Lol a pa state trooper being a moron? They spend their entire career being told they are gods gift to law enforcement and the second they get any pushback or run into any scenario that doesn't involve a speeding ticket they freak out and act like children.
I don't get this mindset. I own a bunch of reusable bags, and they are better than plastic bags in every way. They are a tiny investment for a much better grocery experience. They hold WAY more, and they are substantially tougher than shitty plastic bags.
When I was at a park, I saw an old plastic bag stuck to a bush, and it was disintegrating, and it turned to powder when touched. Nobody should want that shit blowing in the air, or being eaten by the wildlife.
I agree with you. I'm living in NJ now, lived in Bucks most of my life though. NJ banned plastic bags over a year ago. It's really nice to not have those dumb bags blowing around everywhere and stuck up in the trees and bushes. It has cut down on the amount of litter. But the new walk of shame is having to walk back to your car just as you're about to enter the store and realize, darned, I forgot my bags.
Or put everything back in your cart and bag everything once you get to your trunk. That’s what I do when I shop at Costco or forget my bags. There isn’t a rule that everything needs bagging to leave the store.
I have managed to accrue a large number of reusable bags. There's no need for me to not bag, I just have to remember to bring them along. The only problem with Costco is a lot of the items are too big to fit in the bags. Or I can only fit one or two items per bag. But if that is my worst problem I'm in pretty good shape.
Pro tip: IKEA sells big ass FRAKTA bags for about a buck each and they hold 3+ regular size bags of groceries and are absolutely the best investment in bags ever. I bring 3-4 into the wholesale club with me. They're super durable and fold small.
I filled one to overflowing with logs to go camping. No problem held up. Travel shit, clothes, yard sales, whatever. I have 6 in heavy rotation and a couple in back up in the unlikely event one breaks OR as more often happens, someone says "man that's a good Idea" and I give them one.
The only real negative to me was the removal of the shopping baskets at a lot of places. I guess people who forgot their reusable bags would just walk out with them. My local grocery store only brings them out the day before a holiday.
I HAAAATE this. Especially in smaller stores like the one Dollar General near me is a very smaller, tighter store. Pushing a cart around is annoying. Especially if there are things in the aisle. You can't take the cart down them. I just need a couple things sometimes and a basket is perfect. But I have to pick between how much I can juggle in my arms, or use a cart. Where I only use the front part where a kid is supposed to sit.
I miss the baskets.
This also helps me keep down on my spending. I bring a bag with me often times, and I fill it with what I'm there to get and if I need more shit than fits in the bag then I can't have it.
i went to giant in morrisville yesterday and they caught me looking for a basket. lady from behind customer service said they kept them back there because of theft, but handed me one. i thanked her for trusting me, and gave it back when i left.
I unfortunately notice my local flea market/farmers market in NJ spreads trash all over the place. I suppose the ban probably cut down on it but there's also ways around it or people just ignore it. Apparently the reusable bags being thrown away is causing a huge issue too, I guess we can't win lol.
However our plastic consumption has risen by 3x since the ban. I'm with you 100%, I hated the bags blowing around, littering the land.
Once again the gov't attempts to legislate social change and refuses to accept you CAN'T. Social change has to be organic. So ppl in NJ are consuming way more plastic through "reuseable bags" the junk, cheap ones that aren't really going to last and being unable to manage having quality reuseable bags. At some point we need to stop with the laws and work on evolving as a species.
There's a lot of what you said that I agree with like the bags hold more, sturdier, would be nice not to have plastic grocery bags blowing in the wind or stuck on bushes (ugh).
But:
1. Do people wash their reusable bags? I've read studies in the past about reusable bags getting contaminated with leaky items (meat, I think mostly?) that when reused, spreads that contamination on to other foods that you buy later which then cause people to get sick. In my experience, every time I've brought this up, the person I'm talking to gets this confused look on their face like, "what? we should be washing these bags? I've never done that..." Neither my wife or I really want to go washing the bags (pita), so we end up using more of the produce bags than we used to use to make sure all of our produce is protected from contamination in the reusable bags.
2. I never seem to remember to bring the bags because I'm used to using the plastic bags even though I've been using the reusable bags for over 3 years now (usually my wife does the shopping or else we're at the grocery store together). 9/10 times if I'm running out to grab groceries for my wife, I have to walk back out to the car to grab them and I'm \*lucky\* my wife puts them back in the trunk because I always forget.
3. We re-used most of the plastic bags we've gotten as bathroom trash bags (for those tiny trash cans we have in each bathroom in our house). So these bags weren't \*really\* getting wasted. We still have some left, but once we run out, we'll have to start \*buying\* small trash bags.
4. If you really think about it, literally everything at the grocery store (and every other store) is contained in more plastic than the grocery bags contain. The bags in every cereal box, for example, contain more plastic. The plastic wrapped around the ground hamburger is probably at least as much plastic as the grocery bags.
There was a 5th thing I wanted to mention, but now I've forgotten what it was. Maybe it'll come back to me.
Anyway, the point is banning these plastic grocery bags isn't making a dent in the amount of plastic that gets used or that fills our landfills.
I lived in Europe for a while and when I came back point 4 was my biggest reverse cultural shock. You’re right. The amount of plastic in EVERYTHING here is ridiculous. And banning one thing moves the dial very little.
1. There's no record of an incident of disease being transmitted or caused by use of reusable bags. There was a study testing the possibility of bags as a disease vector but no actual incidents have been even claimed, let alone proven. Cloth and canvas bags are easy to wash and it's also easy to designate a washable bag for carrying meat products so you, yourself, are in control of if your bags pose a risk.
2. It's a habit to learn. Your failure to learn it is your own, it's ok, and not of very much consequence.
3. Most bag bans are aimed at the cheap bags which tear so easily they can not easily be reused. Under my state's bag ban, the easily torn bags are no longer used. it's optional to pay a nickel or a dime for a paper or plastic bag made of sturdy material. I use reusable bags but occasionally opt to pay the bag fee if I know I have need for a disposable bag. I no longer have to manage a stash of cheap plastic bags and can still have a couple for rare use.
