Should Indiana bag disposable grocery bags?

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Permalink Reply by Bob Kennedy on June 12, 2009 at 9:11am

We are not smaller Indiana, isolated in our own small concerns. We are a part of the Global Community therefore disposable anything impacts us all. I know for a fact that grocery stores did not supply Bags/sacks made of any material to customers in Europe as far back as the early 70's. So for those that think we need to move on this in order to lead other states, clear up your thinking, you must realize we are far behind the rest of the world, our Global Neighbors have made the effort to not consume as recklessly as we have.
Let's ban all the wasteful habits we have whether it is legislated or not. Just get our collective conscience around this and let's all reduce our consumption and be a good Global neighbor.

Robert...

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Nixon on June 12, 2009 at 9:58am

I've been using the reusable bags for years and love them! For many years I've reused the plastic and paper bags to take in my recycling each week, line trash cans, and they were a life saver when I had wet things (like cloth diapers) that needed to be put in the diaper bag. Most recently I've been covering my son's cast with a plastic sack when he bathes. To be honest, though, a bread sack could substitute in a pinch. It's all about reusing and being creative. The plastic bags can be dropped off/recycled at some discount and grocery stores like Wal-Mart. In fact, I've been using this program for almost 10 years, so why does everyone think this is a novel idea? Marsh offers an incentive program - 5 cents off your bill for each reusable bag used. I would support a program where businesses would charge for the paper or plastic bags. In fact, Aldi has been doing this for as long as I can remember. That would be a good place to start, then in a few years just stop the production of disposable bags all together.

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Permalink Reply by Anita Sloat on June 12, 2009 at 10:10am

I supect that "ban" would not work well in this country. Maybe a photo educational banner at each checkout showing some of the problems created by plastic bags would help people better understand. It could have a questions stamped across it saying something like "Do you really need a plastic bag?" I believe that educating people is the key. And instead of the bagger asking if "plastic is ok", have them ask if "paper is ok". Some of the more responsible (or greener stores, if you prefer) only provide boxes or paper bags now.

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Permalink Reply by Terence "Tery" Snoeberger on June 12, 2009 at 10:32am

I've used my own bags and I have a styro-foam cooler during the hot months for the last 2-3 years and have several I have collected for free. I even use the heavy duty cloth type duffle bags for the heavy can goods and other heavy items. Be creative about the things that you receive free for bagging things yourself. You would be amazed at things you could use for bagging that is laying around the house. I'm always amazed at how much more you can fit into a bag. I use certain bags for my hardware store purchases as well. Menards has green bags for 99 cents and I think they give me a discount with using it each time. Marsh gives 5 cents off a bag and I think Kroger does too. Also, with being a Sam's Club member, it helped me with moving towards my own bags. It's nice that Sam's give customers boxes to use but then what do you do with the boxes?

It makes the the bagger take notice and places a little confusion in their bagging technic-if they have a technic at all. Most baggers don't know how to bag items in a paper sack anymore as they are trained to just worry about weight in plastic bags. Remember when bagging a paper sacks, it was an art? How a row of can goods would go in first on the bottom and the lighter the item would fill the bag? I've had baggers that just dump items into paper bags like it is a plastic bag with no method. I blame this on the people that hire and are suppose to train them. Anymore, I bring my own bags and tell the bagger politely that I would rather bag my own items, since I am the one that has to unbag them at home.

I'm all for doing away with grocery bags and while your at it, place boxed cereals in heavy zip-lock plastic bags packaging, and other means of packaging consumer items as well. What ticks me off currently, is that items are being repackaged in smaller quantities instead of raising the price on them. For instance, Edy's Ice Cream, was a 1/2 gallon container, then Edys went to 1 3/4 quart container and now Edys are at a 1 1/2 quart container. It looks like the same container, but it is getting smaller and smaller. Spray starch has changed their bottles to a torpedo shape design. The cost of spray starch is the same, however the consumer receives 2 ounces less of product.

I feel this is marketing scamming-What can be done for the consumer on a government level. I feel re-packaging products can reduce the cost of items instead of reducing the quantity amount that the consumer receives.

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Permalink Reply by Robby Slaughter on June 12, 2009 at 11:20am

A ban on certain types of containers sounds a little silly. Why ban disposable bags when you can tax them instead? That way, you get to discourage behavior and generate revenue at the same time!

