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#459234 03/01/13 01:19 PM
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awesome!

Austin Texas is going BAG-less- as of Tomorrow! -The Austin City Council has approved a ban on disposable plastic & paper bags at checkout counters for retailers. Reusable bags that are allowed include those made of cloth, durable materials or thicker paper and some types of larger plastic bags with handles (deemed reusable). ADVICE: How to prepare. Gather all those bags you already have and put them in easily accessible locations- your car, your bike bag, your purse- so you'll never be without one. If you don't have any reusable bags, get some from your favorite store or farmers market...It's always nice to have a small foldable bag that you can keep in your purse or pocket, so you won't have to panic if and when you forget your bags (it's bound to happen.) You'll also want to make sure to wash your bags on a regular basis, avoiding food contaminants. Moving away from single-use bags is happening internationally. In some African countries. Italy, with France following suit by 2014. In other countries (Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, Taiwan and some cities in India) plastic bags are taxed. Here in the US, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Brownsville, Texas have implemented versions of bag bans or specific bag-related taxes. ARTICLE PHOTO-- GOAL? ZERO-WASTE!http://in.gredients.com/2013/01/31/the-end-of-paper-or-plastic-in-austin/
Austin Texas is going BAG-less- as of Tomorrow! -The Austin City Council has approved a ban on disposable plastic & paper bags at checkout counters for retailers. Reusable bags that are allowed include those made of cloth, durable materials or thicker paper and some types of larger plastic bags with handles (deemed reusable).


ADVICE: How to prepare. Gather all those bags you already have and put them in easily accessible locations- your car, your bike bag, your purse- so you'll never be without one. If you don't have any reusable bags, get some from your favorite store or farmers market...It's always nice to have a small foldable bag that you can keep in your purse or pocket, so you won't have to panic if and when you forget your bags (it's bound to happen.) You'll also want to make sure to wash your bags on a regular basis, avoiding food contaminants.

Moving away from single-use bags is happening internationally. In some African countries. Italy, with France following suit by 2014. In other countries (Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, Taiwan and some cities in India) plastic bags are taxed. Here in the US, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Brownsville, Texas have implemented versions of bag bans or specific bag-related taxes.

ARTICLE PHOTO-- GOAL? ZERO-WASTE!http://in.gredients.com/2013/01/31/the-end-of-paper-or-plastic-in-austin/

SP Daily #459242 03/01/13 04:10 PM
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Excellent! I hope this trend continues throughout the US and eventually the world. Anything is possible -- look how many places are smoke-free now compared with 10-20 years ago.

Thanks for the article,
Emily


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SP Daily #459244 03/01/13 05:32 PM
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Yes , we just had a visit to Taiwan.Went to the super-market.
Did not know we had to bring our own bags...
They charge 2-5 cents for a very small bag or you can get a cardboard box .Very good .everyone should implement this.

SP Daily #459378 03/03/13 10:05 PM
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Maui is bagless Supermarkets sell a keychain with a bag packed down to the size of your little fingertip.

Last edited by Dane; 03/03/13 10:05 PM.
SP Daily #459555 03/05/13 08:38 PM
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After Maui passed the bagless law they were given two years to impliment the law. The change over is not as simple as it may seem.


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Cooper #459557 03/05/13 09:28 PM
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There have been some problems in going without plastic bags in supermarkets which include disease, as the cloth bags are not always washed and also a large increase in the sale of other legal plastic bags to act in the manner that recycled store bags where used which include putting garbage in; wrapping foods bound for the freezer to prevent freezer burn and many other little jobs that bags do. I have rental units, for example and when painting them with a paint roller the roller is put in a plastic shopping bag if it will be used the next day or even a few days later. It is kept fresh and useable for the same paint color. This is just one of the many ways that bags are used and people would have to find replacements. On our beaches here after picking up trash for a few years I find many plastics but not too many plastic shopping bags.

No doubt that the movement to not use bags is well meaning and we could certainly use less plastic in the environment but a better solution would be through science and biodegradable bags. Some exist today but are cost prohibitive. I would rather have a move in this direction which would eventually lead to even more plastics made to these specifications which would leave the environment in much better shape over the long term.


Jim
Formerly from somewhere on a beach in Belize
ragman #459560 03/05/13 10:23 PM
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We used cloth bags in NC for years prior to moving here and never had a problem -- just had to remember to bring 'em with us to the store!

I agree that plastic bags can be reused and are quite handy for other uses. I use them all the time to pick up dog poop, for instance. But how many actually do get reused? Probably not as many as we'd like to think.


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BeBelize #459592 03/06/13 11:00 AM
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Yes, you are correct on these points and I understand fully. The problem is that plastic bags are so basic that outlawing them in certain locals is just not going to work. In addition just like you said it is a convenience matter because you always don't have a cloth bag with you.

The matter of the bags carrying disease is all by how often you launder the bag. E coli were reported in several samples in one study.

In conclusion I believe that a better solution would be a reasonably priced biodegradable bag. The outlawing of plastic bags is like a grain of sand on the beach compared to the problem of plastics. OK maybe half dozen grains. wink


Jim
Formerly from somewhere on a beach in Belize
ragman #459598 03/06/13 03:01 PM
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Originally Posted by ragman

In conclusion I believe that a better solution would be a reasonably priced biodegradable bag. The outlawing of plastic bags is like a grain of sand on the beach compared to the problem of plastics. OK maybe half dozen grains. wink


That would be an improvement, to be sure, but because most landfills are packed too tightly for biodegradation to occur, not a perfect solution either:

http://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/biodegradable.htm

We never got sick from our cloth bags, and we didn't wash them frequently. Maybe we were just lucky, but I tend to think that objection to them is a bit overblown.

