Does Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban Work? | One Small Step | NowThis

[@Mussikkienkeli]

Target stores in my state actually give you a .5¢ credit for every reusable bag you use. Which is very encouraging to use the reusable bags

[@goldfishdoingcutethings5779]

Mussikkienkeli which state do you live in? That’s awesomeo

[@charm3d0n3]

It’s actually every state , you just have to make sure you bring your bag

[@zziggy808]

They stopped it in Ca when the plastic was baned

[@priscillajimenez27]

NY does that too

[@deanatruppa5452]

That's awesome. Whole foods as a .10 back to either off you bill or you can donate.

[@leiaorgana8710]

Why cant people bring their own bags? I do always have one in my handbag.

[@michellezevenaar]

Most people in Europe do. Its been normal for decades to bring your own bag to the groceries stores.

[@TheTechiemoses]

Cause in all the not cramped places. People have space, and storage. So we grocery shop one to two times a month. In bulk. Often when we are already out and can fit it in before we go home. If we forgot, or don't have enough reusable bags, or they got sorry and we haven't washed them all yet. Then we have to pay another tax that came from the out of touch city jerks. City jerks, cause we normally try to be kind and say hi. When we vacation to the big city, you folk swear at us for being kind.

[@TheTechiemoses]

In short, cause people who have different lives or live in different locations do things differently. Cause it makes sense for their situation to do things differently.

[@steveverdugo8106]

Those are even worse

[@leiaorgana8710]

@@steveverdugo8106 Why is it worse to use the same bag for years rather than using a new one every time?

[@korazy]

I started carrying my own cup, straws and reusable bags. It isn't a lot of work to keep them in your purse or your car.

[@dexter131]

What about those who don't carry a purse, or those who use public transportation to get around.. it's just so easy to carry reusable bags in my pockets every day - especially enough to bring two weeks worth of groceries home because we have to buy bulk to save. Just because something is so easy, and works in your life, doesn't mean it's right for everyone.

[@faub3282]

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[@Sarahlenea]

​@@dexter131 Some reusable bags can actually fit in a small pants pocket. But if you have to carry two weeks' worth of groceries on foot, it's easier to have a totebag/rucksack or even a shopping cart. I've spent a year in Finland and there the fee wasn't 5 cents but 30, and it was in euros. Believe me, it is very easy to find alternatives in this situation.

[@loveforgood7520]

Many of those items are usually spendy, so not everyone can afford them. Those that can't, choose food and other important items like for babies and toddlers because they need those over trying to help the environment like reusing bags and so on. Maybe if middle class and richer people can donate reusable items to those that NEED financial support from the government so they can use those items to help. Keep in mind not everyone tries to help improve our environment, because not everyone cares. IF those that do care kindly show why it's important to help improve our environment by reusing bags at least that could help encourage those that don't care to care at least a little bit. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

[@michaelmiguelicutti2829]

What if people forget their bags at home? It's a pain to have to go back home to get your bags or buy more reusable. A friend of mine now has a collection of close to a hundred of these things piled in his closet, it's actually hilarious.

[@fredflintstone2234]

Answer is yes. What do you think people did before the 1960s?

[@maria-ok9gh]

Well people did use paper bags for a time before plastic

[@RealMichaelJJordan]

Maria Limanen paper is bio-degradable which is better than plastic.

[@MeAMoose]

Michael Jordan With the downside of ripping much easier/less durability :/

[@RealMichaelJJordan]

Me A Moose then use a reusable cloth bag. It doesn’t matter if plastic is better for use because it’s downsides are being non-degradable and high pollutant.

[@maria-ok9gh]

@@RealMichaelJJordan that's true. but paper apparently causes a lot of energy to produce. So technically, both have equal environmental effects.

[@kurlykurlz614]

I just came back from Mexico City and I was told it’s against the law to sell or give plastic bags in markets or even malls. I was also told they might stop selling balloons 😳

[@marvinraphaelmonfort8289]

Yay!

[@kurlykurlz614]

marvin raphael monfort that’s what I said! I was so happy that I took my reusable bag and little did I know.. they even had signs all over the plaza, saying they no longer provide plastic bags.

[@nunaapop9201]

MsSunhappy I heard that

[@blackpowderkun]

Balloons are still a thing? I thought the world is running out of helium. I think there are bio-plastics available, not sure about the quality.

[@toomanymarys7355]

Unfortunately, there aren't standards for balloons to make sure they are really biodegradable.

[@asthmatictuna]

If you wanted to illustrate the complexity of the issue and recommend reusable bags, you could have illustrated how many times you'd have to use one to beat the outgoing plastic ones, rather than just compare paper to plastic.

[@keithcallen2844]

I've been using the same canvas bags for over 20 years. Despite the high environmental cost involved in cotton production, the negative impact my bags have had are insignificant compared to most others. Recently I have been upcycling my kids' old t-shirts into bags and giving them away. People appreciate them and they get used often. They're even fungible with those metal racks used for the plastic bags.

