17 replies to this topic

[zararina]

Just heard it on the news today that a certain city here would have plastic ban starting this month. And I just new that some other cities here have such ban already but not yet strictly followed or implemented yet. I thtink it was a good step in shifting into green lifestyle. And better if majority if not all of establishments will use paper bags or reusable bags instead of plastic bags.

Is there plastic ban too in your area? Or eversince paper bags are used there?

[13tyates]

I have actually never heard of a plastic ban, or do you mean just on plastic bags at stores? If so, I have known a couple of cities that implemented this idea and I believe it is has been a good thing for them. Here in the town I live it is very small so they do not do things like that. They do not even have a recycling program in place. Sometimes I wonder if my town is the least eco friendly. I could believe it, but I am sure there are other towns that are worse off then us!

[mariaandrea]

My city will be putting a ban in place this year that they approved last year. It's an increasing trend all over the place and it's great. I think things like this start in bigger metropolitan areas and will be well entrenched before the smaller cities and towns jump on board. Cost of implementing new programs, even if it isn't much, is a concern for smaller places without a lot of revenue. Although, you'd think that not offering plastic bags and requiring customers to use their own bags or pay for store paper bags would actually save retailers money. Don't worry though, I do believe we're slowly getting there and in the not to distant future plastic bags will be a thing of the past

[Jessi]

We don't have a ban here, but a bunch of the local stores transitioned a few years back. Now, those are the kinds of stores that either keep some plastic bags available but charge for them....or only carry reusable bags. That way, if you bring your own, it's not a big deal, and if you forget yours at home, well either carry your groceries out by hand or buy another reusable bag.

They didn't do this all at once but it's a growing trend in the area so people aren't shocked to go into a local store and that be the policy. The big, commercial stores haven't put in anything like that yet, though.

[joeldgreat]

Yeah, since last year. The problem is big malls were given extension on the use of plastic bags. I was so dissapointed about it since these malls are the ones using plastic heavely on their products. Plastics were replaced by paper bags, and though many are complaining, I think is this one of the best law our city government has made, ever. I just hope that all should do thier share to comply with this ordinance as it is one step of helping Mother Nature cope up with the problem.

[fancyfingers]

I feel if our city ever implemented a ban on plastic bags, it should also cancel requiring us to bag our trash before we put it in our trash bin. We use our plastic bags from the store to bag our trash. We do not purchase garbage bags. We line our trash cans with the ones from the stores. We have a few larger ones we get during the holiday season. It doesn't make sense to me a city would ban stores from using plastic bags, yet require their city residents to use plastic bags to toss their garbage.

[jasserEnv]

The first place where I heard that plastic bag bans were in effect was Bangledesh. I believe the reason that they were banned there was because of the sheer volume and lack of recycling facilities. The result was that they were clogging storm drains contributing to damage and deaths from flooding. Since that time, I have seen bans appearing in many locations. In my very conservative city, however, they are still very much allowed and it is infuriating considering the extent to which stores are even offering low cost or no cost bags to use instead of disposable plastic ones.

[greenking]

Plastic banning is now becoming common. Our city has just implemented the law to ban plastics. And I feel good about it! =)

[Jessi]

fancyfingers, on 02 February 2012 - 07:43 PM, said:

I feel if our city ever implemented a ban on plastic bags, it should also cancel requiring us to bag our trash before we put it in our trash bin. We use our plastic bags from the store to bag our trash. We do not purchase garbage bags. We line our trash cans with the ones from the stores. We have a few larger ones we get during the holiday season. It doesn't make sense to me a city would ban stores from using plastic bags, yet require their city residents to use plastic bags to toss their garbage.

I really wish they'd find an alternative for the big trash cans like that. I understand why they require bagging, because when the trucks pick them up and dump them into the backs of the truck now, there's potential for a bunch of stuff to go flying. It seems like such a waste to have all those bags just being dumped somewhere, though.

[hatteubanal]

I hope something like this will be strictly implemented in our area soon. A lot of people here use plastic bags whenever they find the excuse to. Citizens should be made more aware about this stuff. Maybe they'll listen and obey when it becomes a law.

[brihooter]

Plastic bags are used here all the time. I even see them tossed on the side of the street. It's more than annoying and I don't understand why people do this. Obviously they are lazy. Hopefully there will be a ban here soon.

[fancyfingers]

We have both paper and plastic at our stores, but I do not see as much bags around as many here post they see in their cities. I do, however, see cigarette butts everywhere, and beverage bottles. Not just water, but soda, juice, plastic bottles. More and more of my neighbors and friends are using the store bags instead of garbage bags.

[zararina]

13tyates, on 02 February 2012 - 07:36 AM, said:

I have actually never heard of a plastic ban, or do you mean just on plastic bags at stores? If so, I have known a couple of cities that implemented this idea and I believe it is has been a good thing for them. Here in the town I live it is very small so they do not do things like that. They do not even have a recycling program in place. Sometimes I wonder if my town is the least eco friendly. I could believe it, but I am sure there are other towns that are worse off then us!

Yes it was a ban for the use of plastic bag in any store and establishment even in the wet market. There are actually protests from wet market vendors since they are telling that a paper bag migh be easily torn with their products. It was suggested that buyers shoudl bring with them baskets or "bayong" (local reusable bag) to solve such issue. It sounds that there could be problems at the start but eventually it can be successful since we managed to do it before when plastic bags are not yet invented.

[ShaNichole]

There is not a plastic ban in my area, but the grocery store that I shop in the most requires customers to pay for bags. Since I did not want to pay for bags, I bring my own canvas bags with me to that store and now that I keep the bags in my car, I use them at practically every other store that I go to as well.

Also, some stores in my area will pay customers 5 or 10 cents for every bag that they bring to pack their own groceries in, which is a great way to motivate people against using plastic bags.

[ShaNichole]

My area does not have a bad on plastic bags at this point, but some stores will pay customers 5 or 10 cents for each other their own canvas bags that they use while shopping. I think that although a ban is instated at this point, I think that paying customers a few pennies is a great motivator to encourage people to use plastic bags a lot less.

[kat74]

We tried getting those plastic bags burned before but no one listen. Supermarket and other shops continued using them so they are still a huge environmental menace. The government tried to the gauge of the paper changed too but due to low economical time, it still did not work too. For such directive to work, the government has to be strict and serious and also impose punishment to those who default.

[brihooter]

That is really neat AES. I wish they would offer that here where I live. I bet you we would slowly see the plastic bags just disappearing. Where do you live if you don't mind me asking?

[katniss]

That happened a long time ago in my city. We all use reusable bags now, and it's really not a big deal. Now I don't have tonnes of plastic bags shoved in my kitchen cupboard. I agree to a certain extent about how you should try to use reusable bags instead of non-reusable ones, but I do not believe there should be a law against it.