25 cents each plastic shopping bag used!

[BluesBabe666]

Hear about this? SOMEONE is thinking of bringing in this 25 cent tax, for each plastic shopping bag that we use when shopping for our groceries!!

This is all very good and well to help the environment, but in my opinion, i think this is ridiculous!!! Who remembers the days when our shopping was put in big brown paper bags? Why cant we go back to that scenario? It seems unfair that supermarkets are the ones that supply consumers with these plastic bags, yet we're the ones that are expected to pay a levy for each plastic bag used!

Especcially when alot of people re-use those plastic bags for rubbish bags....

Why not get the supermarkets to phase out the plastic and bring back the paper bags?? Doesnt that make more sense? I mean because come on, whats really going to happen to that 25 cents?! Going to go to the environment is it? All of it? YEAH RIGHT!!!

 

[carlyp]

SOMEONE= Dr Bob Brown

 

[i_luv_westcoast]

The Greenies wouldn't like paper bags either though, have to cut down to many trees.

 

[myee8]

Originally posted by BluesBabe666
Hear about this? SOMEONE is thinking of bringing in this 25 cent tax, for each plastic shopping bag that we use when shopping for our groceries!!

This is all very good and well to help the environment, but in my opinion, i think this is ridiculous!!! Who remembers the days when our shopping was put in big brown paper bags? Why cant we go back to that scenario? It seems unfair that supermarkets are the ones that supply consumers with these plastic bags, yet we're the ones that are expected to pay a levy for each plastic bag used!

Especcially when alot of people re-use those plastic bags for rubbish bags....

Why not get the supermarkets to phase out the plastic and bring back the paper bags?? Doesnt that make more sense? I mean because come on, whats really going to happen to that 25 cents?! Going to go to the environment is it? All of it? YEAH RIGHT!!!

The only time plastic bags won't incur a surcharge is when it's used for meat and 2 other types of groceries, not sure what. Paper bags are not that good for all items coz of the moisture and what now. Regardless, i heard in the same report that it was very effective in Ireland in terms of reducing the rubbish or the reduction of the use of paper bags, not sure which. Personally i am against it as i like the reuse of plastic bags for rubbish and any other need to put other stuff in it. There are also apparently those 'recyclable' plastic bags that broke down after three days in the sun, remember those everyone? My vote is against it.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

I reckon it's a great idea. The number of plastic bags I see floating around in creeks and the like is obscene. At least paper biodegrades and leaves nothing behind. Anything that encourages people to use plastic less is good in my opinion.

It won't affect me as I take my own bags to the shops. They're easier to carry, won't cost anything under this scheme and have no impact on the environment.

 

[PC28]

Originally posted by Rusty Brookes
. At least paper biodegrades and leaves nothing behind.

The plastic bags that we use are supposed to have the same effect...

 

[Spidergirl~RiCkChiCk]

so it's a money making exercise then??? like who gets the money because u mite get some dumbarse checkout chik who puts only 3 items in each bag then u got say 12 plastic bags to carry at 25 cents each = you've just paid an extra $3.00 ( i think, i can't do maths) on your supermarket bill.

 

[BluesBabe666]

Thats exactly my point Spider! We pay all these taxes, and i think 25 cents per bag is just ridiculous without knowing exactly where this money is going!!!

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Originally posted by PC28


The plastic bags that we use are supposed to have the same effect...

I think the key word there is "supposed". The other problem with plastic bags is some marine animals suffocate in them or die after swallowing them.

As I said I take along my own bags so in won't affect me personally.

 

[vanders]

well, next time you do to the supermarket just say 'sorry i dont want a bag' and put everything back in the trolley after its been scanned, dump it all in your car, and carry on home. Might save you $5 and lose you 10 minutes!

