Seattle to charge .20 for plastic/paper bags

[SoCalGirl]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Exactly. It always drove me crazy that the baggers would only put three or four things in a plastic bag. Our reusable bags have a piece of cardboard that goes in the bottom to provide structure -- makes it much easier to put more things in it.

My guess, AGDee, is that if you have about 20 plastic bags per grocery trip, you'd use about 5-8 of the reusable bags, tops.

FWIW, this is the bag we got from our grocery store:



You can order them from the manufacturer at 20 bags for $26, but the grocery store sells them for $0.99 each. They also sell thermal reusable bags for (I think) $2.99. I like these bags because they don't have a store logo on them.

Those are the bags we get at the commissary for $.79. I use them as tote bags now.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Seattle's mayor seems to believe the best way of forcing a change in behavior is to tax the "bad" behavior - in this case plastic and paper bags. I'm glad I only work in Seattle and live outside the city limits, because I'm sick of hearing him preach about "doing the right thing" and taking choice out of the people's hands on little things such as this when he has MUCH bigger problems he should be tending to.

I agree. Rather than a gradual development so that folks can get use to the changes, the "Seattle powers that be" forced this "do the right thing according to my logic or else I am going to have a mental breakdown" PW passive aggressive behavior. I am clueless as to why it has to be that way it is beyond my American cultural purview.

I would probably tack on the canvas bags as an option so that folk remember to use them. The other issue is folks are made to forget everything when at the stoh.

And the big Costco type stohs will get more grocery shopping unless we are talking niche markets that places like QFC (Kroger) cannot really compete at least in Washington--'cuz I know in Allen, TX near Dallas there is a Super Kroger and Super Targets abound...

[ForeverRoses]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

They have also banned styrofoam containers starting in january, and come 2010 plastic to-go containers and plastic utensils.

.

I have several of the shopping bags from different stores and I love them. I also like the looks that I get when I use my Kroger bag at Meijer or the Target one at Wal-Mart. Now its almost a game to use the competitors bag. I also have my AOII tote bag from college that I use to hold the other tote bags when I am shopping (and keep my trunk neat between grocery trips). It has a longer strap, so I can throw it over my shoulder and have plenty of room in the cart. Then when I bag the groceries I can use the AOII tote last.

My question is about the to go containers, if plastic and styrofoam is banned, how do you get take out?

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

My question is about the to go containers, if plastic and styrofoam is banned, how do you get take out?

Paper.

[SAEalumnus]

California is considering doing the same thing but at a minimum fee of 25 cents per bag. As I understand, local government would also be able to charge additional fee(s). The legislation is AB 2058, is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee and is scheduled for a hearing on 8/4/08. The bill was originally written to include an equal fee for paper bags as well, but that part seems to have been deleted by amendment. If it becomes law, the effective date would be July 1, 2011.

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

On Monday, the Seattle City Council approved a 20-cent fee, starting in January, for each disposable paper or plastic bag used at grocery, drug and convenience stores.

While other U.S. cities have banned plastic bags, Seattle is believed to be the first to discourage use by charging a fee.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...rybags29m.html


Like other earth-friendly northwesterners, I recycle and do other stuff to minimize my impact on mother nature, but this bugs me. Seattle's mayor is a nanny.

[ISUKappa]

I do almost all our grocery shopping at Target and use the big reusable bags that fold up into a nice square. I have three bags and can generally get all the groceries for the family (2 adults, 1 toddler) in two or three bags. Milk and other large items (boxes of diapers, sacks of potatoes, etc..) don't get put in a bag. If we buy meat it's either wrapped in plastic or I'll spray the bags down with an antimicrobial spray.

We do use the plastic bags for garbage liners, dog poop and diapers and my supply is very quickly dwindling. I wouldn't be opposed to having to buy small garbage bags, it's just more convenient to reuse the plastic grocery bags right now.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Paper.

Tryin' to imagine my won ton soup in paper.. not seeing it!

[SoCalGirl]

^coated cardboard

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

^coated cardboard

I figured, since that was coated with plastic and usually had plastic lids that it wouldn't be allowed. I've never had a coated cardboard container (like a McDonald's cup) last for more than 24 hours either, they leak all over, from the bottom. Interesting challenges for those packaging engineers I guess, eh?

I do wish I had some engineering background.. the guy that gets the paper utensils right is going to be rich!

[SoCalGirl]

Well if it's for to go containers, you shouldn't need it for more than 24 hours. Course that creates the issue that I could reuse the plastic ones but the cardboard ones couldn't be recycled because of the coating!

Has anyone heard that the reusable fabric bags cause more pollution and use more resources to produce than the plastic bags they replace? I heard that once and have been trying to figure out if it's true.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I do wish I had some engineering background.. the guy that gets the paper utensils right is going to be rich!

I believe there is such thing as utensils made out of soy and other sustainable things.

When I get soup at the store across the street, it's put in a paper cup.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

I believe there is such thing as utensils made out of soy and other sustainable things.

My drink at lunch was in a "plastic" cup made from corn.

[AGDee]

I guess we're just way behind here in Michigan. When you manufacture cars, the last thing you want people focusing on is being "green" <sigh>

On the upside, I did purchase 2 hot/cold thermal bags and 6 of the regular green bags today. They got most of my stuff into those but had some meat and a canteloupe in plastic. I probably need two more bags... one thermal for the meats and one regular. The kid did pack two of them way too heavy with canned goods, half gallons of milk and my daughter's Vitamin Water but those bags do go nicely over the shoulder so the heavy ones were easier to carry into the house than I thought they would be. So, I did my green good deed of the day!

Henry Ford actually made a whole car body out of soy once. They said it was stronger than steel in accident tests!
http://www.thesoydailyclub.com/MOS/M...nryfordDL1.cfm

[SWTXBelle]

I have bags from Ikea, Target, HEB and Kroger - my biggest problem is remembering to take them into the store.
I am planning to get some bags from www.africabags.org - as featured in The Crescent magazine (the founder is a Gamma Phi).

[AGDee]

So do you think grocery sacks are going to become status symbols? Like.. Vera Bradley grocery bags, Coach, Dior? Hmmm...