[@scallaghan2118]

@@keithcallen2844 Even paper bags can be reused multiple times. I use them as a liner in reusable bags. It keeps the reusable bag clean and when the paper bag gets pretty worn, I use it to put recycling in the blue bins. I just don't agree that paper bags are worse in any way than plastic.

[@arizonamonarch]

@@keithcallen2844 I recently saw a video on someone who is weaving plastic trash into reusable bags, but the amount of water it takes to clean them is a lot.

[@idwiw2314]

@Keith Callen your canvas bag will have to be used every day for over 50 yrs to break even on the carbon used to produce it. Unless it's made with metal parts, then it's way longer. Also, it's recommended that you wash your canvas bag after each use. So there is that. But good for you👍 good for the environment.

[@mixedfeelingsaboutturning1910]

@@idwiw2314 You see the desk way over there was the bunny lid bunny and creep calm oval shaped nintendo full of sugar and honey gets in your way!!!.. The board over there is not my favorite cd shaped rhino that you better not know about!!.. The ocokie was asking if you went up to the sky and saw a floating fan shaped night light the otherway, you raindeer head!!!.. The rwowel was not the best thingvto use full ofcthe jim jumping boo!!!.. True!! YEO!!! chair!!! question cameo mark!!!.. Spunning upside down cameras week are in my way!!!..

[@epbrown6381]

My country (new zealand) has banned plastic bags for almost a year now.. its not hard america ,adapt!!

[@iluvdissheet]

Yes kiwis! (Is that appropriate?) We Americans should but have you seen our president 🤪?

[@epbrown6381]

@@iluvdissheet lol perfect... xo

[@blkhemi3925]

Our lawmakers needed a 6 hours class from Mark Zuckerburg to learn how the internet works. We're still stuck in 1984

[@MrMaxbout]

And France is banning every single use plastic starting with bag a long time ago and recently cutlery and cups since 2020😁

[@someonesle9578]

And Kenya has banned them for almost four years now

[@TH-lu9du]

What's crazy is the amount of litter that goes down when instituting plastic bans. It implies that people randomly toss plastic bags on the ground after grocery shopping. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE.

[@vickyjansen3544]

Another thing to make a story about is having too many reusable bags. I've had to say no because I have a closet full of them. People give them for free a lot of the time. A lot of times they're not reusable.

[@marvinraphaelmonfort8289]

There's a webarebears episode on that =]

[@mariachristina97]

Yes, especially the thin printed ones given out at conferences! They don't look like they can hold anything even a little heavy. A bunch of tote bags even get tossed when donated because thrift stores have so many of them.

[@mixedfeelingsaboutturning1910]

@@marvinraphaelmonfort8289 What by a cart you aay?!?! That rail was not the favorite thing you acted like a summer salt and buy a new one immediately!!!.. There wad not eniugh question marks to go around full of the goat lies!!. Thht was a diagonal googly roar that the cra light went out on you!!!.. There was a wobbly jay are fan on you that was acting like a spinning saws that went up to the apple and bite it!!!.. Tou actsd like there was a bunch of smiley faces that grown frowned on you you!!.. There jim!!!.. You better know that tinkertoy and elmo don't have time forcthat

[@arizonamonarch]

So, those orange bags they were handing out to all who would take one....what are they made of? Are they biodegradable? What's their carbon footprint? What are they made of? It takes a lot of water to make paper bags. How much water did it take to make the orange bags?

[@mikegraham4255]

Reusable bags have to be used 150 times before they break even with plastic. (They use 150x the energy to make)

[@mixedfeelingsaboutturning1910]

See that papa bear shape on the ceiling??!! You better know that bar shaped saws are not the best gym to customers use full of the pillow telephone teletubbies of yes yes yes!!!.. The boing ball over there was the better thing that the fan went down under the iglue that was ignorant full of the oarties that smile on you!!!.. The tea kettle goes and you are full of the buddies that jump up and down!!!.. There was a better question mark in the way of that you button money wart head!!!. The door handle is better for motors anyway

[@itsme-rt7nz]

Reusable bags are much sturdier than single-use plastic bags. It takes about three single-use bags to hold what I can easily fit in a reusable bag. So if I shop twice a week, filling one reusable bag each time, I prevent the use of six single-use bags per week. In one year, I will have saved 312 single-use bags from being made and disposed of, while I am using the same reusable bag. I have reusable bags that I have been using for several years. So the 150x argument doesn't hold water (or groceries).

[@markraiden8280]

whats the cardon footprint to make reusable bags?

[@amandamccallum1657]

My bread in a single use plastic, the mayo, mustard, produce and meat too. The only plastic I reused was the plastic grocery bags lol

[@OwaisFazal]

I've been trying to go zero waste for a year now and it was frustrating to see how it is almost impossible to get rid of plastic waste...I had the same questions like you do...here are a few suggestions...buy bread from a local Baker, you can ask the baker to give the produce without any packaging ( bring ur own reusable beeswax cloth or smt) or ask for a compostable paper bag, second try making mayo at home it's pretty easy, buy mustard sauce in bulk or buy mustard that comes in glass bottles... about the meat part..stop buying meat from the super market, instead go to a local butcher and bring your own reusable container. It might sound a little impractical depends on where you live...in Pakistan we still pretty much rely on the local vendors rather than the supermarkets...

