New Jersey Ban On Paper Bags, Single Use Plastic Bags, & Plastic Food Containers

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. No non-grocery posts.
storewanderer
Posts: 14378
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Online

Re: New Jersey Ban On Paper Bags, Single Use Plastic Bags, & Plastic Food Containers

Post by storewanderer »

klkla wrote: September 29th, 2020, 12:31 pm

I never said I was opposed to letting customers take boxes if the stores want to give them out. I'm only saying that we can't rely on this method because there won't be enough boxes for everyone. And I for one don't like taking them from grocery stores because food residue is often left in the boxes from some products like pasta, for example. It's a personal choice.

Also, the stores don't pay haulers to take away cardboard bales. They get paid for them. It's not a lot but the system works and that's why you haven't seen very many retailers offering their boxes to customers.


If someone wants to put their food in their own dirty bag that's on them. It's not likely to effect my bag in any way, shape or form. Just like their dirty clothes. That is their choice. It doesn't effect me.
I can tell you stores and warehouses around here are not getting paid by cardboard haulers anymore here in NV for cardboard scrap. Maybe we have too many warehouses around here and a glut of cardboard... but that changed a few years ago and now these places are paying haulers to haul the stuff off.

I agree with you about the potential food residue problem in the boxes.

You're right the dirty bag from another customer probably doesn't effect you. It effects the cashier who is potentially handling a dirty contaminated bag, or dozens of dirty contaminated bags during their shift. As I said, we will see how this goes in NJ- in 18 months when a chunk of the elected officials who voted it in, are no longer even in their elected positions anymore.
TW-Upstate NY
Shift Manager
Shift Manager
Posts: 421
Joined: May 11th, 2009, 6:09 pm
Been thanked: 4 times
Status: Offline

Re: New Jersey Ban On Paper Bags, Single Use Plastic Bags, & Plastic Food Containers

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

storewanderer wrote: September 29th, 2020, 10:38 pm You're right the dirty bag from another customer probably doesn't effect you. It effects the cashier who is potentially handling a dirty contaminated bag, or dozens of dirty contaminated bags during their shift.
It DOES effect you because that cashier that packed someone else's dirty and contaminated bag packs YOUR groceries as well and if they haven't cleaned their hands at some point..... Some stores make the customer bag their items if they bring reusable bags.
TW-Upstate NY
Shift Manager
Shift Manager
Posts: 421
Joined: May 11th, 2009, 6:09 pm
Been thanked: 4 times
Status: Offline

Re: New Jersey Ban On Paper Bags, Single Use Plastic Bags, & Plastic Food Containers

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

storewanderer wrote: September 29th, 2020, 10:38 pm I can tell you stores and warehouses around here are not getting paid by cardboard haulers anymore here in NV for cardboard scrap. Maybe we have too many warehouses around here and a glut of cardboard... but that changed a few years ago and now these places are paying haulers to haul the stuff off.
Even government is having to go this route. The county where I live previously made a decent amount of money on recycled items like cardboard, plastic and glass. A few years ago, they contracted with a neighboring county to haul away the stuff so instead of making money it's costing us money.
klkla
Posts: 1614
Joined: February 24th, 2009, 3:26 pm
Been thanked: 2 times
Status: Offline

Re: New Jersey Ban On Paper Bags, Single Use Plastic Bags, & Plastic Food Containers

Post by klkla »

storewanderer wrote: September 29th, 2020, 10:38 pmYou're right the dirty bag from another customer probably doesn't effect you. It effects the cashier who is potentially handling a dirty contaminated bag, or dozens of dirty contaminated bags during their shift.
There is no credible evidence to suggest re-usable bags are a health risk to cashiers. That's silly. Handling cash is much worse than re-usable bags and cashiers have been doing that for hundreds of years.
storewanderer
Posts: 14378
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Online

Re: New Jersey Ban On Paper Bags, Single Use Plastic Bags, & Plastic Food Containers

Post by storewanderer »

klkla wrote: September 30th, 2020, 12:31 pm

There is no credible evidence to suggest re-usable bags are a health risk to cashiers. That's silly. Handling cash is much worse than re-usable bags and cashiers have been doing that for hundreds of years.
Many cashiers and UFCW locals disagree with you as it is unknown at this point if the re-usable bags are a health risk to cashiers or not. This is why to this day I don't know of any store that is permitting the cashiers to handle the reusable bags. The reusable bags cannot even go on the surface of the checkstand per posted signs at all of the stores I shop at (which is, every major chain) and the employees have been advised to not even touch them. Some customers do put the reusable bags onto the self checkouts. I've watched self checkout attendants at various stores tell customers that isn't allowed, other stores do not seem to care.

At this point it is about risk mitigation. The reusable bags may not cause any risk- but they may cause some risk to the cashier. There are enough risks and unknowns at this point. Cleaning supplies are still hard to come by with empty cleaning supply aisles at various stores. Stores simply do not have enough cleaning product to sanitize the checkstand counter between every customer which is necessary if someone's reusable bags come into contact with the counter. And it is easy enough to disallow the cashier from touching them to protect the cashier. No use subjecting the cashiers to extra unnecessary risk of handing a customer's reusable bags as long as COVID is here and as long as we all have to wear masks to shop.
Alpha8472
Posts: 3929
Joined: February 24th, 2009, 8:55 pm
Been thanked: 79 times
Status: Offline

Re: New Jersey Ban On Paper Bags, Single Use Plastic Bags, & Plastic Food Containers

Post by Alpha8472 »

I work at a pharmacy and we go through tons of cleaning supplies. It is a huge expense and many customers complain about how things are not cleaned enough. Someone complained that a chair was not sanitized immediately after the previous person sat it in. Well, that is why many pharmacies have gotten rid of chairs.

I am concerned about dirty reusable bags not because of just COVID-19, but of scabies and flesh eating bacteria. After having suffered through a horrendous hospitalization due to a skin infection, I realize that are dangerous germs on surfaces that you touch often.

There are so many customers who have scabies, that it is ridiculous. I always wondered why people with scabies would carry around a dirty reusable bag. I think that bag is a serious cause of their recurring scabies infections. Some people would keep coming back for scabies medications for years. Scabies is normally cured after 1 or 2 weeks unless you have something dirty reinfecting you.
BillyGr
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1578
Joined: October 5th, 2010, 7:33 pm
Been thanked: 58 times
Status: Offline

Re: New Jersey Ban On Paper Bags, Single Use Plastic Bags, & Plastic Food Containers

Post by BillyGr »

storewanderer wrote: September 30th, 2020, 8:38 pm This is why to this day I don't know of any store that is permitting the cashiers to handle the reusable bags. The reusable bags cannot even go on the surface of the checkstand per posted signs at all of the stores I shop at (which is, every major chain) and the employees have been advised to not even touch them. Some customers do put the reusable bags onto the self checkouts. I've watched self checkout attendants at various stores tell customers that isn't allowed, other stores do not seem to care.
Must just depend on the areas, as (now that NY plans to enforce the plastic bag restrictions later in October) the major chains here are again allowing employees to pack their bags (if they hadn't throughout, as one chain never went back to plastic bags, just your own or paper).
Post Reply