Paper bags, plastic bags or even NO bags at the store?

chic

chic

SF VIP
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U.S.
One place where I shop has begun giving paper bags instead of plastic bags to customers. You can't "buy" a plastic bag either. This isn't a biggie for me because I use reusable bags for groceries and have for years but I did like to get plastic bags occasionally. They were small and easy to carry. I used them to line wastebaskets, store clothes away for the next season and dump small amounts of trash.

The paper bags they are giving now are not even the type with handles so you can carry two bags at once. They're the old fashioned handleless paper bags circa 1950s you have to carry in both arms cuz if you try to carry one by the edge the bag will rip and everything will spill out.

It doesn't even make sense from an environmental standpoint. They switched from paper to plastic decades ago because too many trees were being cut down to accommodate paper bag use. So where is the logic in switching back 60+ years later? One chain drug store in my hometown gives NO bags at all. They have no signs on their doors saying you have to bring your own bag because they will not give you one for your purchases. It's ridiculous.

Worse is the fact no one ever mentions all the filthy discarded masks strewn everywhere. they're all over the sidewalks, in parking lots and gutters, and even floating in the rivers where they are sure to make it to the oceans yet no one is having a fit over it. No one even talks about it. I just do not understand any of this. It makes no sense at all anymore.

How is your community about the paper vs plastic issue? Or is it just here, lucky me?
 

We've had a law about two years now of no plastic bags--they are made with petroleum--bring your own. No paper bags given either, they cost 5 cents apiece and have no handles. This law was suspended during the pandemic but has been back for quite awhile now. I love plastic bags, used them for trash, etc. I must admit, the streets are much cleaner without them. No plastic bags stuck on tree limbs or floating around the streets.
 

We have had a law for several years now about plastic bags and the reduction in their useage. They charge anything from around 10 p in Aldi to over £1 for one bag in some stores... so the use of plastic bags had gone down by 90 % ... we can still have them but they're biodegradable.. but also some shops are using recycled paper WITH handles.. clothing stores, as well as supermarkets...

I have 3 of my own bags that I take to the supermarket they're 3 strong bags which fit in the cart... and have handles,
Clip-To-Cart-Supermarket-Trolley-Grocery-Shopping-Bags.jpg


but occasionally I forget , and have to pay for a carrier bag... that irrtates the heck outta me for being so absent-minded and having to pay for a bag
 
I used store bought grocery bags. But when Covid came bouncing down the road, they wouldn't allow the bags in the store-germs. So they used plastic bags. Plastic bags are great for holding a potato chip bag, but not much more. You have to double bag. I just couldn't believe the pile of plastic bags each time I shopped. Thankfully we can bring our own bags again.
 
Plastic bags are still the "norm" in all of our local stores. We find them handy for things like lining the small trash cans. We keep a small box full in the basement, and if that box gets full, we take a bunch of them to the local Walmart, which has a "recycle" box at the entrance.

Of more concern, IMO, is the endless array of empty plastic water bottles that seem to line the roadways everywhere we go....from people tossing them out of their car windows when emptied. If I were King, I would require a 10 or 25 cent "deposit" on these bottles...maybe that would offer some incentive to recycle that kind of trash.
 
Wife and I ordered a chicken dinner last night from Swiss Chalet. Every container in the bag was made of cardboard, except the lid on the sauce container. The delivery bag was also paper with handles. The sporcks were made of bamboo wood which is biodegradable. NO straws are provided , either. After we ate the tasty chicken meal, we spent a couple of minutes breaking down the cardboard into flat pieces, which we put into our street side compostable wheelie bin. Today I took 4 dozen flattened beer cans back to the The Beer store for the cash refund of ten cents each. $3.60 in my change jar The Beer Store also accepts cardboard beer cases and plastic beer rings for recycling. We keep a number of reusable canvas grocery bags in the trunk of our car for shopping trips. One of them is an insulated bag for frozen foods. They are machine washable. JimB.
 
In New York, the stores are subject to a $500.00 fine for giving out single-use plastic grocery bags. You can still buy paper grocery sacks for five cents and reusable sacks for a dollar or two.

Beyond that, it gets a little bit confusing.

All businesses that are required to collect New York State sales tax are subject to the plastic carryout bag ban.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Clothing stores
  • Convenience stores
  • Drug stores
  • Green carts
  • Grocery stores
  • Hardware stores
  • Liquor stores
  • Office supply stores
  • Pharmacies
The plastic carryout bag ban does not apply to businesses or other establishments that are not required to collect NYS sales tax.

The following types of bags are exempt from both the plastic bag ban and the paper carryout bag fee.

