Plastic bags slowly going away

[PimTac]

I grew up when paper bags were the norm. In the rainy Pacific Northwest paper bags don’t hold up well so plastic bags were a big improvement. Ever since I have saved and reused the plastic bags for trash bags.

Now, we use our own bags which are reusable. As for the trash we have to buy trash bags. So was anything accomplished? Not in our house

Packaging definitely needs to be improved to reduce waste and still keep products secure.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Hell, half of the time your plastic bags already come with holes!

 

[aquariuscsm]

Growing up in the 70s, I remember seeing lots of things morph into plastics. And hearing my parents and grandparents talk about how everything is made out of cheap plastic now.

 

[53' Stude]

Hell, half of the time your plastic bags already come with holes!

Facts

 

[JHZR2]

I've always believed that dog owners use them to pick up....how is it done post plastic bags...

Yeah that’s the idiocy of it.

For baby diapers, and dog droppings, using plastic shopping bags was great. Same for small garbage cans. Just use them and send them to the dump. No stupid 5c fee, etc.

Now I see dog owners buying rolls of plastic bags, sort of like the ones you get in the produce area at a supermarket. Kind of defeats the purpose of “banning” bags, huh?

I’d prefer the choice. Since at least the early 1990s, our local supermarket chain, ShopRite gave a credit of 2c per reused plastic bag. I’d prefer the choice to bring my own for a credit, or grab one or a few in a pinch.

The issue is that people are intrinsically slobs. That’s universal, frankly. And they’ll lose, litter, dispose improperly, etc., just out of “convenience”. So as usual the actions of some idiots ruin it for everyone.

My big issue is that I’m not getting a discount now that stores no longer need to supply bags, so every item should be a few cents cheaper.

 

[99Saturn]

Reusable bags don't bother me and I'm glad to the extent it may cause less plastic bags to be rolling around. Yeah, tons of responsible folks that don't litter, let plastic bags go, etc. but plenty that ruin it for everyone else too.

Like others - used them for trash for years (and still do). Now I've resorted to buying this:

Let us know you're not a robot - Sam's Club

www.samsclub.com

 

[simple_gifts]

Growing up in the 70s, I remember seeing lots of things morph into plastics. And hearing my parents and grandparents talk about how everything is made out of cheap plastic now.

What, you think going into the shower with a glass Prell bottle was a good idea? j/k

 

[bullwinkle]

Many stores in the people's republic of NY won't even sell you paper bags anymore. My local Walmart for example. You bring your own bags, buy their reusable ones or do without.

Hilarious-we can’t even get the local WM here to use the reusable ones, they can’t be bothered, the cashier/bagger will only use their plastic ones! Meijer, Kroger, & others have a bin by the door to recycle them, the ones that aren’t used as little trash can liners or to pick up the dog’s doo-doo.

 

[PimTac]

It’s getting better slowly but anyone who has traveled to Southeast Asia has experienced the plastic bag pollution in a big way. They call it cellophane over there and it’s used for lots of things. Buying fish at the markets requires cellophane to bring it home. On a hot day young kids head to a water dispensary where a cellophane bag of cold water can be bought for a small change. They nip the bag with their teeth and drink the water. These bags get tossed everywhere and when the monsoon rains come along with the floods it all gets washed out to sea. I’ve seen bays completely filled with garbage after the floods. The rivers have been used as garbage dumps for a long time.

It is getting better but habits are hard to break.

 

[nomas]

There's a grocery store near me that uses a better grade of plastic bag than anybody else I've found . You can feel the difference in the thickness , therefore you can load it a little heavier . We definitely save those bags for repurposing .

 

[supton]

What, you think going into the shower with a glass Prell bottle was a good idea? j/k

Actually, what did people do back then? Metal tub or tube (depending on what it was), or just run a bar of soap over their head?

 

[aquariuscsm]

What, you think going into the shower with a glass Prell bottle was a good idea? j/k

Haha glass bottle in the shower is bad, but Prell is BEYOND BAD!!!!

 

[barryh]

We have had no free plastic bags in the UK since 2015. They are by law 10 P each if you want one but almost everybody avoids single use plastic bags now and brings there own reusable ones, most of ours are cotton that last for many years. As a result of the charging scheme, the number of single use plastic bags has fallen by 97%. The real inconvenience at the supermarket these days is the move to self check outs. Now that's something to really worry about.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Looks like Breck came in glass bottles in the 50s

Three 1950's NOS Breck shampoos in glass bottles

Tho bottles are dated 1957 but the smallest one is marked with copyright 1939 and is only 1/4 full. The labels have minor wear and the bottles and caps are all in great shape. The talles bottle stands 6 1/2" tall.

auctions.toystrainsandotheroldstuff.com

 

[Aredeeem]

Ugh, it’s so great to be old. I could not care less one way or the other. Bags, boxes, reusable bags, paper bags. Just tell me what’s the latest and I’ll comply.

 

[PimTac]

Actually, what did people do back then? Metal tub or tube (depending on what it was), or just run a bar of soap over their head?

Most showers were part of the tub. My vague memory tells me that glass bottles stayed on the floor outside the tube until you needed them. Then we had a metal basket hanger later on for that stuff.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

People complained that forests were being wiped out to make paper bags, so plastic would help save the trees. Now look where we are: going back to paper bags.

 

[WylieCoyote]

I'll be happy to see them gone. They are filling our landfills to the brim and it's pretty much every day that I have to pick one up in my yard. People just seemingly toss them to the wind, and how many thousands of years does it take for them to decompose? Make the move back to paper, it may not be more convenient for us, but it's definitely better for the environment. They stand up in the trunk of my car.... Good enough reason for me.

 

[Kestas]

I personally don’t think recycling places are recycling plastics as much as they can. Am I wrong?

One part of the problem is that people don't clean their plastic before tossing it. At our community recycling bin I routinely see items like ketchup bottles and peanut butter jars with dregs of food still in them. These foods contaminate the waste stream. If there is too much of that in a dump load, it goes straight to the landfill. I think our area has something like only a 20% success rate for recycling. Recycling is only as successful as the lowest common denominator in the public.

If you're not sure if something is recyclable, toss it in the trash. Some people put soft pliable plastics like garden hoses in the recycle bin, which are not recyclable. Not all ceramics are "glass" recyclable either.

The other part of the problem is what happens to the recycled plastic? I don't believe there is much demand for it. Are we really creating that much plastic lumber from recycled plastic?

I personally try to use my reusable cloth bags. I still get enough plastic bags that I use for garbage duty.

 

[ammolab]

In my area the ONLY plastic wanted for recycling is clear plastic drinking water bottles. BIG signs on the bins!

I am not sure if they really are recycled..or the companies that sell water want to remove the guilt of those buying millions of those plastic bottles of water.