 

[Spidergirl~RiCkChiCk]

Originally posted by vanders
well, next time you do to the supermarket just say 'sorry i dont want a bag' and put everything back in the trolley after its been scanned, dump it all in your car, and carry on home. Might save you $5 and lose you 10 minutes!

hehe u would have to be a scab to do that but if u do the maths and actually add up how much more u r spending u would prob be shocked. Ya can't do jack about it tho its like the gst really.

 

[clucas91]

Who cares, they should have made it 50 cents a bag.

Plastic bags take 1000 years to totally bio-degrade, people use them as rubbish bags etc. but there are too many of the bloody things. Any ordinance to try and reduce the amount of these things has got to be a good one.

 

[Docker_Brat]

I think it is a bloody fantastic idea.

Why be angry about it? Just buy some of those calico bags instead and re-use them.

There are literally billions of plastic bags used in just in this country in the last year! Where do you think all this stuff goes? It's not as if it is biodegrable, these bags are going to be on this planet long after you, you children, even your great great great children are long gone.

 

[Docker_Brat]

Re: Re: 25 cents each plastic shopping bag used!

Originally posted by myee8
There are also apparently those 'recyclable' plastic bags that broke down after three days in the sun, remember those everyone? My vote is against it.

They are photo-degradable and on the surface they sound like a great idea, but all they do is break down into smaller bits that you can't see, that crap still ends up in the environment and into the food chain.

 

[myee8]

I personally am not angry. It's just that it's hard to use paper bags to put your rubbish in. I like using the ones you get from Big W or Wollies for the rubbish bin. Paper bags like the ones you see in the US seem to be too fragile at times, and with not handles. But they have used them a lot, so it mustn't be that bad.

 

[Murph]

Buy some of those string bags they sell at the shops for about $3 bucks each, saves on the bags.

 

[Squeak]

What if this was in place 3 or 4 years ago. Sam Mendes may have gone grocery shopping and not had a spare quarter on him. The result? No Oscar for American Beauty.

 

[BluesBabe666]

I just mean - supermarkets used to supply paper bags... now they supply plastic... why should a consumer pay the price, when supermarkets are the ones that are supplying the ****ty bags which choke marine life etc. Just seems to me as if someone is taking levies off the wrong people.

 

[GoEagles]

They actually make customers buy plastic shopping bags at Makro in Bali. They only cost 800Rp each, which is about 15c for us.

 

[Player]

You don't get plastic bags in New Zealand.

They dump all the used carboard boxes in a corner, which can become a bit of a lolly scramble, or if you find a decent box while shopping, you grab it.

The customer ends up grateful to take away the stores rubbish.

Anyway why should other customers subsidise your shopping?

 

[redback]

Before they used paper bags they used to use there boxes to put your shopping in so instead of them breaking up the boxes & putting them in a bin they can go back to using the boxes for your shopping problem solvered.

DOH beat me to it.

 

[M29]

I have mixed feelings about this. Firstly, I'm a guy and guys don't shop, it's a chicks job so it's irrelevant. Secondly, paper bags aren't nearly as much fun as they wouldn't choke dolphins like plastic bags.

 

[Bee]

Good idea I reckon. And while they are at it, they can get rid of those plastic ring things around six packs of beer cans too! They are the worst offenders of marine life death.

 

[Bluey]

Re: Re: 25 cents each plastic shopping bag used!

Originally posted by myee8
There are also apparently those 'recyclable' plastic bags that broke down after three days in the sun, remember those everyone?

As I recall the problem with those was that they did not break down far enough. More that they broke apart.

There would still be the problem of small flakes of plastic entering the water system.

 

[Docker_Brat]

Originally posted by Bee
Good idea I reckon. And while they are at it, they can get rid of those plastic ring things around six packs of beer cans too! They are the worst offenders of marine life death.

I don't think there is too many of those in use now with the 30 can 'block' being more popular these days.

Reminds me of an Aus edition of Mad and there was one cartoon drawn by Andrew Fyfe called 'Australia the Yucky Country' and there was a pic of 6 penguins marching in formation with a 6 pack ring around each neck.