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Grittyville, WA

My blue state has imposed mandatory fees for plastic bags. This is one of these well intentioned but completely ineffective "feel good" things, correct?

Well those of you who think my politics are a bit nuts consider this: at the same time the government imposed a ban on plastic bags, they ALSO got RID OF our plastic recycling program. So now all plastic bottles etc are put into the trash, and then into a huge landfill.

That's government run by brainless feel-good politics.

I would argue that in every facet of our lives now, we are into lipstick-on-pig politics, at best. To me, this was a perfect example of that.

"Would you like a plastic bag for 8 cents?"

Do I want to carry around a dirty re-useable bag? Gee thanks... but... could we start with being able to recycle plastic that is marked recyclable?

10/25/2021 9:13:50 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

You're right about the well-intentioned (?) but misguided intentions and it all boils down to the economic return for recycling initiatives. And if they're going to charge 8 cents for a plastic bag, they should also have to buy it back for that same eight cents. Otherwise, I'd be leery of who's actually getting the eight cents and what it's going toward.

10/26/2021 7:21:42 AM

Grittyville, WA

I see it as being a trivial punishment that is more about them enjoying slapping people's wrist and spreading personal guilts they feel than about saving the environment. Because if they wanted to save the environment then why did they get rid of our recycling program.

Yes, it's probably about the money and the recycling probably needed to be subsidized (hire some people to sort it better). Conflicted agendas really bother me because you dont end up with "the best of both worlds", usually it seems to deliver the worst of both.

10/26/2021 11:17:54 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Read the literature, this program/system is used to promote the use of sustainable “recycled paper bags” and eliminating single use plastic bags.

In our Province, we can bring our own bags (paper, plastic, hemp, straw, weave, tubs....whatever) and we are credited 8 cents for each bag we use to fill with bought groceries as an incentive.

Being in a pulp and paper area such as the Pacific Northwest, we are super happy about this initiative and its support to the use of recycled paper products.

10/26/2021 11:46:50 AM

Grittyville, WA

All my plastic bags get reused as trash bags. They fit in a small waste basket perfectly. Otherwise, paper... Point well taken.

Ideally I will use plastic food trays and yogurt cups etc as pots, to start plants. I'm already reusing plastic jugs/ 2 litre bottles for cider.

Life goes on.

10/26/2021 1:18:16 PM