Banning plastic... plastic items, plastic bags...
By mommyboo
@mommyboo (13174)
United States
August 20, 2009 11:05am CST
So I have noticed there are several discussions regarding plastic bags or other plastic items, and people stating they either HAVE a tax on the bags, or they get some sort of credit for bringing reusable bags.
I have seen an overwhelming number of posters here mention that they are either IN FAVOR of this tax or that they would support banning plastic bags! Let me explain something to you. I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that you are all people who already use and LIKE your cloth reusable bags. Right? You are also big supporters of cleaning up the environment, living green, and whatnot. Right? You probably could not over time afford to keep paying for plastic bags that fall apart if you breathe on them wrong, nor do you think it's fair to have something so cheaply made cost you extra money. Right?
What if the shoe were on the other foot? What if you LIKED plastic bags, weren't into the whole green scene, and really don't appreciate other people you don't agree with trying to ban something you use every day? Why should it be banned? Why can't YOU just NOT use them if YOU don't like plastic?
I DO agree with giving a benefit to somebody who brings reusable bags or who uses reusable products rather than disposable if there is an option. This is kind of like saying that it is decent and proper for say an insurance company to reimburse someone for the cost of a gym membership (because it is a healthy behavior) or to give someone a credit on their auto ins if they insure multiple drivers per car and insure multiple cars, or maybe they reimburse you a partial amount for a weight bench you bought, or you get a credit on your property tax if you have a small garden in your backyard, etc etc. BENEFITTING people for good behaviors is an excellent tool.
However, I think it is heinous, disgusting, and rude to force larger people to buy two airplane seats, CHARGE someone for NOT exercising or not eating healthy, wrong more or less to punish people for things, and I am against bans. I don't see why people can't just use or not use whatever they want without another group of people having a fit about it. I don't care if you use your reusable items, but I don't want to SUFFER as a result because I don't want to.
3 people like this
10 responses
@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
20 Aug 09
Hello, I so agree with you 100%. I will say that we should try to be more greener but like you said why should others have to suffer because of it. I feel that we all could be greener and still get what we want and use what we want.
I use my plastic bags over and over. I never ever throw my bags away. But it does not mean that I don't ask for plastic while shopping. Simply all I do is take my bags to the second hand store or use them for yard sales. Like you said why shouls I have to suffer just because others want to ban using plastic bags. To me no matter what there will still be other stuff that is not good for our enviroment even if there is a ban on plastic items. It's like saying well you should use glass items, because it can be melted into something else. But I perfer plastic because like most people we have children. I think you have pointed out so many great points in your discussion. I feel that maybe you should get this out on video and get the world to see it. No one should have to be told what they can and can not use. That is not what our country is suppose to be about. So on another hand I agree with you on every aspect of this discussion.
Happy Mylotting
I use my plastic bags over and over. I never ever throw my bags away. But it does not mean that I don't ask for plastic while shopping. Simply all I do is take my bags to the second hand store or use them for yard sales. Like you said why shouls I have to suffer just because others want to ban using plastic bags. To me no matter what there will still be other stuff that is not good for our enviroment even if there is a ban on plastic items. It's like saying well you should use glass items, because it can be melted into something else. But I perfer plastic because like most people we have children. I think you have pointed out so many great points in your discussion. I feel that maybe you should get this out on video and get the world to see it. No one should have to be told what they can and can not use. That is not what our country is suppose to be about. So on another hand I agree with you on every aspect of this discussion.
Happy Mylotting2 people like this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
21 Aug 09
Thank you! Now there's a thought, let each person decide what they want to do and let it be... lol. I have always felt that way, I get most irritated with the inability of people to just do what they do and let others do what they do. It's like people get some insane jollies out of screwing other people or something!
There are things I do, such as recycle cans and some plastic, and I use those energy efficient light bulbs, but I don't drive a hybrid, I don't carpool, I don't bike, and I don't walk. I don't grow a garden (I can't really, I despise yard work and it's 100 degrees all summer lol) and I have lots of gadgety things that use power. I will do small things that I don't have to trade convenience for or things that actually earn me money, that's it.
I have a LOT of plastic and non breakable things - however as far as dishes and such, they are reusable of course so they get washed lol. With kids you have to have kid safe things...