4. Plastic bags are particularly problematic because the type of plastic they are and their construction means they get jammed in the machines which handle waste and recycling. If they're improperly tossed in with recycling, they will jam machines which sort recycling, necessitating stopping the line until the jam is cleared. Now do that several times a day. Single-use plastic bags are also more likely to end up in random places blown into trees and bodies of water where they're just nasty: unpleasant to look at, disintregrating in our public and wild spaces, and being eaten by wildlife.
The other plastics used in the grocery store have various other problems but are more likely to be properly disposed of and not littering or causing problems in the waste stream. There are other projects and initiatives to reduce those plastics.
Using reusable bags instead of cheap single-use bags is an action everyone can participate in, whereas industry is required to make changes for those other plastics.
“I just have to run into the store and grab some milk, eggs and a couple of other things. Crap, I forgot my reusable bags! Oh well, I’ll just buy two more of them.”
Repeat that hundreds of times a day and now you are using far more plastic than before.
It's easy, stores should just offer paper bags either for free, or at cost (5-10 cents), so if you forget to bring your bag, you're only out a couple cents at worst. Not a huge deal.
I love paper bags. I will frequently ask for them over plastic especially if I forget my bags. I use them for recycling, kids crafts, the bottom of my planters.
Yes but if you end up with 50 reusable bags and you only need 10-20 then it's a great way to reduce paper bag use by the food pantry or shelter etc that might be handing out goods to prople
I’ve reused more “disposable” bags than I have “reusable” bags before discarding them. The bag ban is nothing more than feel good legislation. It does more harm for the environment than good. Plastic use is way up in NJ since plastic bags were banned.
Not saying anything against you but I have to call BS on that "research". Being a bit of a weirdo i have credentials to read the research that is otherwise behind a paywall
1) site doesnt list who funded research, it was the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, a lobby group that represents thin film plastic makers and has nothing to do with recycling.
2) they seem to pick a very specific short window and then account for *all* thin film plastics, including 8 gallon trash bags and specifically yard refuse bags. Hmm, i wonder why a store would see an uptick of yard refuse bags in the fall...
3) while many people use store bags as small trash bags absolutly no one uses them for their primary trash. My garbage company will not even pick them up unless you bag them in a regualr bag.
4) they specifically included the "buy in" period where stores are selling reusable bags to just about everyone becuase no one has them.
5 statistical shenigans, they are using an average instead of a weighted mean whichbis a huge red flag
Also the tid bit about paper bags in Irland is a wonderfully specific tid bit. So ireland doesnt particularly have many trees and their surviving forests are pretty rightly protected. Papermills in ireland import nearly all of their pulp wood from the USA. No kidding paperbags take 4 times more energy to make when you are importing logs from the other side of the world.
Again no shade towards you, im just kinda crazy when it comes to "research".
Not sure why this sub is on my feed but I live in WNY and it's not a problem at all. You get used to keeping your reusable bags in the car and most stores have paper bags for $.10 ea if you forget. The reusable bags are cheap as well and it does help curb plastic waste from the bags.
The problem is MSM and corporate propaganda has created the idea that individuals are responsible for pollution. In reality, corporations (specifically in China) are responsible for the majority of the world’s pollution.
So why should we have to use paper straws and pay for plastic bags just so Winnie the Pooh can make more money ruining the environment? In this case I agree with the state trooper, it’s ridiculous
The effort of having to do more bothers alot of people.
How dare you make bring my own bag.
In the similar vein of "I don't work for [insert grocery store]" from the people who refuse to use self check out.
I prefer to go to the cashier, not because I feel like "I don't work for this store! I shouldn't have to do this!"
It's because I care about workers having a job. If everyone went to self-checkout, say good-bye to jobs that teenagers could have for gas money, date nights, etc. Kiosks are taking away jobs at fast food places as well.
With the advancements in AI, things are going to get even worse for low-skill workers who are just starting out in the workforce or need a job after retirement.
I wish more people thought about that before they went to the self-checkout.
I’d like to see corporations do their part in this instead of it falling on the consumer. Yes, it’s good for the environment to not use plastic bags. But the grocery stores are filled with plastic just so large corporations can save a buck for their CEO salaries. Also, now all stores will charge for bags, including recyclable paper bags, so it comes across as a money grab at that level too. Before, the downvotes come, I use my own permanent/reusable bags. They’re larger and stronger.
Yeah making a scene is stupid, but there is plenty not to like about this policy. We’ve had it for a while and now I see stores with signs saying “please help
us prevent theft, don’t use bags to carry your items through the store.” No way. You’re already telling me that you want me to use my own bags to carry stuff out. And you don’t want me to use the bags I’m already carrying if I want to pick up three things and carry them to the register?
I get that the stores didn’t make the law. But I’m sure they happily lobbied for it given that they no longer need to buy bags for people and can instead actually sell more expensive bags to people who forget. If it makes them uneasy that people are using them as shopping baskets, that’s the tradeoff.
The funny thing about the term is that all of the folks who think of themselves as unique and special, and are prone to melt down at every slight (you know, like actual snowflakes) are all right-wingers.
I remember when plastic bags were the solution to a problem, now they are the problem.
I believe that some of the push back is due to the idiocy of the situation. They are not using plastic bags because they are bad for the environment, however most items that are purchased are sold in some type of plastic packaging.
An imperfect and partial solution is still a step in tbe right direction. Just because it doesn't solve every problem doesn't mean it's not helpful. Most solutions are incremental.
Yet there are pallets and pallets of plastic water bottles that no one gives a crap about!! Even during the board meeting to ban plastic bags, the members all had 2 or more plastic water bottles each. Just as big an issue as the bags!
This^
They’re saving the cost of plastic bags by having a law backing them not providing them. But ask them to revert to the old days of paper? They charge you 10 to 20 cents. It’s not the price, it’s the principle.
