Are you for or against plastic shopping bag bans?

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

San Francisco Bay Coffee Company makes pods for Keurig that only have a plastic rim around the edge, rather than a cup. Not perfect, but much better.

Do you notice any taste issues with that?

 

[Kogo Shuko]

We only reuse plastic bags when lining small garbage cans in the house (in the bedrooms and washrooms). Then after that they get thrown out with garbage in them.

I actually prefer using canvas bags, because they hold more and are less likely to rip due to weight or sharp edges. And it's so easy to accumulate them for free, it literally costs me nothing to get them.

 

[leebee]

Whatever happened to making a pot of coffee for the office?

We can't have coffee pots at work; they are considered a fire hazard. I love the single cup Keurig in our break room. There is always fresh coffee, and I use a self-pack basket for it instead of the actual K-cup so I always have coffee I love. Many of the folks with whom I work are also very good about emptying the grounds out of the used K-cups, so the plastic and foil can go in the recycling bins. Not perfect, but better then dropping them in the trash.

I am kind-of against the plastic bag ban. Although we use reusable bags a lot of the time, we also use the plastic bags at home for garbage, cat litter, and to line our waste baskets. If they ban these bags, I'll just have to buy them. Doesn't change the plastic usage, just costs me more. I also find it annoying that some places charge for paper bags, as we reuse them, also, for our recycling stuff. I'd really like to see more focus on the reuse/recycle aspects instead of just banning; that's kind of like punishing those who are responsible in usage because of the idiots who just throw stuff around.

 

[Hikergirl]

Do you notice any taste issues with that?

I'm not the pp you quoted but I use the SFB coffee and it's one of my favorites. I prefer the Rainforest blend, and I get Fogchaser for dh every once in awhile because he likes stronger coffee.
It's as good as any of the "higher" end coffees made for K-cups.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm not the pp you quoted but I use the SFB coffee and it's one of my favorites. I prefer the Rainforest blend, and I get Fogchaser for dh every once in awhile because he likes stronger coffee.
It's as good as any of the "higher" end coffees made for K-cups.

That's good to hear. I'll go look into it as I like the idea of less plastic. Thanks for the info

 

[ImDMous]

I'm curious, the meal delivery services, what kind of packaging do they have? It just irks me that I can't get a lid on my soda at disney, but people are getting a meal delivered a few times a week at home, with a bunch of little bags of food is ok. Or as someone mentioned the K cups. Or disposable diapers....how come there isn't a study if everyone used cloth diapers 10% of the time that would save 5 million diapers a day from going into landfills.

I'm not sure about other services, but we use Blue Apron and almost everything is recyclable. The box, the ice packs, the insulated liner, and all the individual bags.

How to Recycle
At Blue Apron, we're committed to sustainability. The majority of our current packaging can be recycled, and our dedicated packaging team is continuously exploring and testing more environmentally-friendly solutions to introduce in the near future.

The guide below provides instructions on how to recycle the most common materials in your Blue Apron delivery. We are also proud members of How2Recycle®, a recycling resource organization and part of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition®. Please visit the How2Recycle site for additional guidance on recycling the materials in your Blue Apron box, as well as a tool to find the nearest recycling options in your neighborhood.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I think you are very confused about the most typical definition of a "dime bag." Maybe don't ask for any out in public?

Therein lies the humor. I find both extremely distasteful (though on different levels obviously) and don't ask for them at all.

 

[leebee]

Or disposable diapers....how come there isn't a study if everyone used cloth diapers 10% of the time that would save 5 million diapers a day from going into landfills.

Diapers are an interesting story. You have to look at your local environment, as sometimes washing diapers is more harmful to the environment than using disposables. You have to consider the amount of water being used, the amount of waste water produced, treatment required, etc. Not straightforward at all.

 

[kdonnel]

I'm not sure about other services, but we use Blue Apron and almost everything is recyclable. The box, the ice packs, the insulated liner, and all the individual bags.

How to Recycle
At Blue Apron, we're committed to sustainability. The majority of our current packaging can be recycled, and our dedicated packaging team is continuously exploring and testing more environmentally-friendly solutions to introduce in the near future.

The guide below provides instructions on how to recycle the most common materials in your Blue Apron delivery. We are also proud members of How2Recycle®, a recycling resource organization and part of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition®. Please visit the How2Recycle site for additional guidance on recycling the materials in your Blue Apron box, as well as a tool to find the nearest recycling options in your neighborhood.

But have they followed the reduce principle? Have they minimized the packaging to the minimum required to deliver the product? So many people are focused on the recyclability of their packaging or product when they would be better served to focus on reducing the amounting of packaging used.

Looking at some YouTube

videos there appears to be an extra amount of packaging versus if you bought the same items in a local grocery store. Especially with the spices and oils which come in single use containers.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is the preferred order.

https://bridgingthegap.org/reduce-reuse-recycle/

It is a common misconception to believe recycling paper, aluminum cans, and glass bottles is the best way to reduce one’s waste footprint. When in actuality, recycling falls third in the pecking order of most impactful ways to remove materials from your waste stream.

