Washington trying again to ban plastic bags

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Super S
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Re: Washington trying again to ban plastic bags

Post by Super S »

Over the last few days I have visited several stores and have noticed variations of how this is being handled.

WinCo: Has both the durable paper bags they have always had as well as the reusable plastic bags. I have always used the paper as plastic has a tendency to slide around in the trunk. Bags are still in the open at self checkouts (I never go through regular checkers at WinCo)

Walmart: Has the reusable plastic ones only. No paper option.

Fred Meyer: Has paper only, but is now using a thinner, cheaper feeling bag without any logo. No plastic option.

Target: Reusable plastic only with no paper option.

I have noticed very few people bringing bags from home. I have also noticed several people with large orders placing items directly back in the cart at WinCo without bags.

I tend to shop later in the evening to avoid crowds. But in my opinion this is a pretty pointless law.
storewanderer
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Re: Washington trying again to ban plastic bags

Post by storewanderer »

Super S wrote: November 22nd, 2021, 10:26 pm Over the last few days I have visited several stores and have noticed variations of how this is being handled.

WinCo: Has both the durable paper bags they have always had as well as the reusable plastic bags. I have always used the paper as plastic has a tendency to slide around in the trunk. Bags are still in the open at self checkouts (I never go through regular checkers at WinCo)

Walmart: Has the reusable plastic ones only. No paper option.

Fred Meyer: Has paper only, but is now using a thinner, cheaper feeling bag without any logo. No plastic option.

Target: Reusable plastic only with no paper option.

I have noticed very few people bringing bags from home. I have also noticed several people with large orders placing items directly back in the cart at WinCo without bags.

I tend to shop later in the evening to avoid crowds. But in my opinion this is a pretty pointless law.
There is some point. The hope is to reduce plastic waste. So, for every one customer who takes the super thick bag which has the same amount of plastic as 5-6 thin bags had, you have to hope that 5 other customers use no bag at all. Otherwise you don't reduce waste, you just slow the line down and inconvenience the other 5 customers and whoever else is in line since this slows down the line.

I give in- after previously going bagless in CA even when it meant juggling handfulls of items out the door, since COVID, I just pay the regressive bag fee and take the stupid super thick plastic bag, which I in turn use as a trash bag in the same manner as I'd use the single use bag. The result is simply more plastic use/plastic waste and it cost me 10 cents extra.

The whole thing is so stupid. If they really want to push this they need to apply a fee on the thin bags. These super thick plastic "reusable" bags are being thrown away much more often than reused.

And as far as WA goes, still waiting to hear about the expansion to the pulp and paper industry that was also supposedly going to happen in conjunction with this.

Meanwhile in the past week I've seen "Made in China" paper bags at one fast food place and one CA grocer. Better get on building those paper bag plants in WA before it is too late.
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Re: Washington trying again to ban plastic bags

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storewanderer wrote: November 22nd, 2021, 10:48 pm

There is some point. The hope is to reduce plastic waste. So, for every one customer who takes the super thick bag which has the same amount of plastic as 5-6 thin bags had, you have to hope that 5 other customers use no bag at all. Otherwise you don't reduce waste, you just slow the line down and inconvenience the other 5 customers and whoever else is in line since this slows down the line.

I give in- after previously going bagless in CA even when it meant juggling handfulls of items out the door, since COVID, I just pay the regressive bag fee and take the stupid super thick plastic bag, which I in turn use as a trash bag in the same manner as I'd use the single use bag. The result is simply more plastic use/plastic waste and it cost me 10 cents extra.

The whole thing is so stupid. If they really want to push this they need to apply a fee on the thin bags. These super thick plastic "reusable" bags are being thrown away much more often than reused.

And as far as WA goes, still waiting to hear about the expansion to the pulp and paper industry that was also supposedly going to happen in conjunction with this.

Meanwhile in the past week I've seen "Made in China" paper bags at one fast food place and one CA grocer. Better get on building those paper bag plants in WA before it is too late.
The point I was trying to make, is that if people are not reusing the thick bags, there is MORE plastic waste now. I will still choose paper like I always have as long as it is available.

As far as expansion to the pulp and paper industry, I don't expect it to happen as long as this state has a governor that is pushing a climate change agenda. I am trying to not turn this in to a political discussion, but I know of several local projects that died off because of these reasons. And new regulations have been snuck in, one I just found out about is the new ban of small cans of R-134 A refrigerant. They actually passed the ban earlier this year and didn't even tell businesses that sell it, such as auto parts stores, about this. It's almost as if they are being quiet about it so they can turn around and fine the businesses that still are selling it. Washington has been getting creative with taxes and fees in recent years and the bag thing is just the latest one.
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