After you unload the groceries, just keep them in the car. I've got several, so I'm never without.
But it's not just the plastic bags here guys. We have to remember the bigger picture, and buy items
with less packaging or if it is packaged in plastic, recycle that plastic as well where they accept
the bags for recycling.
It's daunting for sure, it seems like everything is wrapped in that *&^%
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7
Plastic Bags & Our Environment
Started by Hayden, Jun 21 2010 09:25 PM
130 replies to this topic
#82
Posted 02 January 2012 - 09:04 AM
Want to share something novel that I stumbled on: Business-to-business pilot program-Forming partnerships where everyone benefits. Seems like it is a whole hearted collective effort, including the Orange County Solid Waste management Department [SWMD]. Worth emulating every where. Or is it already?
The full article: http://www.plasticba...rg/feed/76.html
The site itself is exclusively PlasticBagRecycling.org !
Quote
The smaller retailers benefit because they are able to take advantage of a recycling opportunity that in most cases would be too expensive or unavailable to them. The anchor store benefits by being able to sell more recyclable material and to promote its environmental efforts by using existing resources and committing to a relatively small increase in labor. The Orange County SWMD benefits in many ways including conservation of landfill space due avoided disposal of tons of plastic bags and film, increased recycling rates, and avoided costs for a commercial recycling program as a result of the successes of the B2B recycling program.
The full article: http://www.plasticba...rg/feed/76.html
The site itself is exclusively PlasticBagRecycling.org !
#83
Posted 05 January 2012 - 04:24 AM
I've noticed that one of the big plastic bag manufacturers has gotten on the green bandwagon.
In a way, it makes some sense.
They have animated clouds floating overhead made up entirely of smaller plastic bags.
They're suggesting that by using their product, which can hold more, people will use fewer bags.
It's a step in the right direction but I also see ads from that same company that show paper, plastic bottles
and food stuffed into their bags. Those items could easily be recycled and composted.
Still, I consider it greenwashing to sell a product.
In a way, it makes some sense.
They have animated clouds floating overhead made up entirely of smaller plastic bags.
They're suggesting that by using their product, which can hold more, people will use fewer bags.
It's a step in the right direction but I also see ads from that same company that show paper, plastic bottles
and food stuffed into their bags. Those items could easily be recycled and composted.
Still, I consider it greenwashing to sell a product.
#84
Posted 05 January 2012 - 06:04 PM
Anyone who's not sold on the idea of eliminating plastic bags from our lives should visit the neighborhoods around landfills after a heavy windstorm. We have two mega-corporate landfills within 12 miles of here. Last year, I attended community meetings in which dozens of irate residents complained about plastic bags in their yards and on their farmland within about two miles of each site. Landfill operators,of course, denied it was their trash, because the community's ordinances require that the trash be covered with a thick layer of soil after every dumping.
Next windy day, I grabbed my camera and my telephoto lens and headed down to the landfill. Long story short, the scenic countryside beyond the horrible landfill was literally trashed, with plastic bags blown everywhere, stuck in fences, waving like flags on weeds and cornstalks and many were lodged 30-50 feet in the air in the treetops. I took a ton of pictures and deposited them at the local newspaper office,
Needless to say, two things happened: the community ordered the landfill to clean up the mess and risk being fined if it happened again; and 2) the next time I showed up with my camera, the landfill guards were waiting for me and chased me off their property!
I was happy as I sped away!
Next windy day, I grabbed my camera and my telephoto lens and headed down to the landfill. Long story short, the scenic countryside beyond the horrible landfill was literally trashed, with plastic bags blown everywhere, stuck in fences, waving like flags on weeds and cornstalks and many were lodged 30-50 feet in the air in the treetops. I took a ton of pictures and deposited them at the local newspaper office,
Needless to say, two things happened: the community ordered the landfill to clean up the mess and risk being fined if it happened again; and 2) the next time I showed up with my camera, the landfill guards were waiting for me and chased me off their property!
I was happy as I sped away!
#85
Posted 06 January 2012 - 11:57 AM
Good for you!
But even landfill operators that do the right thing, still cause harm.
Years ago, I worked as a secretary for a construction crew that was installing a new landfill here, west of town.
They had strict standards they had to adhere to for the thickness of the poly sheathing they laid on the
bottom of the hole, after excavation; to protect the aquifer from chemicals.
The project was about 8 months, and adjoined the older, existing landfill.
They had 30' high fences around the whole thing to contain the wind captured trash, but there
was always hundreds of bags that got loose.
Every day some poor guy had to walk the fence and collect them all off the fences.
When they're working the trash-pushing it around, it's uncovered. And it's next to impossible to
keep it covered with soil as they do that.
That's why you often see a lot of sea birds flying close by, waiting for a morsel to pop up.
The only solution would be to have a complete chain link fence over it all, like an aviary. And that's
not going to happen.
At least the ground water in modern landfills is protected. Not much, but it's something.
But even landfill operators that do the right thing, still cause harm.
Years ago, I worked as a secretary for a construction crew that was installing a new landfill here, west of town.
They had strict standards they had to adhere to for the thickness of the poly sheathing they laid on the
bottom of the hole, after excavation; to protect the aquifer from chemicals.
