"Paper or plastic?"

[DrPhil]

Should more states make it illegal for grocery stores to put groceries in plastic bags?

http://news.msn.com/us/california-pa...such-law-in-us

[FSUZeta]

No.

[honeychile]

No.

[amIblue?]

I do wish more stores would provide an incentive for customers to use reusable bags. At one point in time, Kroger offered a nominal number of their fuel points for each reusable bag that you used. I was so much better about bringing my reusable bags with me when they did this. (I'm a slut for gas points....I get so excited when I collect a 1,000 and can redeem a $1 per gallon.)

[33girl]

So what happens in California now? Are they going back to paper?

[Dnpgopenguins]

Portland, OR outlawedlastic bags. Stores can pay a fine to still use plastic and some do, but most use paper

[tcsparky]

In England, stores charge 2p per plastic bag, and lots of people bring bags to the store with them to avoid paying for them. I used my canvas AXiD tote to take home groceries!

[Tulip86]

In the Netherlands grocery stores charge up to 50 cents per bag. I always bring a canvas one, and most grocery stores also sell canvas or reusable bags next to the plastic ones.

[Sen's Revenge]

I would prefer businesses to choose to phase out plastic bags on their own. But I am fine with their outright banning.

[Nanners52674]

No, hell no. For YEARS on Nantucket the grocery stores only offered paper bags, and this was before brown bags with handles or reusable bags. We used to stock pile plastic bags and bring them with us. I'm not opposed however to a store charging for the plastic bags.

[WCsweet<3]

Originally Posted by Dnpgopenguins

Portland, OR outlawedlastic bags. Stores can pay a fine to still use plastic and some do, but most use paper

Yup we did! Also Multnomah County (which Portland is in) won't let restaurants use styrofoam. The is a large portion of the population that uses reusable bags instead. Some stores do have an incentive, but it is usually 10 cents off or something similar.

Actually I went to a talk put on by the science museum in the area about this topic. The production of paper bags is actually more detrimental for the environment than using plastic bags.

[DGTess]

I disagree with banning anything. I don't see government's role as telling its citizens "no".

[DubaiSis]

I almost always carry my canvas bags with me but I do like to get the plastic sometimes, as they can be really helpful. Plus, when i lived in Newport Beach a friend of mine in Long Beach gratefully accepted my gifts of the plastic bags to deal with dog doo.

I wish people would be better about bringing their bags but outlawing them seems heavy handed.

[WhiteRose1912]

I like the model I encountered in France: the store doesn't provide any bags.

[AGDee]

I don't think they should be banned. They are recyclable and repurposed so are they really that awful? I try to not use paper because of trees. I do wish there was somewhere in the cart to conveniently put my cloth bags. There's no way to keep them near the top where they need to be so the bagger can use them. I end up going for convenience but then using them as trash bags in the bathroom and lunch bags at work. If I don't get them from the grocery store then I will buy plastic trash bags anyway.