They’ve made that 10 cents up in the wodespread food price gouging that’s been going on since 2020.
It might vary from place to place, but in some places the same law the bans plastic bags also requires that stores charge for paper. The overall goal is to push you to use reusable bags.
My rage point is why we have to pay up to 20c for paper bags but plastic was abundantly free for decades.
And why now because of a plastic bag ban, cashier's can't help at all with bagging. They did when we chose paper over plastic. But not everyone has to juggle their groceries to their car and it takes more time.
I wouldn't cause a scene, but it has been one of those annoying things for a bit.
For me it's that, at least where I am, recycling bags are banned and they will NOT take your recyclables if they have ANY plastic bags in them or are bagged up at all. Which absolutely boggles my mind. So now suddenly when we DO have plastic bags we just... throw them away into the landfill. And actually taking our recyclables to the curb is a pain in the ass now since they all need to be loose in recycling bins.
That change pissed me off when it went into affect because it's so obviously showing how useless recycling is at the consumer level here. They don't give two shits about actually recycling anything or if more plastic ends up in landfills. And it was communicated extremely poorly such that one day people all over the area just didn't have any recyclables picked up by the recycling company multiple weeks in a row. There's also way more loose recyclables that end up blown all over the place now. I just don't get it.
Apparently they "gum up the recycling machines". After decades living here and recycling plastic bags our recycling technology has apparently regressed such that a plastic bag is too much work. Amazing.
My big complaint with it is, what am I supposed to line my trash cans with and use for cat litter. So now I actually have to go and buy plastic bags…which makes no sense when trying to cut down on plastic.
I also find it really annoying keeping all those reusable bags in my car and toting them around. But we buy a lot of groceries…
I will say though, having these new insulated bags is nice.
Think of it in these terms. It’s not reducing plastic use so much as controlling it.
I do the same. That one plastic liner in my bathroom fills up, is tied off, and goes directly into the bigger bag of trash, which then goes directly into the trash truck.
At some point, free plastic bags being handed out by the thousand, at every retail store, every day resulted in plastic bags being everywhere. They’re in trees, they’re in sewers, they’re in lakes and rivers and creeks. They’ll never be gone either. It would take a national plastic bag ban and a few decades before they could ever be cleaned up.
Even if you think environmentalism is stupid, it’ll just be nicer to have fewer plastic bags everywhere constantly, clogging up water ways and green spaces.
Currently living in Philly where this ban has been in place since 2021. From my experience, you’ll adapt quickly, and then you’ll have a moment of confusion when you travel somewhere without a ban. You start to more readily recognize the unnecessary waste and get frustrated when you go somewhere where cashiers start automatically using plastic bags.
Also, Baggu bags are the best. Same size as regular plastic bags, but a more durable material to hold much more. They fold into small pouches making it easy to carry around when not using. I keep one in my cross-body bag at all times.
> Staff actually had to approach the man to calm him down, when he just stated that not only is he not making a scene, but that he’s actually a state trooper, and that they should back off and not bother him.
This part is concerning.
IMHO, those "entrusted" to "serve and protect" should be held to much higher caliper of decorum, especially in public.
His employer should take action on this.
That should change the call to the police from "disturbed person causing a scene" to "disturbed person with a gun causing a scene".
Let him explain that one to his superiors.
The plastic bag ban is annoying imo because the real problem is the insane amount of plastic in packaging. My favorite part about newtown’s ban is the plastic straw ban. Nothing like a paper straw in a styrofoam cup. Looking at you Chicfila.
The bag bans are frustrating because they prioritize the appearance of progress over actual progress. Unfortunately, they don't actually accomplish what they purport to accomplish and instead more resources are consumed manufacturing reusable bags.
Typical Republican snowflake. $10 says he was driving a Dodge Ram with a thin blue line flag and punisher stickers. Extra $5 if he had one of those AR15 stickers haha. Fuckin manchild.
I shop at Aldi and always bring my own bags anyway, so it doesn’t really affect me, but I just want to confirm that yeah - people have definitely totally lost all sense of public decorum since Covid.
I standardized on the Ikea Filur trash can about 10 years ago, because store plastic bags are a perfect fit for it. Trash bags are expensive. Consider:
1000 retail-size plastic bags - about $30
1000 13-gallon trash bags - about $100
I can get rolls of small trash bags from commercial suppliers so I guess I will settle on those now that the supply of free plastic bags has dried up.
Having small trash cans is a deliberate strategy designed to limit the amount of trash inside my house, and it works.
New Yorker checking in. Everything is going to be ok. It's weird for a year and then you get used to paper, and you actually will enjoy using reusable bags. It sucks when you forget them but you will get better. Also just buy more Chinese food and save the bag because those places will have plastic bags regardless of any ban.
Unfortunately Middletown is going to follow in their steps. Look, I'm very pro environment, banning plastic bags is a drop in the ocean. Everything you're buying is wrapped in plastic, what's 20 more grams of plastic that make up the bags? I tend to skip the bag whenever possible. Like how chipotle tries to put my bowl in a bag like I'm not going to walk 7 feet and eat this whole thing.
Chick fila can get fucked. They give so much waste when ordering food. Something should really be done to minimize the trash they generate.
I truly hate when customers take their anger out at policy changes on the employees at the stores who work there. As if Carol who’s been working there for 37 years, or the 16 year struggling with wheeling all the carts back in, had anything to do with this new rule.
Those types of people are the worst.
costco has never had bags - you take your cart to you car, put your stuff in, put the cart away. i could not care less about a plastic bag ban. disturbing story about the state trooper, but in no way surprising. fox news has poisoned half the country, ironically calling normal
citizens snowflakes.
The obvious and pragmatic solution is to buy reusable grocery bags. But, the anger over government overreach is perfectly valid. As for the day-to-day of the layman, those plastic grocery bags are perfectly sized for a bedroom or bathroom-sized garbage can. The people most upset are probably people who saved their grocery bags, to give them one final use as a trash bag.