"Exempt bag" means a bag that is:

  • Used only to contain or wrap uncooked meat, fish, seafood, poultry, other unwrapped or non-prepackaged food, flower, plant, or other item for the purpose of separating it from other items to avoid contamination, prevent damage from moisture, or for sanitary, public health, or environmental protection purposes
  • Used only to package items from bulk containers, including:
    • fruits
    • vegetables
    • grains
    • candy
    • small hardware items (such as nuts, bolts, and screws)
    • live insects
    • fish, crustaceans, mollusks, or other aquatic items requiring a waterproof bag
  • Used only to contain food sliced or prepared to order
  • Used only to contain a newspaper for delivery to a subscriber
  • Sold in bulk quantities to a consumer at the point of sale that were specifically prepackaged in a manner to allow for bulk sale (for example, quantities of bags prepackaged in individual pre-sealed boxes) or prepackaged in individual boxes or containers for sale to a customer
  • Sold as a trash bag
  • Sold as a food storage bag, such as those in snack, sandwich, quart, and gallon sizes
  • Used as a garment bag, such as over-the-hanger bags or those used by a dry cleaner or laundry service
  • Made of plastic provided by a restaurant, tavern or similar food service establishment, as defined in the New York state sanitary code, to carry out or deliver prepared food
  • Provided by a pharmacy to carry prescription drugs

I have four reusable bags and I save all of the other bags that come into my life.

I'm still able to find enough bags for my trash without spending money on trash bags.

The bag ban was more of an attitude adjustment for me than an actual problem.
 
When shopping I always take my own proper bags. Plastic bags are still available though and ,often the shop keeper puts any excess items in a bag without asking....habit I suppose.
On the question of bin liners....we used to use newspaper to line the kitchen bins...plastic bags are much more hygienic and it's possible to get bio-degradable ones.
When discussing the whole business of plastic and the pollution...no-one ever mentions nappies (diapers). There must be mountains of the things! Why are mothers not being encouraged to return to cloth nappies?
 
my state had a law that was suppose to go into effect but was put off by Covid.... the new bags they use now are a thicker plastic that is not as easy to re-use do not fold over a bathroom bin etc..... Cost is 8-10 cents a bag so i use my own ...

during covid.... I asked clerks just put groceries back in cart and i packed in parking lot into my own bags.
The reality is we need better advancements in plastic recycling...... the amount of litter in my area....... increased probably by double due to covid ..... masks gloves etc.....
Ironic thing is since trash rates increased...... bins in parking lots or parks etc disappeared and yet some seem surprised litter increased

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/whopping-91-percent-plastic-isnt-recycled/

A Whopping 91 Percent of Plastic Isn’t Recycled​

Billions of tons of plastic have been made of the past decades, and much of it is becoming trash and litter, finds the first analysist of the issue.
 
IDK. It still doesn't seem good for the environment if they scrapped paper bags for plastic decades ago because of all the tree loss for the paper bags. We're just going backwards and it makes no sense. I have reusables (shopping bag size with handles) but need small plastic bags for wastebasket liners and/or storage and nobody even sells those. Also the drugstore that offers NO bags at all for your purchase and does not warn you of this is ridiculous! People walk out of the store with what they bought in hand if it's small enough.

I seriously miss plastic bags because they were great in the rain! You can't say that about paper bags.
 
I agree, @chic, it seems like we’ve done a 180 on paper vs plastic since the 70’s. I guess part of it is b/c trees are a renewable resource and we’ve run up against the problem of plastic piling up and not degrading

for myself, I have a large, sturdy basket that I take if I only need groceries for 2-3 days (essentials/ not too heavy); I put items in the basket as I shop, then I set the basket in the bagging area and tell the clerk, “just put the stuff in the basket, don’t worry about bags “. If I’m buying heavy stuff like milk, etc, then I let them bag it. Every bag gets reused.
 
chic said:
IDK. It still doesn't seem good for the environment if they scrapped paper bags for plastic decades ago because of all the tree loss for the paper bags. We're just going backwards and it makes no sense. I have reusables (shopping bag size with handles) but need small plastic bags for wastebasket liners and/or storage and nobody even sells those. Also the drugstore that offers NO bags at all for your purchase and does not warn you of this is ridiculous! People walk out of the store with what they bought in hand if it's small enough.

I seriously miss plastic bags because they were great in the rain! You can't say that about paper bags.
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I use similar to these for my small waste paper bins throughout the house. They're biodegradable ( I know this is Amazon uk, but I'm sure you'll find some in the US)>..I don't buy mine from Amazon, because I can get them from the discount store much more cheaply.. and in colours which match my rooms
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Liners-Biodegradable-Garbage-Kitchen-Bedroom/dp/B08FY7NRXQ/ref=sr_1_13?crid=13GOLSWYVLCG7&keywords=bio-degradable+waste+paper+bin+liners&qid=1648341919&refinements=p_72:419153031&rnid=419152031&sprefix=bio-degradable+waste+paper+bin+liners,aps,63&sr=8-13&th=1


The other week I did a big shop at one of our Big Box discount store at the retail park. I had half a cart full of stuff, and the cashier waited until she'd rung everything through the till, before she told me they had no bags at all.

I asked, how am I going to carry 1/2 a trolley full of bulky stuff to my car..she just shrugged. I was irritated because she could easily have informed everyone in the Queue that there was no bags available, before ringing everything up , and give people a chance to go elsewhere .. instead leaving people to struggle to get their things to the car...
 
