New York City Proposes A Charge Per Plastic Bag At Stores

Hello pye

In some ways this measure stinks for people who must literally count and save every penny just to get by.

But in other ways, it does make sense.

This happens in some of the shops in one of the cities I live in from time to time, and I've changed my shopping habits. I now take around my own bags when I go to the shops in these cities, and it's not so bad.

Hi pye,


We had all this a few months ago, and some stores were putting out notice saying they have run out of bags so bring your own bags, but it onlt went for couple of weeks and now it semms its back to normal, people just don't get the message over here, but I still use my recycle and clothe bags when ever I go out to the supermarket.

Bright Blessings,

Tamara

I would have to say it's a good idea. But in the area where I was living (until recently), they would give you a discount. The local grocery stores or markets were giving people about the same, but a discount on their groceries if they brought their own bags.

Now, maybe in the bigger cities it may seem like a better idea to tax people. But in the economy today, it seems like it is a better idea to give people a break. Wouldn't that help people out more? They have been doing this for over a year now, I think. And I know quite a few people who took advantage of it.

I myself just recently had someone at a clerk tell me, when I ask for them not to give me a bag, that they would get in trouble. That had to be bogus, but it was a hardware store. And I don't see why they couldn't have just put a sticker on it or something.

Thanks for starting this discussion, and have a good evening!

Seattle proposed a 10 cents per bag to begin in January, but I think it has been postponed because so many people were not for it. (I'm not entirely sure, I tend to bring my own bags to the grocery store as often as I can and haven't paid a lot of attention).

I'm torn on the issue--there are positives and negatives. Of course, the positive is that (hopefully) there would be less waste. Negatives are that it may be difficult for people who can't spare extra change. While they could get a re-usable bag, what if they need to pick some things up at the last minute and don't have their bag(s)? Maybe people just should get discounts for having their own bags.

If something like this were inforced, it wouldn't change my own habits much--except I'd have fewer bags to re-use as trash bags in my small trashcans.

Hello, pye...

When I came here in Lansing, I noticed that my fiance is going Green. He is not using any plastic bags. He is using paper bags. And when we went shopping, almost all of the Michigandi never uses plastic bags, although there is a plastic bag section but they still preferred to use paper bags.

He gathers all cans, old newspapers, aluminum foils, plastic bottles. And we will bring it to meijer's. For each plastic bottle, you will get 10 cents. I still don't know how much they pay for the old newspapers and magazines.

But, I was amazed how the supermarkets here in Lansing supports "Go Green" programs.

Back in the Philippines, I am always a "Green" person. I do not smoke. I do not throw garbage anywhere. And I recycle.

Some of our little seaside towns are going plastic-bag free. One of them stopped using plastic bags in the shops a couple of years ago, and it's been going really well. They were finding sea creatures and birds killed and strangled, washed up on the shore, from being caught up in or ingesting plastic - so the entire community agreed to go bag free. Our big supermarkets still use bags and no charge for them has been applied at the moment. I must admit I'm guilty of forgetting to take my string and cloth bags (of which I have a few). When I do get plastic bags, I re-use them as bin liners - but it's still not ideal, I know.

Over here in China, we need to pay for plastic bag for purchases in supermart or megamart. even those small stores we need to pay them for bags too. the govt encourages us to bring our own bags to cut down our usage on plastic bags as part of the global efforts to save environment. we pay about 3-7 US cents for bags of different sizes.

We have two discount groceries in the area that charge for plastic bags - 2 cents for small, 10 cents for large. If you can find empty boxes in the store, you can use them instead or bring your own. And, one of our largest groceries gives discounts for each "green" bag used to pack groceries. Plastic bags ARE a costly item for stores, so it does save them money for us to use something else - and they don't bio-degrade in landfills, so it's beneficial to not use them.

The three stores I mentioned are Save-a-Lot and Aldi's (charge for bags) and ShopRite (discount for using green bags).

Check out the bags at Home depot...they are not green but orange, they have elastic on them and clips so that you can clip them to the sides of your shopping cart. They have nice flat bottom and the best bags I have seen for $.99.

We just bought some of them this weekend.

I think this is a great idea my problem is we use the plastic bags..we have 2 labs and when we walk them we clean up after them and those grocery bags are about the right side for the poop patrol,

there are a number of grocery stores in town that charge for bags. They also offer all their empty boxes for patrons to use free.

I have a supply of reusable bags that I use for this purpose.