 

[jo-jo]

Diapers are an interesting story. You have to look at your local environment, as sometimes washing diapers is more harmful to the environment than using disposables. You have to consider the amount of water being used, the amount of waste water produced, treatment required, etc. Not straightforward at all.

But then why don't we all wear clothes once and toss them? Of course then we'd have to use fuel to go buy more clothes and we'd be lost without the plastic bag to carry them home.

 

[Squirlz]

Even as a Plastics Engineer I am all for it. The damage to the environment has to stop. I do use the plastic bags for cat litter but I'll find a new way. We have so many giveaway tote bags that shopping won't be a problem, and we have collapsible metal straws that we helped crowdfund.

 

[ImDMous]

But have they followed the reduce principle? Have they minimized the packaging to the minimum required to deliver the product? So many people are focused on the recyclability of their packaging or product when they would be better served to focus on reducing the amounting of packaging used.

Looking at some YouTube

videos there appears to be an extra amount of packaging versus if you bought the same items in a local grocery store. Especially with the spices and oils which come in single use containers.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is the preferred order.

https://bridgingthegap.org/reduce-reuse-recycle/

I guess if I was able to buy a tablespoon of ver jous at the store and just bring my own container that would be better. I do think it would be cool if you could specify that you already have basics of flour, sugar, etc those didn't need to be sent. Most of the stuff isn't something I would normally have and if I went and bought the smallest amount of it, I would have 8oz or more rotting in my cupboard for the next 6 months and then throw it away. Things you use for every meal like olive oil, salt, pepper, you are expected to have yourself.

 

[kdonnel]

I guess if I was able to buy a tablespoon of ver jous at the store and just bring my own container that would be better. I do think it would be cool if you could specify that you already have basics of flour, sugar, etc those didn't need to be sent. Most of the stuff isn't something I would normally have and if I went and bought the smallest amount of it, I would have 8oz or more rotting in my cupboard for the next 6 months and then throw it away. Things you use for every meal like olive oil, salt, pepper, you are expected to have yourself.

I wonder if they could provide initial customers with multi use containers of oils and spices their recipes use? A 3 months supply and a system for asking if more is needed as time goes on?

 

[kdonnel]

But then why don't we all wear clothes once and toss them? Of course then we'd have to use fuel to go buy more clothes and we'd be lost without the plastic bag to carry them home.

Most people have mastered using the toilet and their clothes do not require the same level of environmental impact when cleaned.

The same arguments are used against electric cars. There is a negative environmental impact to making the batteries required. But there is a great environmental savings by consolidating the pollution to electrical plants where it can be better handled then spewed out of distributed tail pipes.

 

[Kellykins1218]

100% against banning them

 

[wvjules]

I am for the ban. I live near DC and although they aren't banned they cost 5 cents per bag. Not enough of a deterrent, IMO. I like the idea of 10 cents better. We have a stockpile of bags that we use for litter. A lot of restaurants around here are going to paper straws too. I hate them so I just don't use a straw, which means no ice because it kills my teeth.

I am all for anything that can have a positive impact on the environment. It is sad to see the stories of the dead marine life with pounds and pounds of plastic in their stomach. Even if the impact is small, every little bit helps.

 

[PattnFmly]

Count me against the ban. We reuse all our bags. I use them to separate out items stored in the basement in bins, for cat & dog poop, as sacks to carry shoes in when you need to change shoes somewhere, and as trash bags too. But also, our church has a free clothes closet and people are allowed one bag per person per week of free clothes. All our bags (and clothes etc) are donated by church members. A ban on bags means that we will have to buy bags to give away free clothes. Plus, although I don't mind reusable bags for canned goods and boxes, I get skeeved out by putting meat and dairy items into reusable bags. If I have to put the meat into a little baggie at the meat counter in order to keep it from dripping in my cart or my cloth bag, where's the environmental positive in that? And don't get me started on paper bags .. they rip in an instant in my area. They seldom even make it into the car intact, never mind into the house.

 

[Maggie Gallagher]

I recycle the bags for diapers, and garbage from the bathrooms. When something is too soiled and wet for a paper bag, you need plastic. My sister has a day care center, and she goes through lots of plastic bags to send home soiled clothing when the kids wet their pants. I give her any extra bags that I accumulate.

I understand that plastic is horrible for our environment, but I don't know what else to use.

We do use cloth recyclable bags for groceries, but they get gross pretty quickly. I really prefer plastic especially for raw meats. We do our best.

 

[BLAZEY]

I have reusable bags that I've had for years. I have taken most of the plastic bags I did have to be recycled. I have found we use way fewer plastic bags now that we can not put compostable garbage in the trash bin. My grocery store give a $0.03 discount for every reusable bag we use.

 

[CPanther95]

I'll keep the plastic bags - even though I have to double them up to prevent breakage.

We were already pressured to drop paper bags to save the rain forest. Only one inconvenience allowed per issue - it's an unwritten rule.