@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
21 Aug 09
Exactly, we can be green without doing stuff that others do. I do the same as you do. Every light bulb we have is energy safe or what ever name they have. So to me that makes up for the not car pooling...lol. We save our bags for other use so to me that makes up for me not having a garden although it would be nice to have for watermelon and beans and tomatoes. But you are right we are helping with saving the earth with the little bit that we do. Plus to me I think that people should just let people be and go some where else to get their jollies off....lol
Happy Mylotting
@polo_princess (803)
•
20 Aug 09
With regards to plastic bags i do try to reuse mine where possible but sometimes its just not convienient, like a last minute dash into the supermarket to grab some food fro my daughter or something. That is when i begduge paying extra for a pastic bag. These comapnies make millions of pounds out of us and they are begrudging you a bag that doesnt even cost a penny? Like i say 99% of the time i do resuse mine anyway but being charged for bags is definatley annoying.
As for "fat" people having to buy two airplane seats .. well im on the fence with that one, i can see why they would do it and i think thats fair, but then i think its discriminating against "fat" or "big" people.
2 people like this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
21 Aug 09
I shop either by myself or with a 5 year old who can carry at most, one or two light bags. I cannot imagine trying to hand her one of those cloth totes, filled with groceries that thing would be bigger than she is.
I use bags to stuff clothing that goes to goodwill, I used to use them for wet or dirty diapers, they work great for trash in the car or at parks, to carry all sorts of extra things, snacks for kids, notebooks and pens, crayons, small toys, etc.
I don't like the idea that companies and other people can discriminate for what they claim are acceptable reasons, yet if THEY fit that category, you'd hear them screaming not fair. I believe that nobody should discriminate based on SIZE and also not based on gender preference or lifestyle. Those ought to be as protected as age, gender, race, etc. It really isn't fair to tell someone they have to buy two seats when nobody would ever ask me to buy two seats - unless I was two people...
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
21 Aug 09
I haven't used those plastic bags much. The few times I did were disastrous for me, the most memorable being that as soon as I picked up the double plastic bag containing a gallon of milk (by itself), the gallon container went right through the bottom of the double bag & practically exploded on the floor.
Most of the time, i shop at places where I buy in bulk, but they don't supply bags of any sort. They do have some kind of a bin that contains boxes for those that might need them - boxes that things arrived at the outlets in. I have not really needed to grab one of those either.
I actually have in the back seat of my car two heavy-duty boxes that I call shock boxes. The reason I call them "shock boxes" is because the new shocks for my vehicle came in those two boxes. i just push the shopping cart over to the backseat of my vehicle, & load my stuff into those boxes.
Well - we need a ban on quite a few of those bans, if that makes any sense. (Inside joke from another discussion) I know - I know - your eyes are up there, not there. 
1 person likes this
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
25 Aug 09
I thought we were friends, too. We've shared so many laughs together throughout the discussions, especially that one funny pic we were joking around about where I sort of got naughty.
I also admire your courage, knowing my reputation here.
@iriscot (1289)
• United States
20 Aug 09
Hi mommyboo, I see a few, and a very few people who bring their own cloth bags to the grocery store. So it doesn't look like that is being very well accepted. I know if we used cloth bags we would have to have 4 or 5 of them as we do most of our grocery shopping once a week.
The simple answer is to recycle. We recycle all of our plastic, metal and paper items once a week and it really cuts down on the trash that we send to the trash landfill.
It's your choice, and I don't think there will be any tax on using plastic bags or paper bags and I don't think we will ever go to cloth bags.
2 people like this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
20 Aug 09
I do recycle the bags that I don't use, they go in my recycle bin at the house. I've never been interested in buying or bringing a cloth bag, even if you gave me 10 of them free I doubt I'd use them. I shop a few times a week but there are times when I have 10 bags of groceries. I always check the mark downs and other things, so I often find lots and lots of items that are less than a quarter of their normal price. This makes my cart fuller by the time I get around to the front....
I may have mentioned once that when I worked, somebody at the company put out this proposition to stop using styrofoam. I was plenty irritated, I used styrofoam cups and containers, etc. Rather than use my own cups and mugs (because we then had issues with people using each others or stealing them), I simply bought and brought my OWN supply of styrofoam. It was irritating that I had to buy my own but the company wasn't doing anything that actually WORKED as an exchange. I don't have personal issues with styrofoam so I don't see why anybody ought to get in MY face about what I use. For the record, the people who were using or stealing people's reusable stuff were to blame for this, and I also believe that the company could have used paper or plastic instead of styrofoam if it was just the STYROFOAM issue. Hassle for nothing. Anger for nothing. Irritation for nothing.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
21 Aug 09
ok...I get the plastic bag thing because if you ever saw what they do to the environment then you too would not want to use them. have you ever watched the videos on the ocean dumps? If not...look them up and then tell me that it is ok to want to use plastic bags. I watched it and really am a bit more cautious about these things. I do agree that it is rude to force a large person to pay for 2 seats on a plane. We do not know whether they are that large due to poor health habits, genetics or an illness of some sort. Some meds cause weight gain. As for the plastic bags they are trying to discourage....I get no discounts for using them. We used to but they stopped it. Even if we got a discount...it was 5 cents per bag per visit. Now it is nothing.