[@itsme-rt7nz]

I reuse my bread bags for pet clean-up. I use them for bulk produce at the store too. Take the empty bags with you shopping and put your potatoes and broccoli and oranges, etc. in them instead of taking new produce bags at the store. You can use them several times. As far as garbage bags, I haven't bought any for years. There are so many things you can use, like empty dog food bags or delivery bags. I often find perfectly good grocery bags littered in the brush while on a walk. I have a drawer full of them.

[@An_Imperial_Guard.]

Now we can use the "totally eco friendly" cotton bags instead.

[@loveforgood7520]

Cotton, is better than plastic.. Use it, when it gets dirty Wash it and then use it over and over and over and over again. Where do you think our "recycled clothing" goes to?? Do you really think those get recycled??

[@marvinraphaelmonfort8289]

Also, seems the bags they gave out were nylon-y but at least they can be reused

[@bobbys2643]

@@marvinraphaelmonfort8289 the first step is to ALWAYS eliminate single use products of any kind! A reusable plastic straw is better than 10 single use straws. Nylon is much cheaper sadly so that's probably why they went with that one.

[@leoniward382]

Yeah, cotton takes a lot of water to grow. I’d say it’s better than single use plastic though.

[@bobbys2643]

@@leoniward382 the best thing we can do is reuse whatever we already have. Whether it be plastic cotton paper etc. As many times as possible. And when you buy a new one you get it from somewhere where it is likely to be thrown away after a certain time like Goodwill.

[@gillianbc]

In our supermarkets (UK), they got rid of the plastic bags at the checkouts, but still had aisles full of garbage bags, freezer bags, sandwich bags and a lot of the vegetables, bread etc was still in plastic bags. They seem to have missed what the ban actually meant

[@DavidHalverson]

bread should be actually bought from bakery stores, un-sliced in paper sleeves or bring your own cloth bag, like in the early 20th century (1920s to 1960s). Some bakeries even roamed the neighbourhood streets in the morning selling fresh baked bread.

[@mixedfeelingsaboutturning1910]

@@DavidHalverson what ceiling is making that light?!?! There is not a ring that goes back and forth with the treasure chest beat music wonder shapes!!!.. That was not what you were acting like lou for!!!.. That was the and sign that you kept winning the same same same?!.. There questions and pins!!!.. You are facing the wrong night light when you act this way way way!!!.. Chair one more time or there will be spirals that heaven up the opposite lights!!!.. You know better than to be a laughing trapezoid this time!!!.. You are not mad but you are gat!!!.. The cat was not the best time to keep the wuala from going upto you

[@trixiebewitched]

In our state it's an 8¢ fee per paper bag used

[@Soupbat]

10¢ in Washington

[@trixiebewitched]

@@Soupbat as someone who actually lives in Washington it's 8¢ per paper bag.

[@thenoorer]

In morocco. It's banned a year ago. But the replacement is close to plastic that look like fabric. So for a change of substance the answer is no

[@duckyluver12]

We've had a bag fee since I was a kid here in Vancouver...and people still use millions of plastic bags. I'm not convinced that bag fees work. Bag bans yes, bag fees for paper, no.

[@jeffwei]

@@lisal8529 can you link that study?

[@mixedfeelingsaboutturning1910]

@@jeffwei ​ orangish red grease dipping out of beef raco that almost loks like blood especially on the napkin and then do a class about it in rotations when there's others about skeletons and bones too

[@cathykirwan2292]

I recently read using cloth bags is not a good choice. We would have to reuse each over a thousand times to justify the water and other resources required to produce one bag. All this information makes it so hard which to use! Is there a study which takes into account all bag choices?

[@unknownuser6809]

You don't have to buy garbage bags people. Use seperate bins and containers for for waste and wash them regularly. I haven't used a plastic bag for garbage in years. We did it centuries before plastic and we can do it again

[@jayrenolds1952]

This stuff goes back and forth. 80's lest use plastic and paper bags. 90s: lets only use plastic bags and save a tree. 00's bring your own reusable bag 10's lets use paper bags again. 20''s lets ban plastic bags.

[@historylvr8000]

I miss paper bags...were bigger and more groceries fit into them! As opposed to plastic bags where you end up with like 6 to 8 bags depending on how many groceries one has. I feel the choice should be ours and not forced upon us.

[@jordanrose2704]

History LVr Dont be lazy. Just bring a reusable bag

[@historylvr8000]

@@jordanrose2704 Has nothing to do with being lazy, but freedom of choice!

[@jordanrose2704]

History LVr the environment doesn’t have a choice on how we effect it. The least we can do is try and be aware and reduce.