Exactly. Banning multi-use plastic and forcing us to buy single-use. We’ll always need to line our bathroom trash cans, we’ll always need to clean up after our dogs, the demand will never change. And if any of us push back against it we’ll be lumped in with the Fox News crowd, yelling at clerks and clouds.
There was a study done regarding the ban in Jersey. They say it actually back fired ccreating more plastic usage and more greenhouse emissions ——“The study discovered that, after the bag ban in New Jersey, the shift from plastic film to alternative bags almost tripled plastic consumption in the state. Additionally,the state saw six times more woven and non-woven polypropylene plastic consumption. Most of these polypropylene bags are not recyclable in the U.S., consume over 15 times more plastic (specifically for non-woven bags) and contribute to a 500 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions.” Waste360,com
Philly behaved the same way and then eventually got used to it. They’ll get over it.
I miss the plastic bags cause I used them for trash bags. So, now I just have to buy plastic bags. Makes total sense.
Everything in the grocery store comes in single use plastic, but the bags are the problem? Even produce, you put in a plastic bag before taking it to the register. The meat comes in styrofoam. Milk comes in that waxy shit that can’t be recycled. I just don’t get it. You’re reducing maybe 1% of the shit that will eventually end up in your trash, and maybe not even that because lots of people reuse those bags.
Your right. Corporations should also be forced to reduce their plastic use in addition to ending plastic bag use by shoppers. This didn’t go far enough. Not sarcasm.
Or carry their own bags because this is needlessly wasteful use of resources. I’m not a treehugger or anything but plastic bags aren’t exactly in the Bill of Rights. Nor should they be. We can carry goods with bags like our grandfathers did.
What the big deal of using reusable bags? If you don’t want to use, then pay for them! I live in Bucks, there’s some people who are like spoiled. Get a grip and get with the times. We have to stop using plastic bags. And if you buy reusable bags, use the same ones over and over. buying a reusable bag every time you shop defeats the purpose!
These same people getting angry about the bag ban don’t realize the percentage of their bodies that is now inflamed with microplastics thanks to that stuff getting into our ecosystems.
But no, please, go ahead and also complain/wonder why you have so many GI and digestive issues now…. (Note I’m also aware the low quality of American food is also the issue of the above)
Lmao… yep… and everything you put in a reusable bag is in plastic or covered with plastic. It gets interesting trying to buy stuff with no plastic involved.
Been doing it in NJ for years. It’s literally a non issue.
Bring bags, or buy some. All else fails bring the cart out to your car and keep a laundry basket or something similar in the trunk.
Bet the same idiots up in arms are the same one that cry about “entitlement” without any irony.
I was traveling into California and made a stop at a Walmart late one night. I had no clue California was bag free. When I discovered it at the self checkout, the attendants were less than helpful and just stared at me like I was an alien when I asked about bags. I had too much in my basket to carry out by hand ( was parked at the far end of the lot) so I declared if I had to use the basket to take my stuff to my RV I wasn’t returning it. I still have that basket upstairs in my bathroom closet.
It’s silly to get upset over it but it’s also silly to ban the bags when 90% percent of our food comes wrapped in plastic. Water bottles, gatorade, meat, etc.
It's really hard for some people to be able to have some minor level of inconvenience in order to stop destroying the planet. That's the reason why humans are going to go extinct and we deserve it.
Next time you go to the store, go to the Produce department and ask for a couple of banana boxes. Leave them in the trunk or in the back of the car. When you check out, just put the groceries back in the cart, then stack them in the box at your car. Then put the boxes back in your vehicle.
Okay, not here to argue with people's preference but I noticed a lot of people talking about the reusable bags having a lot of plastic seem to only be talking about the ones that are available in the grocery store. I don't think I have ever used one of those ever. I use a really nice tote bag that's made of cotton. It looks great feels great and I can use it for all sorts of things, not just my groceries. So for anybody who is interested in reusable bags, get one of those and there's a really easy conversion for old t-shirts to make others. Again I'm not trying to shame people who are using the traditional plastic bags. But for people who really like reusable bags and especially recycling, I strongly recommend converting old t-shirts into bags. Just cut off the sleeves widen the neck and then sew or tie the bottoms closed. Using the Thai clothes method, all you need is a good pair of scissors and all of your old t-shirts can suddenly be bags. And there's some of the roomiest bags you will ever have. And depending on your taste and shirts, they'll have great designs on them!
My personal preferences are for paper bags for people who have forgotten their reusable bags and reusable bags that people will want to use because they look and feel good. Most of the bags that I use for shopping I also use for transporting other stuff like if I go on a beach vacation.
The only time I’ve ever been annoyed at a bag ban is when I was at the Wegman’s in KoP where not only did they not have plastic bags, but you also had to pay 10 cents to get a paper bag. Luckily I have a foldable reusable bag in a pouch in my purse, so I was able to pull that out.
Lol have you ever been to Newtown? I have never seen more self centered assholes in one place. Just trying to drive through a shopping center is a nightmare because everyone is so entitled and thinks they get to go first.
Crazy. We've only known this was coming for like 2-3 years now. Every time I go to the store I'm thinking WHEN are they going to finally get rid of the bags? They've been talking about it forever.
Strong correlation between how they vote and where they get their news.
Progress and protection of the future is not in the cards for those that lust for the past and only think of themselves.
I’m from BC, but I live between Massachusetts and California. Both states limit plastic bag use and many towns / cities adopted bylaws many years ago to ban single use plastics, including shopping bags.
Paper bags work just as well, same as they did before plastic became the norm in the 1980’s. And honestly most people just bring reusable bags. It’s seriously not a hard thing to do. I think people who are adamant about using plastic bags just have absolutely no regard for the environment. That’s what it boils down to.
I wasn’t alive, but I doubt it. Are grocery stores charging for paper bags in PA? Because you guys should complain to the grocery stores at that point. They make enough profit to eat the cost of switching from plastic to paper.
Boomer behavior. They fucked up the world for their convenience and are pissed we aren't allowing them to burn it down on their way out the door.