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
24 Aug 09
I know what you mean. It is wrong to penalize or force anyone to do these things.It doesn't work anyway and only causes people to get angry. I know that fast food is unhealthy but I am a healthy person and not overweight. If on occassion, I want a juicy, greasy, double cheeseburger then dam...I want to be able to have it. If I choose to eat there every single day and get overweight and unhealthy....well, I guess it will be me who pays the price for that. As for the books, I agree...it is ignorant and wrong for them to ban them. It's true....we are losing our freedom. Little by little we have given up all our rights over time. Now it is at a point where we have little choice or control over much of anything anymore.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
24 Aug 09
That is why I keep telling people that I will not bend to the government wishes or the 'majority' or 'minority' vote to make something different for EVERYBODY. I support free choice, even if the choices some people make are BAD. I don't believe that any one person has jurisdiction nor control over another, so if someone makes a bad choice, it's theirs to make and they get to suffer the consequences. I see nothing wrong with that.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
24 Aug 09
See, I have no problem with good things being ENCOURAGED. I do have a problem with people getting PENALIZED for using something they have always used, that works for them etc etc. It bugs me that somebody went around and removed all the trans fats - even though it's unhealthy - because there we go, taking choice away. I am not going to be FORCED to be healthy or FORCED to be 'green'. Whatever I do is going to be my choice, period. I disagree with ANY banning of books - I think people who do things like that are downright idiotic. It really bothers me on a core level that jerks who do things like this are getting away with it. This country is really going down the toilet, and after all the hard work paid by loss of life by our military to make sure we were free. 
We aren't 'free'. People HERE have made sure of it!
We aren't 'free'. People HERE have made sure of it!
@tdemex (3540)
• United States
20 Aug 09
Hope you feel better? I agree with you to a point, people shouldn't use plastic bags! But until there's a viable replacement or a better idea and easy for the masses to use it ain't gonna happen. People are lazy and if they have to remember to bring their own source for carrying out their purchases, they won't do it! As far as heavy people paying extra, they do have a point they sell space, and space is limited if you need two seats you should pay for it, extra weight is more fuel the plane needs to transport the person from point A to point B ! But if it's a considered a handicap, then there should be an exception to the rule, or they should charge rent for the wheel chairs! 
tdemex
tdemex2 people like this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
20 Aug 09
Well, I like plastic bags because to me they are easy to pack, easy to carry (unless they bust when you touch them wrong lol) and I can reuse them for small trash cans or to carry other items if they are still intact. I was saving a lot of them for my neighbor, who makes homemade tamales, so he was actually grateful to have a huge supply of plastic bags so he didn't have to go buy them himself. I thought that was my nice little contribution to society 
. The tamales are excellent too.
I admit that *I* am lazy and I do not like things interfering with convenience for me. I work hard and I play hard, and I am the type of person who when faced with a few crappy things I need to do and a whole day, I will tackle the crappy things first and foremost and get them out of the way FAST so I can then enjoy the WHOLE day undisturbed by crappy things. I know other people who would rather lie around and procrastinate and then be faced by those crappy things at the day's end when they REALLY don't want to be faced with them.
Honestly, with the airlines losing money like they are, I think it would be better for them to have a few larger capacity seats. I am not a large person, I've never even been overweight, but it can be cripping enough for someone who is obese to simply BE obese, and then to have to pay an extra $386 for another seat? That's just adding insult to injury. People get treated differently if they are significantly larger or smaller, or if they act out in ways that are not socially acceptable. The least we could try to do would be not to draw EXTRA attention to it.
I do feel a bit better. I'm still interested to see who weighs in here.... there were an awful lot of people who were supporting a plastic bag ban and I want them to see what the other side thinks. I am not proposing that EVERYBODY keep using them either. I simply want them available for those of us who never had a problem with them in the first place. I also do not litter or throw my plastic bags outside, on the ground, etc, so I know it is not MY fault that the city is full of plastic bags. 
. The tamales are excellent too.
