Comments on: Should Plastic Grocery Bags Be Banned?

By: Reader Comment Roundup at Go Green Charleston || Local Environmental News, Information, and Advocacy

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:15:30 +0000

[...] Should Plastic Grocery Bags be Banned, Neal J. [...]

By: Terri

Terri — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:50:39 +0000

Ikea (Atlanta, at least) now proclaims they are “not giving away any more bags” and will charge for each one you take. This has been going on for years in England and Ireland. Once more stores start charging for grocery bags, more people will get in the habit of collecting canvas shopping bags and using them. This also creates more of a market for those nifty tiny bags that fold up to the size of a change purse which are popular in France!

By the way … The Wholes Foods where I shop now gives a 10 cent bag rebate … the only place I’ve heard of so far paying shoppers that much to do the right thing! Go WFM!

By: Tommy Vernieri

Tommy Vernieri — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 01:11:54 +0000

On NPR tonight, Marketplace ran a story about plastic bags. The New York city council approved a bill requiring large stores to recycle plastic bags. The Marketplace story talked about a broader shift towards reusable bags as well.

Marketplace story:
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/01/10/plastic_bag_q/

NYC plastic bag news:
LINK

By: Chad Norman

Chad Norman — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:25:53 +0000

It’s really going to be up to consumers and business managers to drive this initiative. Our federal government is busy with things like steroids in baseball.

We just gotta change behavior one greenie at a time!

By: Jennifer Norman

Jennifer Norman — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:06:11 +0000

Hey Jennifer, ‘The Lorax’ is a masterpiece. My four-year-old can grasp the message of sustainability through Dr. Suess rhyme.

I agree that our government will not be addressing plastic grocery bags anytime soon. That’s why it’s even more important to just stop using them. By bringing our own bags, we remind onlookers of the harms from plastic grocery bags.

And I’m beginning to see more of us out there.

By: Kyle Jodice

Kyle Jodice — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:43:41 +0000

LetsGoGreen.biz is an online company selling eco-friendly products to the homeowner. We have the products that let you “go green” at home. We even have canvas totes for shopping!

Go Green in 2008!

Kyle Jodice
http://www.LetsGoGreen.biz

By: Jennifer Mathis

Jennifer Mathis — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:12:14 +0000

Unfortunately, this issue, like so many others, is probably not going to be fixed by our government. Plastic bags remind me of thneeds - you know - those things that everybody needs that Dr. Suess wrote about in 1971. The Lorax left behind one truffula seed with one word - UNLESS. So - unless we care enough to do what Jen has done and make not getting a plastic bag a goal…. And then we can just take turns filling in the blank for other life enhancing goals that can fit after that word UNLESS!

By: Neal J.

Neal J. — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:24:06 +0000

Just saw that China banned merchants from distributing plastic bags for free today. Hopefully this makes a dent with over a billion consumers there and also it may lend a hand to grabbing the international attention that is needed for this issue and propel a legitimate movement of willing industrial countries.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:50:49 +0000

Great post, Jennifer! You’ve compiled a lot of information I wasn’t aware of.

By: Jennifer Norman

Jennifer Norman — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:00:44 +0000

In Australia, eco-bags were introduced, $0.99 each. In Ireland a tax is added to the bill if you use the store bag (with good results.) I’m not sure why stores like Earth Fare or Whole Foods wouldn’t begin to implement some sort of charge for plastic grocery bags, especially since our government seems occupied with other problems.

For years, I only used a canvas bag when it was convenient for me. When I made it a goal, a time-oriented goal, it worked!

How long can I go without using any store bag?