[@historylvr8000]

@@jordanrose2704 I use both reusable and paper...paper can be recycled at least. Never have liked plastic bags at all. Luckily where I'm at paper is a choice for a small fee of 25 cents.

[@kobe0007]

$0.05 ain't even worth it. Make it painful! $0.25.

[@GadgetsGearCoffee]

our city also had a single use plastic bag ban, and then all the stores just had thicker plastic bags which I was very confused about - and charged 5c for it. I wonder what that 5c fee goes towards.. if it's just to line the pockets of the grocery stores that's upsetting. Some grocery stores changed to paper bags.

[@bettyjanegayman2133]

I think so, for me personally... YES---one small step.

[@Mark-rz6qh]

I know recycling is intensive too, but are the carbon emissions listed for a paper bag using virgin content or recycled content? :)

[@RokeJulianLockhart.s4eb2q]

Perhaps it's a total?

[@MyEconomics101]

Recycling will always be a 2nd thought as long as virgin materials (pillaging earth, CO2 emissions) will be cheaper than recycled materials. That is why we need not just a price on CO2 but also on virgin materials (minimum pricing on oil, aluminium, iron ore (steel), etc). And everyone arguing that you can't just introduce that, because you will harm your economy because the neighbouring country will not do it as well (eg China) and thus make your economy uncompetitive and lose jobs, then retroactively impose a virgin materials tax on imported goods (from countries without CO2 and virgin materials minimum pricing) in form of additional tariffs. That's also the way you can impose a financial transaction tax in Europe (aka Robin Hood Tax), which was vetoed by UK (London). Additionally on top of the efforts to track down, close down, block tax evasion/avoidance by the wealthy and Fortune 500 companies.

[@SCL111]

I use plastic bag for trash. One of my fav plastic bag for trash are thicker reusable plastic bag. I also buy thinner plastic bag for trash too.

[@AshGreen359]

We just have "reusable," plastic bags instead that are only used once

[@GRAVYRAQUEPz]

Petrol companies will not agree with this!

[@StoneCoolds]

Mexico did the same nation wide, now everyone needs to use cloth bags lol, im wondering if it is a world trend being tested

[@ruben7937]

Plastic bag ban does not work. It only increases polution drasticly. Now people need to buy seperate trashbin bags (instead of reusing the plastic bags as trashbags). In addition it is much more pollution from producing one paperbag. So you would need to reuse the paperbag many times before it is of any enviromemtal sense.

[@m.taylor]

And all the extra trees they cut down to produce paper bags.

[@Hypeman10]

They just assume that banning the plastic bags reduced oil use because it’s necessary for the creation, but they leave out how you can make hundreds of plastic bags with the resources required to make 1 reusable bag. Wtf.

[@spredluv1]

Every household should've been given a reusable bag on their doorstep by these conglomerate companies...like they do their flyers....instead of paying $3 at the register for the bag! If you really have a fuck....I just won't be buying $100 worth of food if none will bag it but me! What's the point of a cashier then? A robot can make sure I give cash or swipe a credit card? Good by job*

[@jdubs604]

I’m from Japan and even though we use way more plastics, our coastal waters and waterways are plastic free. It’s the culture.

[@ForgivenbyGod-t7p]

What about the carbon footprint of reusable bags? I saw another video on this and for it to be worth it to use one it would have to be used many more times than would be used.

[@bui3415]

Carbon footprint is propaganda pushed by the oil industry initiated by BP in a series of ad campaigns to shift the blame on you.

[@shinko6342]

I always reused plastic bags I got. You can use them multiple times easily. I still have the same one one inused on sleep overs as a kid. Why should it be a problem people bring their own bags? We only started using this plastic bag invention recently within human history.

[@maryx8849]

Here in NM it’s been banned for a couple of months now however stores such as Target is providing even thicker plastic bags marked “ reusable bags “.

[@carlsnell2026]

Use Hemp so many uses

[@blkhemi3925]

Just said the same thing... Like, this isnt a new concept. SMH... Just this little idea would make a world of difference... (Pun intended)

[@bobbys2643]

@@blkhemi3925 people nowadays think plastic has been around forever smh. Like guys we've only been using it a short while. It was literally JUST invented lmao

[@dexter131]

Most boxed goods have plastic bags in them, meat comes on styrofoam in a plastic wrap, all liquids come in plastic bottles or pouches, you place your fresh produce into a plastic bag, or it already comes bundled in one, yet the plastic bag at the end is the problem... If it's oh so easy to just bring your own bags, why arent you bringing your own glass bottles for milk and and water. What about bringing your own paper cartons to load up your yogurt or cheeses, or how about bringing your own basket to carry your fresh produce in? It's easy to virtue signal while continuing to add to the problem you're crying about..

[@parsabbaluca21]

this plastic packaging can't be reuse and expensive to recycle and they blame it to the free grocery plastic bag that we reuse and keep for future use. Its all about keeping the cost down of running a business.. She said that a person that uses grocery plastic bags for garbage is now buying garbage bags for the same purpose..