The project was about 8 months, and adjoined the older, existing landfill.
They had 30' high fences around the whole thing to contain the wind captured trash, but there
was always hundreds of bags that got loose.
Every day some poor guy had to walk the fence and collect them all off the fences.
When they're working the trash-pushing it around, it's uncovered. And it's next to impossible to
keep it covered with soil as they do that.
That's why you often see a lot of sea birds flying close by, waiting for a morsel to pop up.
The only solution would be to have a complete chain link fence over it all, like an aviary. And that's
not going to happen.
At least the ground water in modern landfills is protected. Not much, but it's something.
#87
Posted 11 January 2012 - 11:27 AM
Our stores seem to have gone off the boil in the war on plastic bags. For a while they were very good at asking if you wanted one and even charging for them, but this all seems to have come to a bit of a standstill again now. I do try to remember to take my own bags all the time.
#89
Posted 11 January 2012 - 02:41 PM
eds, on 11 January 2012 - 01:38 PM, said:
(Pillow cases were mentioned; we could just use a king size sheet, and put everything into one
massive
bag.)
And no need to tell the bagger to put the soft bread and eggs on the bottom, because theyautomatically do that anyway.
#90
Posted 12 January 2012 - 03:22 AM
I agree with you that this is one of the easiest things we can do to protect the environment. I've purchased enough reusable bags to do all of my grocery shopping. I have to wonder though about the recycling of plastic bags. I've seen my local supermarket collect them, but I'm uncertain about what they actually do with them. I'm a little worried that they just dump them into a landfill. I suppose I'm just a skeptic at heart.
#91
Posted 12 January 2012 - 07:31 PM
Recently we started trying to live better and go green as much as possible. One of the first things we did is when we go shopping always carry our own bag which is not from plastic, but some type of knitted material(don't really know the game). Either way bringing your own bag is really convenient, not only because you save money(here the plastic bags cost some cents), but because they are quite sturdy.
We rarely use plastic bags now and if we do use them we have a recycling been for this type of trash right infront of our apartment :)
We rarely use plastic bags now and if we do use them we have a recycling been for this type of trash right infront of our apartment :)
#92
Posted 13 January 2012 - 03:23 PM
I refuse to use plastic bags. I carry my own sustainable bag when I go shopping. I see these ghastly plastic bags littering the street anf they disgust me. I would advise anyone to stop using the plastic and take your own bag with you.
#93
Posted 16 January 2012 - 02:23 PM
In our city, our trash must be bagges in plastic bags and tied. I use my plastic bags I get from the store when I purchase items to put my trash in my trash can so I will not be fined by the city for not bagging our garbage. I do recycle our bags around the house as much as I can. I do crochet bags out of the plastic bags. Every bit counts.
#95
Posted 26 January 2012 - 01:08 PM
I always save my plastic grocery bags from the store and use them as trash bags for our bathroom trash cans. We always get so many at the grocery store so I put them to use. The ones I don't end up using I am going to start re-using at the grocery store. That's a great idea!
#96
Posted 27 January 2012 - 03:25 PM
Even if they banned free plastic bags from stores across the globe; big box stores, grocers, $ stores
will still sell plastic bags.
Until we change the product, so it breaks down rapidly when exposed to sunlight/water-
the sold bags will continue to do just as much damage as the free ones to birds, wildlife, turtles and fish.
Plant based bags have to become the norm instead of oil/gas based ones.
will still sell plastic bags.
Until we change the product, so it breaks down rapidly when exposed to sunlight/water-
the sold bags will continue to do just as much damage as the free ones to birds, wildlife, turtles and fish.
Plant based bags have to become the norm instead of oil/gas based ones.
#97
Posted 29 January 2012 - 03:11 PM
Our state government banned the sale of plastic bags in 2008. This was mostly due to the large numbers of sea creatures and other wildlife getting entangled in the stuff and dying. It followed the ban that had already been in place right along the Coorong for about ten or more years before that. The supermarkets & stores here now sell their own brand of cloth recyclable bags for about a dollar or a bio-degradable plastic bag for about fifteen cents. I usually bring my own boxes, though I normally don’t buy enough to put in them these days & just end up carrying the goods separately.
#99
Posted 30 January 2012 - 04:52 PM
Quote
Wow, I didn't think they would actually ban them. I can'tsay it's a bad thing. I hate hearing about wildlife and sea creatures being entangled in it. I wonder how long it will be before it's banned everywhere?
It seems it's catching on quickly, but it's tricky to say just when everyone will do it. The Northern Territory also started a four-month phase out ban in September last year as well. Target just announced it would ban all plastic bags nation-wide next month. The Australian Capital Territory just finished their phase-out ban in November last year. Some states are trialling a ban on a town-by-town basis. I'm new here and cannot post web sites yet, but Wikipedia has a great section on all the countries that have plastic bag bans in place, which isn't up to date, but serves as a good starting point.
#100
Posted 30 January 2012 - 07:24 PM
This is something I think about from time to time, but I never think to buy some of those reusable bags. I end up just taking the plastic bags they offer. I need to work harder at using the reusable bags instead. I hope to work on this and make it a main focus. I think it is great that some stores will even take a few cents off your bill for every reusable bag you use! Now that's initiative!
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