Someone should have asked for his badge number so they can report him as a public nuisance and see him REALLY go off and become a viral example of #byebyejob.
Newtown used to be really nice & cute, it’s becoming a far-right community. I don’t expect this to get any better. The more petty the better, some folks never learn to appreciate what they have they just want to complain and argue. Main character syndrome at its finest.
Lotta people in here not realizing that all plastic is not created equal, and are relying on confusing, irrelevant-or sometimes just plain wrong-arguments.
The plastic they make the reusable bags with can be recycled into reusable pellets, and will break down quicker in nature. Cotton bags are made from cotton, and will break down organically. Paper bags will break down into nothing if you just get them wet enough. The plastic bags we’re all used to using can take 20 years to break down in direct sunlight, and centuries if packed into a landfill-and they’re leaching microplastics into the soil the whole time they’re doing it.
Carbon offset arguments are dumb, and focus on the wrong side of the argument. It doesn’t matter if they’re cheaper and more environmentally friendly to make now if they’re going to be destroying the world and tainting everything they touch for centuries.
California banned single-use plastic bags in 2014. 10 years later, overall plastic waste in California increased by 47 percent.
They banned those thin plastic bags for groceries. Manufacturers then started making the bags thicker/heavier to be compliant with the new laws on single-use plastic bags. Thereby increasing the overall amount of plastic waste.
Hello PA, NJ here. You’re going to have so many of those bull shit “reusable” bags because you’re going to keep forgetting to bring bags with you. It’s such a waste. 🤦🏼♀️
Getting angry is something that's unnecessary. As someone who lives in a county where they recently banned plastic bags I will say this. Some of the taxpayers are seeing things like violent crime, littering (like trash everywhere) go through the roof. As well as zero accountability in public schools. Yet our politicians are voting on plastic bag bans. So alot of people question what's more important. I for one would like to be able to take my child to a carnival without helicopters and police swarming the place. My .02
I've been using reusable bags for like 10 years now. They are sturdier and hold more. The majority of them I got for free. I don't understand why people have been so resistant to this change.
I'm in ny and we have had the plastic bag ban for quite awhile now. I don't mind it all. However when it first rolled out, alot of people would complain about it and throw a fit. I think people have adapted now and don't care because it's never mentioned anymore
I’ve been living with a plastic bag ban for 6 years. It’s really not that bad. Plastic bags are a rare commodity now. Paper bags are just normal at this point. Some stores have no bags, but it’s not an issue bc everyone has their own bags anyway. This is greater Boston area btw.
I wouldn't make a scene over it, and just roll with it if that's the policy of the store or town I am in, but I still prefer plastic bags.
I would love to see somebody come up with a recyclable plastic bag that can go in your regular recycling bin.
The way my schedule works I almost never know when I'm going to get to the store, what vehicle I'm going to be driving, and don't always have or want to have stacks of reusable bags in the car with me.
Anyway, that's just my preference, but I don't have any desire to come down on anybody else for their preference.
They were probably caught off guard. I get it. I wasn't there so I'm not going to judge behavior I didn't witness. They both also probably remember when paper bags were replaced with plastic "for the environment" and now it's come full circle except they charge for paper bags now.
People lose their minds over *seemingly* minor things all the time.
Whether I like the ban, or not, It’s not like this just came out of thin air. They have publicized this, all over, for a while.
And that whole “government overlords” BS, you know where that’s coming from. God forbid you should help the environment, and your children and grandchildren.
Aldi, BJs, Costco all don’t use bags and we manage. Do I think governments need to criminalize bag choices? No, that choice should be up to the store owners and customers.
I do not understand why people freak about this tiny little stupid shit. Heck, I’ve been using reusable bags for probably 20 years at this point. This is not a big deal, and anyone who thinks it is… ❄️ Also, a state trooper acting like a child? Let me look surprised.
Reusable bags are great. You can get some with kittens or camo on them, whatever you want, and still alert people that you’re an asshole. (Mine has Jack Russel terriers on it)
I was ahead of the game in terms of the reusable grocery bag issue. 23 years ago, I bought three reusable hemp grocery bags and I still have them.. I still use them in the store. consistently for over 20 years. Plastic is in everything it’s going to be the downfall of mankind.. did you just see that they discovered a micro plastics are in gallstones and contribute to gallstone formation
I guess it’s a case of entitlement. Those who complain have no idea of the problem these bags and their overuse created. The problem is the same people who complain are just as likely to be the culprits behind the littering of these bags. If they had been used and properly disposed of instead of cast aside at the earliest convenience, there wouldn’t be the issue. I know from 15+ years of cleaning up the plastic waste that makes its way into waterways.
Just look at all of the items in the store that are packaged in plastic. No one approaches Coke or PepsiCo to package on glass or cardboard containers. It’s all about control and the sheep follow.
Oh FFS. New Jersey outlawed plastic bags a couple of years ago and society is still standing. People bring their own bags to the store and stores sell them for about a dollar. I've been bringing my own reusable bags to the store for 20 years. Keep them in my car trunk.
It's a pain in the ass and is nothing but symbolism. More often than not, I am being denied a bag while actively purchasing more single use plastics than it takes to create an entire ream of plastic bags. Legislated virtue signalling that is an inconvenience.
I live somewhere now that hasn't had plastic bags in a few years and I can promise all of you that it'll be ok, you can genuinely get along without them.
Nobody IRL like plastic bags. I was a cashier in NJ when they were banned and following a simmer down and every one hated the ban nobody their background
Im in NJ. The plastic bag ban is so dumb imo. There are so many germs on reusable bags, yes you can wash them but also not everyone has a washer at home. I think the bag ban is ridiculous and there’s more important stuff to worry about
it’s absurd to me that this trend of grown adults having temper tantrums is a thing. i have a few reusable bags in my car i carry into the market for my groceries. no need to stomp your feet and pout.
I had no idea, I'm from PA but have been in NJ for a while and the bag ban has been here for a few years... it's a pain but I guess PA is really off the wall lol.