[@anotherrant6688]

What about biodegradable plastic bags? They are made from corn. Cloth bags tend to harbor germs from things like meats.

[@burtonblazekbb]

Ldinlove J Corn is a terrible crop they need hemp polymers

[@salty7056]

Ldinlove J biodegradables take a long time to break down. Meanwhile they'll still jam sorting equipment, strangle and trap wildlife and toddlers.

[@letgo8118]

I Wash my bags in hot bleach water then when the load is finished I hang them to dry

[@toomanymarys7355]

The kind of plastic matters, not what it is made from. And commercial PLA mostly doesn't really biodegrade. (It needs additives to make it UV biodegrade.)

[@paftaf]

Let’s bring the fee to $1.

[@carochan86]

But trash bags will go up 250% in use then..

[@MrMaxbout]

@@carochan86 am I really the only that only use one trash bag a month??? Why using so much trash bags???

[@MrMaxbout]

And I agree with you 1$ should do it

[@whenindoubtmutemyownmouth5180]

A simple solution to the problem that I've found shopping at Aldi is to just look around the store, if you see someone stocking shelves and they have an empty box just take it the employees won't care because it's one less box they have to break down.

[@sophiafelker1942]

The right direction is to educate people not to throw away plastic (bags) into the water.

[@allenshinn8472]

Single use plastic bag bans will kill jobs anywhere because the shopper will go shopping where cities that don't have bans on single use plastic shopping bags. The cities and towns that banned single use plastic shopping bags will see less bussiness at stores and will cause you to loose foods in rainy days where your frozen foods will fall out of wet paper bags causing a total loss of foods damaged in wet paper bags. Banning single use plastic bags and charging a fee on paper bags and reused plastic bags is not fair to people who can't afford to pay for that kind of stupid fee. I do shopping where there's plenty of single use plastic bags available at stores. What am I supposed to do if it's really rainy ☔ outside and my paper bags get wet and rip apart and my foods I bought fall out and get damaged ??? If a city or town wants to keep shoppers where there's stores to shop at then the city or town should be thoughtful and be smart enough not to ban single use plastic shopping bags. It sounds bad for the environment well single use plastic bags are still needed at stores and restaurants okay 👌 ???

[@LucianaMilano]

What bag to use for taking our trash out in the bin of the building we live?

[@ryanpagan1032]

Why am I being penalized for what other people do with their plastics bags?

[@Classof2020]

All a reduction like this does is limits the amount of single-use plastic bags given at checkout.

[@mixedfeelingsaboutturning1910]

Sometimes that’s the only.. solution…

[@redredred8408]

Monitor 😢😢😢😢

[@JamieCormier]

I reuse them for trash bags so they’re never single-use for me. I get them on purpose so I don’t have to spend money on trash bags. But if you aren’t reusing them, bring your own bags!

[@bthemedia]

@1:45 Carbon Footprint flaw!?! How do you measure this? Plastic’s carbon footprint is NON-RENEWABLE oil from the ground whereas trees are RENEWABLE and RECYCLED resources! Also energy required for production, transportation, could come from renewable resources as well... there is a weight/volume difference. What is the Carbon / $$ footprint to clean all of the plastic waste litter? Full cost lifecycle analysis and consequences.

[@armonia2491]

What do I use for my small trash cans now 😅

[@yaninaalvarez8048]

Chile already banned plastic bags. We had to get used to bring our own reusable bags and if we forget them at home we have a couple of options: buy another reusable bag, use your backpack (or whatever you have) or carry all your groceries by hand.

[@LittleRadicalThinker]

2:07 Dr Taylor doesn't think one plastic bag has a much bigger environmental destructive effect than 100 paper bags. Carbon footprint is a big deal but considering the plastic bag, forget them both, bring a shopping bag or no bag shopping.. ban all plastic bags, period.

[@LittleRadicalThinker]

Actually forget the nonsense Dr Taylor. Just ban all plastic bags.

[@adventurelife_]

Let's make the reusable bags out of good materials like hemp or cotton or old clothes

[@m.taylor]

I agree, if they are made from natural fabrics such as hemp, jute or burlap, they are compostable.

[@godisgood2345]

No, because now you pay 10c for one for the option. So what did it really helped? The consumer or the shop? Unless, we are talking about totally eliminating plastic bags, it’s not helping the environment but the businessmen.

[@vitaemins4527]

I live in NY suffolk county and we have had plastic bags banned since jan 1st 2018. I remember bc i used to work retail at the time and while it was rough dealing with customers complain over it for the first month or so, people adapted quickly and now its just second nature to people. Now with the new state wide ban, some people I’ve talked to barely even noticed bc they got so used to carrying their own bags everywhere even outside the grocery stores. And let me tell you, I’ve seen the difference even outside my own house and around campus. No more plastic bags stuck in trees or blocking storm drains!

