Plastic shopping bags

[senormechanico]

George Carlin had a different take.

YouTube - George Carlin on Global Warming

Don't flame me, I just thought his commentary was funny!

Steve B.

[MidLandOne]

In response to Midlandone you said -

Originally Posted by ssullivan

I'm sorry... this isn't a social problem at all...

The problem is:

When you throw a plastic bag away, it ends up in a land fill or dumpster or what have you.

The bag then flies out of the dumpster, garbage truck, or land fill when the winds pick up...

Well that doesn't happen in the country I live in yet plastic bags are the predominant carry bags for groceries here.

For example, I will be driving about 50 miles to the boat today and over that distance it would be most unusual to see even one plastic shopping bag lying on the ground, in a tree, etc. But I promise to keep my eyes peeled in case I have been missing them .

Garbage is not allowed to be carried in open trucks here, dumpsters for rubbish all have lids and land fills are covered over as the garbage is deposited.

Are you telling me that it is only plastic bags that blow/fall off your garbage trucks? If not, doesn't that raise health issues over the other things that may be coming off? If landfills are not immediately covered as the garbage is deposited doesn't that raise a vermin issue?

Do you get more plastic bags blowing around in high value neighbourhoods or in low value ones, or the same in both? If there is a difference why is there a difference?

Seems like a social problem to me, but there again I may be astray in that view.

[exfishnz]

Originally Posted by MidLandOne

Seems like a social problem to me

Is it a social problem to go shopping with this bag?

(click pic to enlarge)


Over our way, there's been a major push at the supermarkets for people to use canvas type carry bags (they cost about $2) & they seem to have really taken off. There's still plastic bags (& I don't mind it), but the quality of the bags is very poor (i.e. to thin & small etc).

[Morgan Paul]

Seems like a social problem to me,

I guess I must be a real social defiant. I put my empty aluminum beer cans into 2 or 3 plastic grocery bags and throw the whole s*&t - load into the regular trash can.

[exfishnz]

This reminds me. When I was a kid, my pop's use to burn a lot of our rubbish. Do that today & the greenies go ape s**t at you

[ksmith]

Saw that slide show a while back. At least it got me to thinking about the plastic bags. There was a time when you were ask paper or plastic.

I have a couple of canvas bags. Any ideas about what to line the trash can with?

[Morgan Paul]

Any ideas about what to line the trash can with?

You do not use bags at all.

You clean the dirty, smelly, bacteria ridden trash can with soap and bleach once a day and throw the water outside were it can find it's way into the drinking water and cause cancer.

[MidLandOne]

Hi ExFushnz - yes is same here, of course, all the supermarkets sell the "green" bags, in fact some sell "green" bags that are not green for those, like me, who wouldn't be seen dead with a "green" bag with "greenie" slogans on the side. Only 99c here though (from memory).

But a bit of a problem if one normally needs a pile of bags to fit ones groceries in - maybe in those circumstances we should drive to the supermarket and back every day or two, instead of weekly or two weekly, and save some plastic and oil .

On the thin plastic bag bit, if I have to carry the bags (like if we are away in the boat so no car), I just ask the supermarket to double bag them (one bag inside the other so double the thickness) which they happily do. That way we also keep up with a supply of bin liners on the boat.

[exfishnz]

Originally Posted by Morgan Paul

and throw the water outside were it can find it's way into the drinking water and cause cancer.

Originally Posted by MidLandOne

Only 99c here though (from memory).

hmmm... maybe ours are a buck here too, will have to check at market next time

That way we also keep up with a supply of bin liners on the boat.

We use to do the same as well, except they started out with those smaller plastic bags. I reckon there was a conspiracy b/w the plastic rubbish bag makers & the supermarket's

Btw: I live across from a whole street of markets etc, so only need to restock every couple of days

[David M]

The bags themselves are not the problem. The problem are irresponsible people who do not dispose of them properly. Too often we ban the item causing the problem instead of working out a solution to the problem. I guess its easier that way.

Personally I prefer plastic bags over paper or bringing your own bag. Talk about the potential for cross contamination...the public bringing their own bags to a place where other peoples food is handled. Imagine where some people might store these bags at home. It could be anywhere in the house including next to the cat box or next to their toilet. The idea of people bringing their potentially soiled bags into a grocery store is a gross thought.

[Ex-Calif]

Well, on the subject of green living. We have lived in two places on separate continents where we signed up and paid a premium for recycling. In each case they delivered multiple bins to our house for paper, aluminum and "other" waste.

In both places I watched the garbage collector dump all three bins, which I had dragged to the curb, in the same communal part of the truck.

I think recycling is important enough that I paid for it but unfortunately I didn't get what I paid for. These kinds of things make one cynical.

[exfishnz]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I watched the garbage collector dump all three bins, which I had dragged to the curb, in the same communal part of the truck.

Maybe you should tell MM Lee

Your post actually just reminded me of what a neighboring suburb is doing. They've issued each residence with new bins (the big ones with wheels) with RFID tags. When the truck picks up your bin, the weight is sent to a computer with a reading of the RFID tag. At a later date the data is analysed by the powers of "bureaucracy" & if there's an increased in weight then they send the Gestapo to find out why (incase you're not recycling correctly) Now here's the funny thing, once you put your bins out, then anyone on the street can put anything in 'em

[scotte]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

George Carlin had a different take.

Don't flame me, I just thought his commentary was funny!

Steve B.

+1 He's right on!

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I think recycling is important enough that I paid for it but unfortunately I didn't get what I paid for. These kinds of things make one cynical.

Penn & Teller did an episode about this on their 'BS' show. It was pretty interesting...

[exfishnz]

Originally Posted by scotte

+1 He's right on!

Thks for the vid link, it was quite funny & true

[bstreep]

Our recycling here goes into one big bin. The truck picks it up, and it goes to the recycling center. Then, a local company PAYS for the bulk recyclable items, and they then run it thru a huge, automated sorting system. Even sorts out glass by color.