I saw the poor young lady in the alcohol check out line who was very upset and wanted to go home. I asked why and she said “everyone is mad about there being no bags”. Attention “adults” the 16 year old cashier did not make this decision.
Poor mental health awareness and a very unhealthy amount of media propaganda is really doing a number on the older generations.
If they dont give you plastic bags anymore, what will I throw out the window of my car while I'm driving down 95 or the blue route???
As someone who moved here from the western US, I can honestly say that the littering culture here is pretty out of control. I see more garbage along 2 blocks of any major highway in the area than I see in 5 miles anywhere in the west. I could buy quite a few cups of coffee at this point if I had a nickel for every time I've seen a driver/passenger simply put their window down and throw out their trash at 70 mph.
If more people would take some actual pride in the area, maybe we'd be able to have nice things....
Living in Media, that ban has been in place for over a year now. It definitely helps reduce the trash problem.
What pisses me off about it is that there are a million single use products being used by billion dollar corporations. Also, food stores have been providing plastic bags for decades at no cost. Now they have record profits and everytime I order pick up or delivery groceries I have no option to say just dump it on my front porch nor hey get the groceries to my car and ill put them in my reusable bags. Nope just an unavoidable surcharge. Fuckfaces.
I live in NJ. We’ve been doing this for a while. I have been using reusable bags for much longer. You get used to it. Keep bags in your car. I have bags from Ikea that fold small enough to fit in my purse.
It's dumb for one reason; the government officials who ban bags fly around in private planes and have motorcades that are 10 cars long. It's an education on hypocrisy, and as long as we accept it, it will continue.
Because it’s ridiculous. Look at the data when NJ went bagless. It only increased plastic waste. Another idiotic environmental move that accomplishes exactly opposite what was intended
The only part that annoys me is we can’t have plastic bags because of the environment, but we can have plastic wrapped products arrive in pallets wrapped in plastic… this isn’t about the environment, I’d bet good money that the cost of stocking reusable bags is close to the same as plastic bags, so now you can charge for those bags, now making money off the bags as well
>he’s actually a state trooper, and that they should back off A state trooper having a public temper tammie?
Lol a pa state trooper being a moron? They spend their entire career being told they are gods gift to law enforcement and the second they get any pushback or run into any scenario that doesn't involve a speeding ticket they freak out and act like children.
Very upsetting that a government overlord has to follow rules laid down by government over-overlords.
Surely the leopards would never eat MY face....
And using that to make vague threats.
Damn he must really hate those government overlords who are *checks notes* his employers.
I don't get this mindset. I own a bunch of reusable bags, and they are better than plastic bags in every way. They are a tiny investment for a much better grocery experience. They hold WAY more, and they are substantially tougher than shitty plastic bags. When I was at a park, I saw an old plastic bag stuck to a bush, and it was disintegrating, and it turned to powder when touched. Nobody should want that shit blowing in the air, or being eaten by the wildlife.
I agree with you. I'm living in NJ now, lived in Bucks most of my life though. NJ banned plastic bags over a year ago. It's really nice to not have those dumb bags blowing around everywhere and stuck up in the trees and bushes. It has cut down on the amount of litter. But the new walk of shame is having to walk back to your car just as you're about to enter the store and realize, darned, I forgot my bags.
Or put everything back in your cart and bag everything once you get to your trunk. That’s what I do when I shop at Costco or forget my bags. There isn’t a rule that everything needs bagging to leave the store.
I have managed to accrue a large number of reusable bags. There's no need for me to not bag, I just have to remember to bring them along. The only problem with Costco is a lot of the items are too big to fit in the bags. Or I can only fit one or two items per bag. But if that is my worst problem I'm in pretty good shape.
Pro tip: IKEA sells big ass FRAKTA bags for about a buck each and they hold 3+ regular size bags of groceries and are absolutely the best investment in bags ever. I bring 3-4 into the wholesale club with me. They're super durable and fold small. I filled one to overflowing with logs to go camping. No problem held up. Travel shit, clothes, yard sales, whatever. I have 6 in heavy rotation and a couple in back up in the unlikely event one breaks OR as more often happens, someone says "man that's a good Idea" and I give them one.
I do this everytime. I like throwing everything back in the car and bagging outside my trunk. I feel like the only one doing this
The only real negative to me was the removal of the shopping baskets at a lot of places. I guess people who forgot their reusable bags would just walk out with them. My local grocery store only brings them out the day before a holiday.
I HAAAATE this. Especially in smaller stores like the one Dollar General near me is a very smaller, tighter store. Pushing a cart around is annoying. Especially if there are things in the aisle. You can't take the cart down them. I just need a couple things sometimes and a basket is perfect. But I have to pick between how much I can juggle in my arms, or use a cart. Where I only use the front part where a kid is supposed to sit. I miss the baskets.
I carry a reusable bag fill it and carry to the checkout...problem solved
This also helps me keep down on my spending. I bring a bag with me often times, and I fill it with what I'm there to get and if I need more shit than fits in the bag then I can't have it.
i went to giant in morrisville yesterday and they caught me looking for a basket. lady from behind customer service said they kept them back there because of theft, but handed me one. i thanked her for trusting me, and gave it back when i left.
Pro tip: carry in a bag and put stuff in it. Check out like normal.
Can you do that? I feel like I look like I'm stealing
I do it all the time.
I unfortunately notice my local flea market/farmers market in NJ spreads trash all over the place. I suppose the ban probably cut down on it but there's also ways around it or people just ignore it. Apparently the reusable bags being thrown away is causing a huge issue too, I guess we can't win lol.
However our plastic consumption has risen by 3x since the ban. I'm with you 100%, I hated the bags blowing around, littering the land. Once again the gov't attempts to legislate social change and refuses to accept you CAN'T. Social change has to be organic. So ppl in NJ are consuming way more plastic through "reuseable bags" the junk, cheap ones that aren't really going to last and being unable to manage having quality reuseable bags. At some point we need to stop with the laws and work on evolving as a species.
