plastic bags from the grocery store but I use them for my kitty litter. What can I use that would be environmentally friendly? Thank you.

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should be Avoided

Holberg — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:07:46 GMT

I came from Berlin, long time ago, we don't even go to the store -even today- without a bag. We also pack our purchases ourselves.
Here, I buy nearly everything from Healthfoodstores, mainly two.
One gives me 5cents for each of my two canvas bags, the other 15 cents. Well, they give it for any bag but -as we know- change takes time.

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Avoided

pinkskittles — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:06:22 GMT

Here in Toronto, I believe environmentalist groups are pushing for a ban against plastic bags, which apparently should be initiated and fully gone through with by next year, and are going to only allow supermarkets to give paper bags or compostable bags. This should be pushed by all eco-conscious people.

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Avoided

jeremyroos — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 21:37:43 GMT

I see the pollution of plastic bags all over the landscape. In the fields around the grocery store and the dollar general, there are bags all over.

Why charge us to pollute the environment?

That's like treating symptoms without ever getting to the root cause of the problem.

Why not stop this polution at its source?

Stop the use of petro plastics in favor of hemp plastics. They are just as good, but biodegrade on thier own. The paper sacks could also be made from hemp which would reduce deforestization dramatically. Problem solved!

No wasted time recyling, no refinery polution, no oil used, no trees used!!!

On February 13, 2007, Representative Ron Paul introduced H.R. 1009, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007. This legislation would allow farmers to produce industrial hemp by excluding cannabis containing only trace amounts of tetrahydrocanniabinol (THC) from the definition of marijuana under current law. The act also grants states the "exclusive authority" to license and regulate the commercial production of industrial hemp.

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Avoided

Sean Uisce — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 01:59:09 GMT

Plastic bags that can break down in compost... sounds great... but it's still plastic we're talking about which is still made from crude oil... it's just done in a way that disintegrates quicker. Don't know about you, but crude oil derivatives are NOT WELCOME in my compost, soil and crops.

Now if people were talking about bio-plastic bags that would be a different matter. Made from hemp or other sustainable sources... THEY would be welcome in my compost any time.

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Avoided

Sean Uisce — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 01:55:41 GMT

Here in Ireland we've had a 15c plastic bag levy at check-outs for a few years now. It's made a visible difference to our countryside as there are no longer as many plastic bags lingering for months and years in hedges and tree tops... which is good news. And I welcome the fact that it's being considered 'over there' in the US.

And a few notes of caution for ye...

Don't be surprised if there's a loophole re the SIZE of the plastic bag that gets hit by the levy. Manufacturers now make plastic bags a mm or two smaller than the dimensions which would require the customer to pay the levy. And those little ones for pick-n-mix or food stuffs like tomatoes, fish etc are also exempt. Which pleases the shopkeeper as the customer is no longer giving out at having to pay for plastic bags. The downside of all this is that, as those bags are smaller, you often need two to do the job formerly done by one (if you forget your wee rucksack or cotton / canvas bags that is!).

The other dynamic (interesting to observe) is the smart consumer who pays for their goods... and then asks for a plastic bag. Most shopkeepers - in the interests of not appearing mean-spirited give them a bag gratis and have to pay the levy on it themselves. And a few, more savvy shopkeepers, give a smaller bag that is exempt from the levy.

Having pointed out these two somewhat tawdry aspects to our plastic bag levy initiative here, it is on balance a boon. The majority ARE bringing reusable bags when shopping and our environment is much cleaner looking and people are - by association perhaps, becoming more conscious of the wasteful packaging on many products... now if only people were motivated to act and think responsibly from their own volition - without the prompting of the pain of a extra 15c per bag...

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Avoided

Aram Ovsepian — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 02:45:32 GMT

Many years ago I lived in Moscow. We used to bring our own bags to the store. Now after many years of enjoying capitalism and free bags in the supermarkets I'm all for bringing my own bags. From deficit to conscious thinking result is same: Your bag, their groceries. Makes sense:)

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Avoided

pinkskittles — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 02:18:57 GMT

i always bring a backpack and even the canvas bag i bought from my local organic health food store. they sell their bag for about $2 so it makes you want to get it.

or you could do it up like those no-frills supermarkets (one called no frills here in canada) and charge people 5 cents per bag. that makes people want to bring their own.

another health food store gives people 3 cents credit if they don't need a bag. it's an incentive. just think of all the money you could save at the end of the month! you'll have almost a quarter!

still, no-bag incentives are much needed. i don't need an incentive though, ever since i started doing my own shopping i've been using my own bags. we should all be doing the same.

why waste when we don't need to? bring a backpack, a cardboard box, even a laundry hamper, just bring something and help save the ozone layer! :o)

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Avoided

mmc88121 — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 22:34:37 GMT

I can see the limitations of plastic bags. However, all it takes is one person to start a trend of doing something different. I like the idea of taking your own bag to the Natural food store and putting your purchases in it.

mmc88121

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Avoided

PepperR23 — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 21:06:00 GMT

I really like the idea of bringing a canvas bag to the grocery store, however, I think you would still need to have a plastic bag to carry meat or chicken products, which have a tendency to leak. I have begun re-wrapping my meat in unbleached parchment paper after I get home and I think this is better than plastic zip-locks. I also am starting to re-use my glass jars (from coconut oil) to store things in. I think about the birds and animals that will benefit from our small efforts.

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Avoided

enzo — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 19:37:52 GMT

When you give in to the tree-huggers over common sense consumerism you get plastic rather than paper.

The plastic is usually doubled up because they will tear open and spill your groceries about. They do not hold much in quantity, thus many must be used…it takes about twenty individual plastic bags to hold what three single paper bags will hold, and the paper bags are easier to carry. Paper bags remain upright in the car trunk and on your kitchen counter top.

Environmentally, paper will readily decompose, whereas plastic takes over a century to so do. American grocer's initially objected to the trend toward plastic, but have long since become advocates of plastic over paper, because it is much cheaper and is easily warehoused. They don't promote plastic out of love of trees…it's money, baby.

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Avoided

natter — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 18:50:15 GMT

there's no reason to be taking our own bags an shit. A functioning socio-economic infrastructure (as in, one that is automated and self-organising) is all that's needed.

re: Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Avoided

Josh Rubin — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 16:37:05 GMT

I have a better idea: we use canvas beach bags or any other type of bag for our groceries. We take them with us each time we go. So, if stores stop carrying bags, the people would have to bring there own. That would save the industry and the environment a lot of headache.