[@jennashay8634]

Getting a really gorgeous fabric bag and always leaving it folded in my purse has been a dead ringer solution for me. I've gotten one from Marimekko and another from LA artist Jen Stark. It's fashion, it takes up about the space of a washcloth folded in my purse, and it is always there so I don't ever have to say, oh I forgot a bag.

[@sunnyrays2281]

Jenna Shay, great idea!

[@arizonamonarch]

Well, booyah for you but it shouldn't cost $20 or more for a reusable bag. Ones from the dollar stores may be pretty but, let's face it, they are cheap and don't last. Plus, I am tired of supporting Communist China and it's booming slave labor sweat shops. We need better options from American companies.

[@ruben7937]

Yes, only need to use that cotton/fabric over 1000 times before the enviromental math adds up;) People are too guilable. Plastic is much less enviromental pollution compared to fabric bags and paper bags. Only real benefit of non-plastic bags are that no animals will accidently eat the nonexisting plastic. But the environment will be fuller with pollutions from all the extra polution of producing cotton and paper bags.

[@toomanymarys7355]

Since you are a childless leech (and yes, all those who don't have children they support to adulthood are social leeches), that's nice for you. Other people have families and do real shopping.

[@toomanymarys7355]

@@ruben7937 If NYC cared, they would pay for the in-ground trash system like Amsterdam has and not have bags thar get ripped open by the homeless and rats the blow trash everywhere sitting on the street twice a week.

[@timsyweirdo3596]

In Mumbai it was a fan of Rs 5000/- to shopkeepers and vegetables sellers but it vanished soon. In shops all the grocery such as lentils, beans are all sold in plastic bags? If shopkeepers make it compulsory and refuse to give plastic bag that would help.

[@weltschmertzz]

If only we can make manufacturers responsible for their packaging.

[@OwaisFazal]

Yes yess yesssss...I couldn't agree more...I've been trying to go zero waste for about a year now and I've almost made it a practice to send an email to the companies that sell edibles in single use plastic.

[@heatherweber531]

in-light of the Covid-19 that we are still dealing with; Most grocery stores are not allowing reusable bags to be used, what has happened to the plastic bag band? and the paper bag fee?

[@mariannacampanardi3429]

Have you ever heard of biodegradable "plastic"? In Italy, two years ago a ban on single use plastic bags in grocery shopping became effective and, to replace them, stores use very thin bags made of a material extracted from corn. Also, there's a fee of 0.02€ on them. No need for paper bags! I'm surprised that NY's Council doesn't know about this

[@OwaisFazal]

Okay so hear me out..it is just a tactical game to make people less ashamed of their doings...the problem with biodegradable plastic is that it doesn't degrade within days or even months...it takes so many years to fully biodegrade which means it still harms the oceans.

[@Anonymous-sy7or]

There is a great example in wales they did this 9 years ago and saw a 70% reduction in plastic bag use now the majority use reusable bags and in some stores the only bags available are reusable.

[@oh_hey_its_gabe]

There’s a bag ban in my city, b it won’t be fully enacted until June. So the store I work out is still able to give out plastic bags for free, and we’re currently using up our supply of old bags before implementing our new bag system. Even though our bags are still free, most customers don’t realize that, and when I ask if they want a bag, they hesitate because they don’t want to spend 10¢ on a bag

[@voosum]

what happened to reduce reuse recycle

[@cindy846]

Where I live plastic bags have been banned for about a year, and the problem I personally see is that shoppers tend to hoard or re-buy reusable shopping bags, which are often made out of super non-degradable synthetic materials. AND as mentioned here, people still need to buy garbage bags. So, at the end of the line, it's just more and more plastic waste.

[@crazy808ish]

Yes, now you see in NY all the stores selling reusable bags. It becomes the latest necessary thing, and guess what? More people will stock up, and end up tossing a lot of them. It may not end up in the trees or rivers as easily, but the overall carbon footprint is much worst.

[@ChezWiz69]

In denmark you have to pay like 30 cents for a cardboard bag or a plastic bags but mostly its recycled or biodegradable but the price depends on the price

[@gcoyne8078]

Over 500 years for plastic to break down in landfill. 6 months for a paper bag to break down. Theres nothing wrong with paper bags

[@Peppermon22]

G Coyne right! I think the carbon foot print they are talking about is the prossessing the paper bag into exsitance. I feel like it’s end life is way better than plastic.

[@gcoyne8078]

@@Peppermon22 yes i agree with that. Its a starting point at least.

[@burtonblazekbb]

Try to get your groceries home in the rain on a bus mmkay?

[@gcoyne8078]

@@burtonblazekbb theres reusable cotton bags too for your groceries. Youre exactly the type of person who finds every reason not to change.

[@MuddinNYC]

@@gcoyne8078 Cotton bags hold less and are weaker. They also help spread germs and viruses. In fact NYC reversed the ban for this exact reason. Its a sad reality but reusable bags just don't work for some people. Especially people with large families

[@Classof2020]

New alternative: Hemp. Strong, durable, less needed to grow, and it absorbs CO2.