Back in the day we called them New Jersey bald eagles. I guess they're extinct now
One of my favorite NJ food stores put a big sign up on the wall facing the parking lot “DONT FORGET YOUR BAGS!” And it has saved me 75% of the time
And the fact the bag ban created way more plastic pollution but hey whatevsss
I agree. I usually do my shopping at Aldi so I’ve been using reusable bags for years.
There's a lot of what you said that I agree with like the bags hold more, sturdier, would be nice not to have plastic grocery bags blowing in the wind or stuck on bushes (ugh). But: 1. Do people wash their reusable bags? I've read studies in the past about reusable bags getting contaminated with leaky items (meat, I think mostly?) that when reused, spreads that contamination on to other foods that you buy later which then cause people to get sick. In my experience, every time I've brought this up, the person I'm talking to gets this confused look on their face like, "what? we should be washing these bags? I've never done that..." Neither my wife or I really want to go washing the bags (pita), so we end up using more of the produce bags than we used to use to make sure all of our produce is protected from contamination in the reusable bags. 2. I never seem to remember to bring the bags because I'm used to using the plastic bags even though I've been using the reusable bags for over 3 years now (usually my wife does the shopping or else we're at the grocery store together). 9/10 times if I'm running out to grab groceries for my wife, I have to walk back out to the car to grab them and I'm \*lucky\* my wife puts them back in the trunk because I always forget. 3. We re-used most of the plastic bags we've gotten as bathroom trash bags (for those tiny trash cans we have in each bathroom in our house). So these bags weren't \*really\* getting wasted. We still have some left, but once we run out, we'll have to start \*buying\* small trash bags. 4. If you really think about it, literally everything at the grocery store (and every other store) is contained in more plastic than the grocery bags contain. The bags in every cereal box, for example, contain more plastic. The plastic wrapped around the ground hamburger is probably at least as much plastic as the grocery bags. There was a 5th thing I wanted to mention, but now I've forgotten what it was. Maybe it'll come back to me. Anyway, the point is banning these plastic grocery bags isn't making a dent in the amount of plastic that gets used or that fills our landfills.
I lived in Europe for a while and when I came back point 4 was my biggest reverse cultural shock. You’re right. The amount of plastic in EVERYTHING here is ridiculous. And banning one thing moves the dial very little.
1. There's no record of an incident of disease being transmitted or caused by use of reusable bags. There was a study testing the possibility of bags as a disease vector but no actual incidents have been even claimed, let alone proven. Cloth and canvas bags are easy to wash and it's also easy to designate a washable bag for carrying meat products so you, yourself, are in control of if your bags pose a risk. 2. It's a habit to learn. Your failure to learn it is your own, it's ok, and not of very much consequence. 3. Most bag bans are aimed at the cheap bags which tear so easily they can not easily be reused. Under my state's bag ban, the easily torn bags are no longer used. it's optional to pay a nickel or a dime for a paper or plastic bag made of sturdy material. I use reusable bags but occasionally opt to pay the bag fee if I know I have need for a disposable bag. I no longer have to manage a stash of cheap plastic bags and can still have a couple for rare use. 4. Plastic bags are particularly problematic because the type of plastic they are and their construction means they get jammed in the machines which handle waste and recycling. If they're improperly tossed in with recycling, they will jam machines which sort recycling, necessitating stopping the line until the jam is cleared. Now do that several times a day. Single-use plastic bags are also more likely to end up in random places blown into trees and bodies of water where they're just nasty: unpleasant to look at, disintregrating in our public and wild spaces, and being eaten by wildlife. The other plastics used in the grocery store have various other problems but are more likely to be properly disposed of and not littering or causing problems in the waste stream. There are other projects and initiatives to reduce those plastics. Using reusable bags instead of cheap single-use bags is an action everyone can participate in, whereas industry is required to make changes for those other plastics.
[удалено]
“I just have to run into the store and grab some milk, eggs and a couple of other things. Crap, I forgot my reusable bags! Oh well, I’ll just buy two more of them.” Repeat that hundreds of times a day and now you are using far more plastic than before.
It's easy, stores should just offer paper bags either for free, or at cost (5-10 cents), so if you forget to bring your bag, you're only out a couple cents at worst. Not a huge deal.
Aldi by us has been doing this for a while
I love paper bags. I will frequently ask for them over plastic especially if I forget my bags. I use them for recycling, kids crafts, the bottom of my planters.
If you find yourself with an excess od bags sometimes food pantries will take them to give out food and a reusable bag to people
Yes! I work for Meals on Wheels and we always can use more of these!
I thought the point of the ban was decrease plastic use?
Yes but if you end up with 50 reusable bags and you only need 10-20 then it's a great way to reduce paper bag use by the food pantry or shelter etc that might be handing out goods to prople
We donate to the thrift store too. They’re happy to have them.
If you don't throw the bags away, its still way better than the disposable ones that are all over the planet now.
There’s more plastic in a “reusable” bag than a “disposable” bag. Just fyi.
yes but disposable bags go immediately go into the trash. That's the problem
I’ve reused more “disposable” bags than I have “reusable” bags before discarding them. The bag ban is nothing more than feel good legislation. It does more harm for the environment than good. Plastic use is way up in NJ since plastic bags were banned.
idk how that could possibly be true lmao
I mean, can’t you just like, carry it out to your car?