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Permalink Reply by Linda J Ranger on June 12, 2009 at 12:04pm

I try to remember to bring in the bags when I shop but often by the time I get to the checkout I remember they are in the car or worse still in the house after the last shopping trip never making it back to my car. I do like using them and think that a small bag fee would discourage using the store paper or plastic bags. I think people are gradually changing their ways and eventually it will be the normal way to shop with any hardball rules.

My question is why do all the recyclers say "no plastic bags"??? Most plastic grocery bags are labeled No. 2 which is the prefered recycled plastic in our area so as a rebel I knot up the bags and throw them in with all the rest of the No 1 and No 2 plastics that we take to the recycle bin.

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Permalink Reply by Blanca Houston on June 12, 2009 at 12:05pm

Unfortunately, bags are a "necessary evil." Those of us who rely on reusable bags are confident that the practice will eventually take hold. Once grocery stores and maybe the government starts charging for disposable bags and "inpact fees" are initiated, people will wake up.
Now, as a real estate broker who deals in rurual properties. PLEASE tell eveyone you know that SEPTIC TANKS NEED REGULATION. There's a huge number of un-sound septic tanks that drain to creeks and eventually to our water supply. Also, farmers need to be required to plant grasses between their crop land and any creek, river or stream because the water is being polluted.
Fellow Hoosiers our water supply is at risk. This is no chicken little. It is very serious!

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Permalink Reply by Cali Wilson on June 12, 2009 at 12:06pm

I will admit, I enjoy the convenience of plastic bags. I reuse them as small trash can liners, for pet waste disposal, for coffee grounds in the morning, and a myriad of other things.

However, despite the fact that they are convenient, they are terrible for the environment. The reality is, I could easily just take out the trash to avoid the unpleasant scents, rather than put an extra plastic bag in another plastic bag. Once a habit of carrying reusable totes is established, I don't think it will be a big deal to switch. People rarely like change, but it would be very good for us.

C. Wilson

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Permalink Reply by Curt Alexander on June 12, 2009 at 12:30pm

Since you're using the word "ban", you're asking whether there should be a law, right?

My preference would be that people would take care of this problem - and others - without being forced to.

I'm encouraged that I see more people use their own canvas bags, while others still use the same paper or plastic bags that they got on a previous trip.

I think the best solution is if stores would do something to encourage this kind of recycling - maybe taking a few nickels or dimes off of a purchase, or coming up with a two-for-one promotion coupon for people who provide their own bags, or don't use bags at all.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Bowe on June 12, 2009 at 1:17pm

The market will decide. The stores can place a cost on both, charge for each according to cost, and the buyers will determine preference. If the government steps in and places a tax, it will ultimately be paid 100% on the consumer--pure economics. We need less government in our lives.

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Permalink Reply by Phoenix R. Cavalier on June 12, 2009 at 1:23pm

To the main question, I say YES! There is no reason to use these wasteful oil-derived bags. On the same token, I would love to ban Styrofoam as well - If I ruled the world for a day, I would. When I moved here from California years ago, I was stunned to see a Styrofoam egg container, they had disappeared in Cali by the time I was 12 or 13... and yet they are still in use here.

CA Story: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?id=6357208&section=news/assign...
NY Story: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/11/10/new-york-to-charge-for-plastic-...
PA Story: http://www.kyw1060.com/Plan-to-Ban-or-Charge-for-Plastic-Bags-Still...

I also believe the simple thing is this: Charge 50 cents for plastic bags, people will stop using them. This has proven true in other states, charging even less than that. The only way to get people over the idea that they need a bag for one deodorant stick is to make it cost something. I recently bought a recycled-fiber reusable bag at Walgreens, for 99 cents, it is way worth it, and I would have paid as much as 2.99 for this one, it just looks cool.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Shoemaker on June 14, 2009 at 7:46am

Astounding numbers, indeed:

" "Twenty-five billion single-use bags are distributed to Californians every single year," said Mark Murray with Californians Against Waste, a non-profit environmental research and advocacy group.

The majority of those bags go right out the door of your local grocery store and end up at the dump. The rest do not make it that far, and ultimately end up as litter. "

I understand that in the US, we use over 300 BILLION of those plastic bags per year.

They likely won't begin to degrade for over 500 years.

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