[@PositiveZ7]

It worked for my family, we use cloth reusable bags for shopping when we used to go through several toss away plastic bags each week. At home we just have smaller in-home garbage cans and wash them out each week rather than using toss away plastic bags. Due to the smell we keep them out in the garage.

[@burtonblazekbb]

FTL OP sending food to the landfill is worse than plastic

[@DistractedDaisy]

That is an excuse.. Stop all carry out bags, plastic and paper bag.. - and if people recycle they don't need to have as many bags.. people need to have their food scraps recycled by composting and apartment buildings and sky-rise buildings should be able to have it done easier.. the only use for plastic bags is the bathroom bags and they have thin wax paper bags for that also that can be used for that..People being responsible and carrying their own bags is not so difficult once it becomes a habit..

[@afergie76]

Everyone should just bring their own canvas or cloth bags. I haven’t walked out of a store with a plastic bag in over a decade. Only use reusable straws as well.

[@MrMaxbout]

Same !! I just use promotional tote bag I was given years ago

[@kennystiefel7343]

The problem that NYC has created is that they are now charging people do do what is neccessary in survival. A day where people are charged for grocery shopping with no option to carry their groceries home is coming, and today it is $.05 cents, but as we NYers have seen our government raises prices unconditionally, often with no progression in the goal the money is meant to achieve. Like bail reform before it, this is a stupid action by our government, that we will all hopefully see repealed soon.

[@Aniketbabar]

But paper bags do not breakdown to microplastics. Use cloth bags /jute bags for shopping

[@vickibrown8490]

I’ve been using my own bags for 20 years. I also carry a bag, metal straw, knife & fork & travel cup in my handbag.

[@allenmoses110]

All lightweight plastic bags are made from natural gas, not oil. Get your facts straight.

[@redredred8408]

Sey oil

[@redredred8408]

X

[@BonetheStreetwearCreator]

This says a lot about people’s mindset.

[@Zyks10]

Carbon footprint can be reduced with use of renewable sources of energy. Issue with plastic is littering and clogging of oceans

[@binagarten4667]

Plastic bag itax is just a tnother way of earing revenue for the got. Most people use to do thier shopping and then use them as bin liners!. Now I buy plastic bags at 10p a bag and then have to buy bin liners so it has not resolved any green issues just the govt get 10- a bag! Then they are the ones who have 4.2 Liter Jags and fly all over the world!

[@jennyhemfjell8876]

and why not take jused clothes and sow cloth bags. they can be jused more than 3 times

[@jimmygmc9154]

plastic cars and plastic car parts should also be banned

[@weltschmertzz]

A little self sufficiency goes a long way.

[@jenniferh.7219]

I don't get it. Why dont they use a plastic bag that lasts at least on average 5 x times mor than the average plastic bag? Also, would bags be hygienic to reuse (going from someone's personal space to a business for ex a restaurant)? Also how do you take home take out? Take out with sauce permeates thru paper bags & paper bags rip. So is an alternative the reusable recycled bags? Is there anything keeping a person from reusing their own plastic bags bc that seems the most practical option - take what they give you & shove it in your own bag

[@michaeldeadwyler4034]

We just need a better waste system. I'm not lazy, I throw everything where it needs to go. How it ends up in Thea ocean? Sounds like a government problem.

[@JnK69]

Several questions: 1. What about textile bags? I can only assume that they have an insane carbon footprint, but they remove the debate of "single use" bags as well. 2. What about all the bags that have already been manufactured after the ban? Do these get sold outside of state to a highest bidder? In that case, who would want to buy single use plastic bags considering the bans that are appearing all over the world 3. Is a 7 cent tax really efficient to make any major changes? I know currently the bags have been free so it's still more than nothing, but in contrast, Sweden for example has decided to raise the cost of single use plastic bags from like 20-30 cents to 1-2 dollars (!) per bag. The price for paper bags will remain the same. And trust me, you'd have to be legit insane to buy single use bags for a dollar or two. 4. Couldn't one efficient way of tackling all these plastic bags be to introduce a recycling fee for turning them in somewhere? I have like 30 of these under my sink and if there was an incentive to drop them off somewhere and get a few cents/dimes per bag so they could be recycled in specific bag-recycling machines, I for sure would do it. Like what else am I supposed to do, throw them out? Use them and THEN throw them out? I have more questions but this is just off the top of my head. Does anyone have any answers?

[@vinjulieann1]

I have been picking up trash along a 3 mile trail which goes around a golf course/park for the last 6 years. I used to pick up a lot of the thin bags that float in the wind like little parachutes. I rarely find the thick bags. I personally like the thicker bags for putting the cat litter in. I'm ready for new innovations.

[@stephylynnpatch]

What about hemp bags?

[@DavidHalverson]

Ontario is eliminating plastic containers for all butcher meats; vegetable wrappers and baggies for produce departments starting September 1, 2023

[@lydiacartagena643]

Why can't they bring paper bags back

[@OwaisFazal]

Using paper bags isn't a sustainable solution in the long run...It does requires a lot of resources...although it is a better option to replace single use plastic with but not the best option...so in the end reusable bags are the way to go..

