California bans thin plastic produce bags

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storewanderer
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California bans thin plastic produce bags

Post by storewanderer »

This one really slipped under the radar. It was quietly approved by the California Governor this week. The grocers group CGA opposed it but did not say why or discuss it further; it will go into effect in 2025 after a compromise with the grocers trade group (the bill sponsor wanted it going into effect in 2023).

This will ban the thin plastic produce bags but permit the identical "Compostable" ones (already used at Trader Joe's). There is no fee attached to this.

Canada has banned the use, sale, and manufacturing of thin film plastic bags including the Compostable ones. Evidently whatever company makes Compostable bags in California (no use naming them, they make thin film bags too though in addition to the super thick plastic "reusable" ones) wanted to get ahead of that sort of legislation and ensure they have a viable market for their product in the future.

Not sure why nobody is doing anything about those super thick plastic bags the major CA chains are dispensing and most customers use once just like a single use bag (not a paper bag in sight at most of them)...
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Re: California bans thin plastic produce bags

Post by Alpha8472 »

This is a mess. Compostable bags that look identical to the thin plastic bags... Those compostable bags cannot be mixed with plastic bags for bag recycling. It would contaminate the plastic and render that batch of plastic unrecyclable.
storewanderer
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Re: California bans thin plastic produce bags

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Alpha8472 wrote: October 7th, 2022, 12:26 am This is a mess. Compostable bags that look identical to the thin plastic bags... Those compostable bags cannot be mixed with plastic bags for bag recycling. It would contaminate the plastic and render that batch of plastic unrecyclable.
This is a good way to shut down the recycling and complain why it doesn't work or isn't effective. Force a product that further contaminates the stream, a look a like compostable bag, and distribute it in a just big enough way (just those little produce bags).

Not doing anything about all those thin plastic film "air bubbles" being included in online packages either. I have so many of those I pop... same exact material as the thin produce bags...

Would like to see this challenged legally and overturned. Along with the plastic bag ban at large that has these stupid super thick plastic bags being dispensed.

Also I have had some batches of the Trader Joe's compostable produce bags (not lately though, so something has changed on those) that I have found animals like to try to chew/eat/consume. I am not sure what those compostable bags are made of that have attracted the interest of multiple different animals, but they have zero interest in the thin plastic ones (seem to know those are inedible).

The grocers lobbying group also put in a request for no local bans on these thin bags and no further local regulation on these bags. The grocers lobbying group also put in a request that no local areas could assess a fee on the compostable bags. I found that interesting. The grocers lobbying group probably also knows the fee program is a joke and very often the bag fee is not charged at all or under-counted.
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Re: California bans thin plastic produce bags

Post by reymann »

honestly, i feel like california is gonna become a bagless state in a few years like new jersey. people will be screwed if they don't bring their reusable bags within the next ten years.
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Re: California bans thin plastic produce bags

Post by storewanderer »

reymann wrote: October 14th, 2022, 7:20 am honestly, i feel like california is gonna become a bagless state in a few years like new jersey. people will be screwed if they don't bring their reusable bags within the next ten years.
There is already discussion to roll the rules back in NJ and people are quite angry about the bag ban there. NJ does not ban produce bags either.

Watch politics in NJ. Decisions that piss everyone off have consequences and they didn't time this one particularly well.
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Re: California bans thin plastic produce bags

Post by CalItalian »

Vons, Albertsons and more recently Ralphs have been putting out grocery bags in multiple areas at self-checkout you can just grab. It's more up to the honor system to pay for them. Just too labor intensive to have self-checkout cashiers hand them out.

Hell, lately at slower times at Vons, the express lane cashier has to watchover any issues arrising at self-checkout. They aren't using a dedicated self-checkout cashier at all.
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Re: California bans thin plastic produce bags

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CalItalian wrote: October 14th, 2022, 11:27 am Vons, Albertsons and more recently Ralphs have been putting out grocery bags in multiple areas at self-checkout you can just grab. It's more up to the honor system to pay for them. Just too labor intensive to have self-checkout cashiers hand them out.

Hell, lately at slower times at Vons, the express lane cashier has to watchover any issues arrising at self-checkout. They aren't using a dedicated self-checkout cashier at all.
NorCal Safeway always had the bags directly on the self checkout unit for you to use. Wal Mart tried to not put bags out but for the past 4+ years just had them out there on the self checkout unit too at least around Sacramento/rurals. Raleys and Save Mart seem to vary by store what they do, but usually have bags on the machines as well. WinCo never puts bags out though.

I was surprised to see some Ralphs handing out bags the way they were. That was a ridiculous set up. You ask for a bag and they stand there until you end the transaction to ensure you push the bag fee through. If they want to do it that way, the cashier there at self checkout should give you the bag and immediately input the bag fee into the self checkout right at that point and give you the bag and leave you alone to bag your items.

It is not worth anyone's time to guard 10 cent bags that are a store supply (not a merchandise inventory item).
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Re: California bans thin plastic produce bags

Post by HCal »

storewanderer wrote: October 14th, 2022, 11:43 am

It is not worth anyone's time to guard 10 cent bags that are a store supply (not a merchandise inventory item).
It's not worth their time, but giving out bags without the fee can result in a fine from the state. They have to at least have some mechanism to appear like they are following the law.

I know enforcement has been non-existent, and the fines aren't particularly large, but it's probably not a road they want to go down.
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Re: California bans thin plastic produce bags

Post by storewanderer »

HCal wrote: October 14th, 2022, 6:49 pm

It's not worth their time, but giving out bags without the fee can result in a fine from the state. They have to at least have some mechanism to appear like they are following the law.

I know enforcement has been non-existent, and the fines aren't particularly large, but it's probably not a road they want to go down.
They do have a mechanism. The self checkout asks the customer to select how many bags used. Just like it asks the customer to select how many limes they have, how many cucumbers they have, etc. Also some stores bags have a barcode on them and can be scanned.

All I know is I am charged for bags 100% of the time if I take a bag at self checkout. However, if I am at a regular cashier, I am rarely charged for bags.
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