Plastic bags.

[atikovi]

You keep garbage in your kitchen for 2 to 3 days? A fruit fly can lay hundreds of eggs and 30 hours later the maggots hatch. If you wait just a few more days you'll get a fresh batch of active fruit flies.

I don't have flies in the kitchen so not a problem, especially since there is a lid on the garbage can. How often do most people empty their kitchen trash cans?

 

[PandaBear]

Around my area we just banned giving them out for free. You can still buy them for like 10-15c each if you insist. I see this as useful as I don't take too many and if I need a bag or two I can buy them and use them for trash later.

Not too many people are discipline enough to take just a few unless they are charged. I think this is a good compromise.

 

[Pew]

The city of Chicago has taxed plastic grocery bags for some years now and the amount of bags flying around was considerably reduced.

Some steps to create a better society are done in little steps.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Walmart, got rig of plastic bags up here. All gone. You see people who forgot to bring their shopping bags carrying goods in their hands.

 

[Kira]

burnt so my plastic never see's a land fill

We'll filter out the soot with our lungs...so it's OK.

 

[SHOZ]

Best way to dispose of plastic is to landfill it. Ties up the carbon and keeps it out of the environment. Plastic breaking down is just breaking down into littler pieces.

 

[JHZR2]

The city of Chicago has taxed plastic grocery bags for some years now and the amount of bags flying around was considerably reduced.

Some steps to create a better society are done in little steps.

The problem is that some people will poop in their drinking water if it’s convenient. And even those who love to put their sayings and slogans on signs in front of their house still will do the convenient thing versus the sustainable thing when it’s easier for them.

My issues with bans is that now I just have to buy more plastic. We used to use plastic bags for trash. Now I have to go and buy them instead. So my net plastic use has not changed. I don’t mind reusable bags. Heck, even going back to the mid 90s, we used to reuse regular plastic shopping bags because ShopRite (NJ grocery store chain) would give a 2c/bag credit for reuse.

 

[edyvw]

Bwst thing that happened to Colorado, a ban on plastic bags (some parts you have to pay $0.10). Everyone survived, and one cannot see them flying around.

 

[Pew]

The problem is that some people will poop in their drinking water if it’s convenient. And even those who love to put their sayings and slogans on signs in front of their house still will do the convenient thing versus the sustainable thing when it’s easier for them.

My issues with bans is that now I just have to buy more plastic. We used to use plastic bags for trash. Now I have to go and buy them instead. So my net plastic use has not changed. I don’t mind reusable bags. Heck, even going back to the mid 90s, we used to reuse regular plastic shopping bags because ShopRite (NJ grocery store chain) would give a 2c/bag credit for reuse.

I use plastic bags for garbage as well. Luckily Chicago hasn't completely banned it yet and area hasn't taxed/banned it yet either. I live alone in a small townhouse so it wouldn't be too bad for me to throw everything out in the kitchen garbage but I'm not sure what I would do in that situation with a family or larger house.

 

[4WD]

Unfortunately if companies used Bamboo or other easy to recycle plastic for the bags it wouldn't be as big a deal. Plastic grocery bags I've read depending on the plastic makeup can take 20 plus years to break down. Some estimates are 500 plus years (not sure how scientists can come to that conclusion.)

Mobil got sued when they made bags that broke down …
I had some aluminum cans in them and picked them up - they fell to pieces - tiny pieces … Just a few months in an old dog kennel …

 

[SHOZ]

Menards has good bags. I have a ton of them. Some places will make clothing and other items out of them if you want to donate.

 

[Geeorge]

We'll filter out the soot with our lungs...so it's OK.

There is no soot . They harness the heat to make steam for our down town buildings that are heated by steam. The stuff that comes out the exhaust is clear

 

[fdcg27]

We use these bags for trash as well, but we typically have way more than we need for that purpose.
Charging for these bags is an obvious solution that would encourage both reduced uptake and reuse.
Aldis doesn't give bags away and it doesn't seem to hurt their trade at all.
That they have the fastest cashiers in all of American retail is another advantage of shopping there.