[@andyt2k]

In the UK we haven't banned them, we just charge 5p for them and since then, millions of fewer bags have been disposed of, people just reuse their plastic bags

[@MuddinNYC]

Every reusable bag I've bought lasted only 1-2 uses. Yes even name brand ones. In fact many store outside of Manhattan has gone back to using plastic bags simply because it's not worth it. Reusable bags seem to be able to hold 1/4 the weight of plastic bags. :(

[@salty7056]

Mo Uddin you need to look around more. Cloth and canvas bags last many years as do string bags. All can be washed in washing machines. Easy to make and repair. String and thin cloth easy to fit in pockets. Think outside the box.

[@MuddinNYC]

@@salty7056 I have cloth bags. Unfortunately I also have a large family so I need to buy in bulk which I can't do since they are simply weaker. I ended up just making multiple trips on the bus and wasting gas as a result. Kind of undoes the benefits to the environment not to mention the extra fare on the buses I need to pay now.

[@Seven_Skizzle]

It’s not that hard to bring a bag from home!

[@Pugkin5405]

It kinda is if you don't have a good one

[@mixedfeelingsaboutturning1910]

@@Pugkin5405IIIIIS LOVING

[@redredred8408]

@@Pugkin5405monitor 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@jaggsta]

Why are they worried about plastic bags to carry most food products are inside cardboard box with plastic bag inside.

[@ktaragorn]

Even single use Paper bags should be recycleable pretty easily right? I dont see why the landfill problem was not considered in this light.

[@desarij]

You can reuse the paper bags I do that when I go to Trader Joe’s

[@nhekzero7147]

This should be universal law.

[@NeuralWreck]

people fixate on how many times you have to reuse tote bags as if you cant easily get high quality ones secondhand 💀 grocery stores could easily sell secondhand/recycled bags instead of manufacturing new ones.

[@itsrieriesworld]

Where I live they somewhat banned plastic bags but instead charge us 0.25 cents or 28 cents depending on where you shop for plastic bags if we don’t want to carry our stuff in our hands 😅

[@missdee212]

I live in chicago, I just go outside of the city. Which is cheaper anyway. It may work in newyork cuz people walk a lot more, but not in Chicago and especially not for groceries.

[@Manbarrican]

Just take a backpack everywhere and use it instead of getting bags.

[@katiehemstreet8939]

Reuseable bags all the way! I got my set off Amazon over 6 years ago and they're still going strong! I never have to double bag, or worry about the bag ripping like plastic bags. I bought them because I lived in Austin, TX, a city with a bag ban, but now I live outside of the city and I greatly prefer my reusable bags. They're not just saving the environment, they're better!

[@Pugkin5405]

If you actually have good ones near you. If not, say hello to a bag fine for paper bags that fall apart.

[@mdaneke4317]

Are you happy carrying your reusable bags while your drinking out of your plastic water bottle?

[@katiehemstreet8939]

@@mdaneke4317 Trolls Trolls, everywhere.🙄 Yes, you have me completely figured out from this one comment. I use plastic water bottles everyday, buy starbucks and new clothes constantly, throw away epic tons of food waste, and eat a completely carnivore diet. But my bags are reusable, so I'm green AF! 🌍🤙

[@guildrich]

@@katiehemstreet8939 I bet you also think that using a giant, smoke-belching power plant to charge your "green" EV is somehow better for the environment, than a relatively low emissions gas-powered car. But hey, as long as it *_feels_* good, right?

[@mixedfeelingsaboutturning1910]

@@Pugkin5405 There was a pinning night lightvfull of the leap leap froggy drawings!!.. Then the closet light saw a bunch of wonders full of puzzle pieces together abd left!!!.. You see that the battoom light saw an ess are ess sara shaoe kn you and the window got dimmed on oyu.. That was bot the best lid light that went back and forth on you after the emoshe fan was spinning slowly and hooted with litty packs

[@Meinvt]

I don’t think the alternative to plastic bags should be paper bags, and be presented as paper bags, it is still the disposable mentality. When the “experts” talk about the costs that shouldn’t be their go to alternative scenario. At least they don’t get stuck in trees and hang there for years. Good for NYC for realizing this.

[@dirtycas]

I need the small bags for my trash cans in the house

[@secretscarlet8249]

While I admire this, there are some foodstuff that I still want to be covered in plastic. Like a takeout of soup, etc.

[@fixieroy]

Secret Scarlet they just said take out is allowed to be covered in plastic...

[@secretscarlet8249]

@@fixieroy ah. Just covering my bases, since a lot of restos I know still insist on using paper cups with soups.

[@OwaisFazal]

@@secretscarlet8249 sadly paper cups are also lined with a thin layer of plastic on the inside which helps keep the liquid in container...consequently it ends up in the ocean or landfills...

[@iluvdissheet]

Reusable all day!!! ♻️

[@redredred8408]

E we hat a beautiful caring for earth sign