CinnamonSugar said:
I agree, @chic, it seems like we’ve done a 180 on paper vs plastic since the 70’s. I guess part of it is b/c trees are a renewable resource and we’ve run up against the problem of plastic piling up and not degrading

for myself, I have a large, sturdy basket that I take if I only need groceries for 2-3 days (essentials/ not too heavy); I put items in the basket as I shop, then I set the basket in the bagging area and tell the clerk, “just put the stuff in the basket, don’t worry about bags “. If I’m buying heavy stuff like milk, etc, then I let them bag it. Every bag gets reused.
Click to expand...
we have to bag all our own stuff.... and the cashiers go at speed so if you're not fast enough getting your shopping packed, then there's a queue of people behind sighing and huffing and puffing..,
 
hollydolly said:
I use similar to these for my small waste paper bins throughout the house. They're biodegradable ( I know this is Amazon uk, but I'm sure you'll find some in the US)>..I don't buy mine from Amazon, because I can get them from the discount store much more cheaply.. and in colours which match my rooms
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Liners-Biodegradable-Garbage-Kitchen-Bedroom/dp/B08FY7NRXQ/ref=sr_1_13?crid=13GOLSWYVLCG7&keywords=bio-degradable+waste+paper+bin+liners&qid=1648341919&refinements=p_72:419153031&rnid=419152031&sprefix=bio-degradable+waste+paper+bin+liners,aps,63&sr=8-13&th=1


The other week I did a big shop at one of our Big Box discount store at the retail park. I had half a cart full of stuff, and the cashier waited until she'd rung everything through the till, before she told me they had no bags at all.

I asked, how am I going to carry 1/2 a trolley full of bulky stuff to my car..she just shrugged. I was irritated because she could easily have informed everyone in the Queue that there was no bags available, before ringing everything up , and give people a chance to go elsewhere .. instead leaving people to struggle to get their things to the car...
Click to expand...
I would have told her to please cancel my order if they have no bags, I'll shop elsewhere. I've thought of doing this at the drugstore in my town where they have no bags and don't warn anyone ahead of time. I'll buy $100. bucks worth of stuff and if they don't give me a bag I'd sweetly tell them forget it, I'll shop elsewhere.

All this is happening because we allow it without complaint. People have been through so much lately. We really don't need more rules to make simple tasks more difficult at this juncture and cost more to fix as well. The people who impose these stupid rules on us NEVER go through the inconveniences we have to deal with all these unnecessary changes.

Chic is beyond the breaking point today!

head palm morn.jpg
 
The Walmart and Kroger grocery stores that I go to still use the little plastic bags (and also a bigger stiffer plastic bag that I don't know why they started using) and I like using them for trash liners, but I would be happy if they switched to whatever is truly better. I don't want to be responsible for having bags with me, pre-Covid I was trying to remember to take reusable bags, but frequently forgot and left them in the car.

I'm too uneducated about biodegradeable plastic, bioplastic, bio-resin, etc., I just hope that we don't take on extra expense and inconvenience for a new variety that turns out to be as bad or worse.

I'm not sure why plastic bags are the focus but not the thicker firmer plastic bottles (like coffee containers, vitamin bottles, shampoo bottles, hand soap containers etc). One of the brands of frozen dinners sells some flavors in a fiber bowl instead of a plastic bowl, that is kind of interesting.
 
Pre-pandemic we’d just about totally migrated to no plastic bags. It took a little bit of a learning curve to remember to carry them, still not too long. Everyone seemed to have accepted it. This will be returning in a couple of weeks and I’m happy about it. Some stores have already been selling reusable bags for $1. All the grocery stores have been selling plastic bags for 5 or 10 cents. Many folks just walk out with their few goods. If I don’t have much, I just carry it to the car or put it in my backpack.

The people who toss their masks on the ground are pigs. The same for those tossing cigarette butts.

Lavinia said:
When discussing the whole business of plastic and the pollution...no-one ever mentions nappies (diapers). There must be mountains of the things! Why are mothers not being encouraged to return to cloth nappies?
Click to expand...
Good point.
 
Small plastic bags are still the norm in most of the stores in my area. A recycling bin is available for them outside the store should you be so inclined to return them on a subsequent visit.

One store I occasionally go into asks you at the checkout if you want to go “bag free” and “do your part for the environment.” I roll my eyes internally, but not wishing to be thought an environmental rapist go without the bag, awkwardly holding my purchase and waving my receipt as I leave so as not to be thought a shoplifter… 😳
 
I put everything in the cart and don't use disposable bags.
Then I load the car from the cart, and unload the car when I'm home.
Sometimes I take a couple of boxes and put those in the carts, which makes things easier.
At some stores I hand them 1 of each item from the cart, say how many there are and do that for each item.
That makes it easier for them and easier for me too.
 
Fyrefox said:
A recycling bin is available for them outside the store should you be so inclined to return them on a subsequent visit.
Click to expand...
I worked for a very large retailer had these bins ... truth of the matter was no recycle place was near so we had to store in pallet size boxes ...
Took too much space ......
so manager just threw all those bags That we TOLD customers we would recycle ........in store garbage.
What you don't know .....
Made me mad when customers thought we were so environmentally responsible.
 
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