I admit that *I* am lazy and I do not like things interfering with convenience for me. I work hard and I play hard, and I am the type of person who when faced with a few crappy things I need to do and a whole day, I will tackle the crappy things first and foremost and get them out of the way FAST so I can then enjoy the WHOLE day undisturbed by crappy things. I know other people who would rather lie around and procrastinate and then be faced by those crappy things at the day's end when they REALLY don't want to be faced with them.
Honestly, with the airlines losing money like they are, I think it would be better for them to have a few larger capacity seats. I am not a large person, I've never even been overweight, but it can be cripping enough for someone who is obese to simply BE obese, and then to have to pay an extra $386 for another seat? That's just adding insult to injury. People get treated differently if they are significantly larger or smaller, or if they act out in ways that are not socially acceptable. The least we could try to do would be not to draw EXTRA attention to it.
I do feel a bit better. I'm still interested to see who weighs in here.... there were an awful lot of people who were supporting a plastic bag ban and I want them to see what the other side thinks. I am not proposing that EVERYBODY keep using them either. I simply want them available for those of us who never had a problem with them in the first place. I also do not litter or throw my plastic bags outside, on the ground, etc, so I know it is not MY fault that the city is full of plastic bags. 
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
20 Aug 09
Hey mommyboo! You should be an activist! You make me lmao!
I totally agree with you on all of this! I don't want anyone
to tell me that I can or can't use plastic bags if I need
or want to! If you don't want to then fine, just keep me out
of it! I also have no problem with people going "green" and
I have no problem recycling and helping the environment~
that is to a point! But, I do reuse my plastic bags! I use
them for garbage, so in a way I'm recycling! And don't get
up my azz on the definition of recyling! As for the plane
seat thing, that one depends? If you are going to be taking
over part of my seat then I might have a problem with that!
Sorry mommyboo! I don't want someone squishing me! Nothing
personal, I just don't like people invading my seat or lap
except my cats! Stop laughing! Do you want someone sitting
on your lap on the plane and squishing you? It think not!
It's bad enough sharing the armrest!
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
24 Aug 09
If being an activist only required someone ELSE reading or listening (unknown to me) to me and then DOING SOMETHING that I wanted without having to make me talk to people or get embroiled in media attention and later giving me credit, then I could do it. As it stands, I want nothing to do with politics or the media, can you imagine? I'd have no friends left, everybody would run screaming.
It's so refreshing to see that there are indeed more of us who 'don't want anybody else to tell US what to do!' I do think that MOST people feel like that on a base level, I just wish more people would SAY that so that these bullies who believe they run things would go back under their rocks.
The plane seat thing I think is fixable. You know how there are wider close stalls for parking for disabled people right? WHY not have a few seats on each plane that instead of being 3 to a row, make 2 to a row? If they HAVE to be azzholes, they can charge a LITTLE more for the larger seat, but nothing like telling a 400 lb person - sir, you MUST BUY TWO SEATS. Granted I do not know how often this actually happens but I have heard enough people say that it has, that they have seen it happen or sadly enough - it happened to them. One more thing about the seats - airplane seats are REALLY NARROW anyway! I'm a small person and the seat is fine for me - but I AM A SMALL PERSON. Most people are bigger than me. That means that the average size person is probably smashed in the seat as it is! Unless you're under 5'4, you probably have little leg room. BTW I don't want to share a seat either, but you can't even move the armrests.... sometimes. I'd make an exception for my husband lol.
@trisha27 (3494)
• United States
21 Aug 09
I totally agree with you on this one. Just because some people want to live a certain way or use certain things that the rest of society does not agree with people should not be banned. It makes me wonder what next will get taxed. As far as I know where I live we are not being taxed for plastic bags and I hope that they don't bring that here, but you never know. My husband and I always use plastic bags when we go to the grocery store and to be getting charged to use something that will be ripped apart eventually I think is a crazy idea for whoever thought of it.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
24 Aug 09
I think I bristle more at the idea that some jerk will go about BANNING or TAXING something that only THEY have a problem with. That interferes with the amendment about the pursuit of happiness, in MY opinion. I mean if I want to be a jerk, how about I tell everybody that they have to get a gym membership? You know, because it's healthy and people are killing themselves and mistreating their bodies by not exercising! And yeah, it impacts ME because I have to see them sick and/or unhealthy, and they are a drain on the health system! So it's MANDATORY and I will MAKE YOU GO SWEAT.