Where we shopped, there were always plastic and paper bags available for those who forgot or chose not to bring cloth/other bags. Some places would give a tiny discount if you brought your own bag, which I liked. grin


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BeBelize #459611 03/06/13 07:53 PM
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That would be an improvement, to be sure, but because most landfills are packed too tightly for biodegradation to occur, not a perfect solution either:


The last 7 or so years of my working life was visiting generating sites all over the State I'm from and at least 3 or 4 of these were landfills. I'm no expert on landfills but they make a lot of methane gas which powers diesel generators around the clock at the landfills I visited. I thought it was fairly standard to have these facilities at landfills. If they are producing this gas something must be happening below the soil.

I've also been to a few very large waste to energy plants and they are the answer to full landfills and the problems that come with landfills. They meet current EPA standards and salvage all metal and such. As long as they are on a large piece of property with no homes nearby I don't see why there aren't more of them. In addition they make money and employee a lot of people at some pretty fair wages.


Jim
Formerly from somewhere on a beach in Belize
ragman #459617 03/06/13 10:38 PM
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Originally Posted by ragman
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That would be an improvement, to be sure, but because most landfills are packed too tightly for biodegradation to occur, not a perfect solution either:


The last 7 or so years of my working life was visiting generating sites all over the State I'm from and at least 3 or 4 of these were landfills. I'm no expert on landfills but they make a lot of methane gas which powers diesel generators around the clock at the landfills I visited. I thought it was fairly standard to have these facilities at landfills. If they are producing this gas something must be happening below the soil.

I've also been to a few very large waste to energy plants and they are the answer to full landfills and the problems that come with landfills. They meet current EPA standards and salvage all metal and such. As long as they are on a large piece of property with no homes nearby I don't see why there aren't more of them. In addition they make money and employee a lot of people at some pretty fair wages.


Those both sound like positive and productive solutions, Jim! Glad to hear of them as I was not aware of these types of facilities.


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SP Daily #459623 03/07/13 02:26 AM
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Researching the internet I found a lot of skeptics on the subject of compostable plastic bags leading me to believe that the subject bears a lot of political opinions, so I will stay far from that.

In our household we re-use the bags we get in stores for garbage bags and they are excellent, in size and shape, to separate garbage into daily small quantities (we carry out the trash daily into 3 categories). We don't have enough of them, so we have to buy extra plastic bags.

When at least the bags we get would be bio-degradable, it would make an environmental impact. Banning bags at stores will only lead to our household having to buy more plastic trash-bags.

That is my personal opinion.


Live and let live
SP Daily #460003 03/11/13 11:45 PM
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To all you folks coming up with problems to this plan, you may be the problem. It is working well in other countries. Even places like Turkey, and Indonesia. By the way I lived in Hawaii for 30 yrs, when I left the reef was ruined, no fish, no turtles. Which seems to be the situation here. After being gone from Maui for 20 yrs I went back 2 yrs ago. I was amazed. It puts the reef system and fish and conservation of Belize to shame. Healthy reefs, turtles lots of fish. I understand Maui has lots of $$$ to spend on this conservation that Belize does not. Its baby steps, and its not the tourist throwing thier plastic in the sea. My first stop was in Home Depot on Maui, bought a bunch of small stuff, hardware and after paying they went on to the next person. I gathered up my belongings in my arms and walked out. If your personal cloth bags are dirty thats your fault. Not the rest of our problems. Or should it be the problem of worldwide pollution.
Come on Short..your a smart guy...get a bucket and take your trash to the garbage bin. Then have it taken to the dump. Then repeat, then repeat. Have you been snorkeling or fishing lately?? Plastic bag sales have actually decreased in the 19 countries, countys that have banned plastic, these places have as well banned paper bags. This simple but huge statement of conservation in alot of small countys has spread on as a basic slap in the face to not liter, to conserve, To recycle, its amazing. You all just need to go someplace that is doing this to see how well it is working. You cant spout off about something you dont know about..


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Cooper #460011 03/12/13 08:13 AM
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I have listened to many arguments about problems in the world by people who pick up a grain of sand on the beach and think it is meaningful. Energy was one where someone wanted to collect old cooking oil from the restaurants to solve the energy problem. They had no concept of how large a problem they were talking about.

These are all well-meaning and will make you feel good but the problem is that it won't solve the problem of plastics. As a matter of fact it may do the opposite. It takes away from the pressure needed to really solve the problem. We need deposable plastic for many of the consumables and that is the only way to really solve the problem. All the rest is just a distraction.


Jim
Formerly from somewhere on a beach in Belize
SP Daily #460024 03/12/13 08:50 AM
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We try to do our part. We use paper bags and use paper wrap for our burgers. we use Corn based Clam Shells from EcoFriendly Belize, for some sandwiches. We use paper souffle cups for dipping sauce. There is also a guy that comes by and collects our used french fry oil.

I worked with solid waste for 15 years. Once anything is placed in a landfill it is entombed for ever. If a paper bag blows into the water it will be gone in a month or two.


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