Ha ha ha! Don't you see how ridiculous that sounds? Like I could ever do a thing like that. Like I possibly hate people enough to be that much of a jerk. But there are people who hate people - like the jerk who tried to ban OREOS. Anybody who goes around trying to ban FAST FOOD. Anybody who goes around trying to take something NORMAL away from the general public because THEY have an issue with it. WE don't have an issue with it - we as in the majority of the general public. It is just one schmuck who gets other people all bent out of shape to support them and then it turns into a big deal. I wish it were possible to take people like that and ship them OFF the planet. I don't want to be messed with. I want to enjoy my normal life without dealing with your issues.
I'll be monitoring this situation, so far my plastic bags remain plentiful and free and I MIGHT do something if that is threatened, simply because I don't want to deal with jerks and issues of other people.
@bewitched13 (792)
• India
21 Aug 09
In India we have a real menace with these plastic bags. We do not have the recycling bin or anything sort of. Every city is full with these used plastic bags and the cows getting suffocated with it or a dirty pungent smoke spoiling the environment when the waste is burned with these plastics. If we were asked to pay for these plastics no one would opt for it but as it is free with anything and everything you buy poeple do not mind it. I am against this plastic bags and always carry a jute or a paper bag whenever i go shopping. But to my disgust i always carry these plastic bags back along with my bags as i am in forced with one in every shop. I have no dislike for plastics. The shopkeepers can provide one to the people who ask for it and not even for one who do want it. I would say that these plastics are just environmental polluters and it is best to avoid them.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
24 Aug 09
Oh, I totally agree that they should never force plastic bags on you if you bring your own bags, but at the same time, I do not want the shops to stop providing them to people who WANT to use them. While I would NEVER MAKE someone else use a plastic bag, I don't think anybody should MAKE ME NOT USE ONE. LOL!
I guess that is the answer. If you try to remove my plastic bags, I will force you to wear one. I AM still joking... at this point.
I AM still joking... at this point.
@letsee77 (224)
• United States
20 Aug 09
I've honestly not heard about the idea of a ban on platic bags. I myself keep all the ones I get (that don't have holes in them) and use them for trash. Just like you said, same thing. Though a new Wal-Mart just opened up across the street from where I live and my boyfriend bought me a bunch of re usable cloth bags. I thought hey this is a really cool thing to have, but I still like to get a few plastic bags as I use them. I know that plastic takes a long time to decompose and with so many getting tossed it's probably not a great thing. I don't think they should ban them, perhaps a way to recycle them. I don't know that I would want to pay extra money for the bags either, money is tight enough that, even though it's a convienence, I would rather use a re usable cloth bag or get paper.
That's another thing, large retail stores really don't have paper bags, not like most grocery stores do. And paper bags are certainly enviormentally friendly as they break down rather quickly. Why don't they find an alternative to replace platic bags then instead of banning them?
@iriscot (1289)
• United States
20 Aug 09
It seems to me that the plastic bags that are at the grocery store don't take up much space. What worries me is the size of some of these landfill sites. The one closest to our community was shut down because of some financial problem. The ones that are still operating are growing like crazy. Seven years ago while driving to the Siteman Cancer site in St Louis on highway 40 there was a new landfill site that seemed to be just getting started. Today, when we go to siteman that mound is gigantic.
When people explore these sites 500 or a 1000 years from now, thinking that they are Indian burial sites, what are they going to find? They are probably going to think that we were the most wasteful and extravegant people that ever walked this earth.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
24 Aug 09
I really do not agree with wasteful packaging (ie 90% packaging, 10% item inside) but until the companies who do such things stop there is nothing I am personally going to do about it. I'm just not that kind of person.
As far as the landfills, just like it's probably really disgusting how I get my steak (the process of raising a cow, slaughtering it, and getting that steak to the grocery store) - it doesn't bother me enough to be some sort of activist against it. These things will happen/exist anyway BECAUSE there is a need because there are just lots of people out there like me who are not angry over it. I'm not concerned that the world is going to end because of what people do. If that were going to happen it would have ended a long time ago. I don't think we are oh so important that we have the power to destroy everything irreparably. That would be a little nose in the air, don't you think? We aren't the only intelligent life form out there. For all we know we are a pet experiment of somebody else.
@letsee77 (224)
• United States
20 Aug 09
You make a good point, they'll find tons of waste and platic packaging, old toilets and tubs, everything that we throw away that just gets buried and does not decompose. Like one giant twister took the place out and piled it all up in one area to get buried over time.
That's another thing, have you ever bought your child a little toy that came in the large oversized plastic package. The ones you have to practically saw through to get open. Inside is that one little toy, the rest is plastic, cardboard and well waste. I don't understand that at all.