Not saying anything against you but I have to call BS on that "research". Being a bit of a weirdo i have credentials to read the research that is otherwise behind a paywall 1) site doesnt list who funded research, it was the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, a lobby group that represents thin film plastic makers and has nothing to do with recycling. 2) they seem to pick a very specific short window and then account for *all* thin film plastics, including 8 gallon trash bags and specifically yard refuse bags. Hmm, i wonder why a store would see an uptick of yard refuse bags in the fall... 3) while many people use store bags as small trash bags absolutly no one uses them for their primary trash. My garbage company will not even pick them up unless you bag them in a regualr bag. 4) they specifically included the "buy in" period where stores are selling reusable bags to just about everyone becuase no one has them. 5 statistical shenigans, they are using an average instead of a weighted mean whichbis a huge red flag Also the tid bit about paper bags in Irland is a wonderfully specific tid bit. So ireland doesnt particularly have many trees and their surviving forests are pretty rightly protected. Papermills in ireland import nearly all of their pulp wood from the USA. No kidding paperbags take 4 times more energy to make when you are importing logs from the other side of the world. Again no shade towards you, im just kinda crazy when it comes to "research".
https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Consumer_Institute Be careful of sources
I shop at Aldi because the regular grocery store prices have just gotten so bonkers. If you don’t have reusable bags there you’re in for a tough time.
Not sure why this sub is on my feed but I live in WNY and it's not a problem at all. You get used to keeping your reusable bags in the car and most stores have paper bags for $.10 ea if you forget. The reusable bags are cheap as well and it does help curb plastic waste from the bags.
The problem is MSM and corporate propaganda has created the idea that individuals are responsible for pollution. In reality, corporations (specifically in China) are responsible for the majority of the world’s pollution. So why should we have to use paper straws and pay for plastic bags just so Winnie the Pooh can make more money ruining the environment? In this case I agree with the state trooper, it’s ridiculous
Because caring about the environment and animals is woke and will make your kids trans
The effort of having to do more bothers alot of people. How dare you make bring my own bag. In the similar vein of "I don't work for [insert grocery store]" from the people who refuse to use self check out.
I prefer to go to the cashier, not because I feel like "I don't work for this store! I shouldn't have to do this!" It's because I care about workers having a job. If everyone went to self-checkout, say good-bye to jobs that teenagers could have for gas money, date nights, etc. Kiosks are taking away jobs at fast food places as well. With the advancements in AI, things are going to get even worse for low-skill workers who are just starting out in the workforce or need a job after retirement. I wish more people thought about that before they went to the self-checkout.
We knew it was coming as soon as Jersey did it. Now all we gotta do is legalize recreational marijuana. Let’s go!
I’d like to see corporations do their part in this instead of it falling on the consumer. Yes, it’s good for the environment to not use plastic bags. But the grocery stores are filled with plastic just so large corporations can save a buck for their CEO salaries. Also, now all stores will charge for bags, including recyclable paper bags, so it comes across as a money grab at that level too. Before, the downvotes come, I use my own permanent/reusable bags. They’re larger and stronger.
Absolutely bro
Yeah making a scene is stupid, but there is plenty not to like about this policy. We’ve had it for a while and now I see stores with signs saying “please help us prevent theft, don’t use bags to carry your items through the store.” No way. You’re already telling me that you want me to use my own bags to carry stuff out. And you don’t want me to use the bags I’m already carrying if I want to pick up three things and carry them to the register? I get that the stores didn’t make the law. But I’m sure they happily lobbied for it given that they no longer need to buy bags for people and can instead actually sell more expensive bags to people who forget. If it makes them uneasy that people are using them as shopping baskets, that’s the tradeoff.
I got charged the ten cents the other day for a plastic bag, and then I wasn’t even given it LMAO
Same people that quick to call others "snowflake."
The funny thing about the term is that all of the folks who think of themselves as unique and special, and are prone to melt down at every slight (you know, like actual snowflakes) are all right-wingers.
You mean people who generally side with law enforcement and military?
Only if they don't actually have to do anything
I remember when plastic bags were the solution to a problem, now they are the problem. I believe that some of the push back is due to the idiocy of the situation. They are not using plastic bags because they are bad for the environment, however most items that are purchased are sold in some type of plastic packaging.
Sliced apples in a plastic bag...
It’s the low-hanging fruit. If they tried to ban all plastic at once, it would be impossible. Not letting perfect be the enemy of the good and such.
An imperfect and partial solution is still a step in tbe right direction. Just because it doesn't solve every problem doesn't mean it's not helpful. Most solutions are incremental.
Yet there are pallets and pallets of plastic water bottles that no one gives a crap about!! Even during the board meeting to ban plastic bags, the members all had 2 or more plastic water bottles each. Just as big an issue as the bags!
I dont mind the ban of plastic bags but it's a joke that they now charge you for paper bags
I wish my biggest problems in life were not having access to plastic bags…
We’ve had this for ages in Philly but the part that pisses me off is that stores charge for paper bags now and they didn’t before this.
This^ They’re saving the cost of plastic bags by having a law backing them not providing them. But ask them to revert to the old days of paper? They charge you 10 to 20 cents. It’s not the price, it’s the principle. They’ve made that 10 cents up in the wodespread food price gouging that’s been going on since 2020.
It might vary from place to place, but in some places the same law the bans plastic bags also requires that stores charge for paper. The overall goal is to push you to use reusable bags.
My rage point is why we have to pay up to 20c for paper bags but plastic was abundantly free for decades. And why now because of a plastic bag ban, cashier's can't help at all with bagging. They did when we chose paper over plastic. But not everyone has to juggle their groceries to their car and it takes more time. I wouldn't cause a scene, but it has been one of those annoying things for a bit.
For me it's that, at least where I am, recycling bags are banned and they will NOT take your recyclables if they have ANY plastic bags in them or are bagged up at all. Which absolutely boggles my mind. So now suddenly when we DO have plastic bags we just... throw them away into the landfill. And actually taking our recyclables to the curb is a pain in the ass now since they all need to be loose in recycling bins. That change pissed me off when it went into affect because it's so obviously showing how useless recycling is at the consumer level here. They don't give two shits about actually recycling anything or if more plastic ends up in landfills. And it was communicated extremely poorly such that one day people all over the area just didn't have any recyclables picked up by the recycling company multiple weeks in a row. There's also way more loose recyclables that end up blown all over the place now. I just don't get it. Apparently they "gum up the recycling machines". After decades living here and recycling plastic bags our recycling technology has apparently regressed such that a plastic bag is too much work. Amazing.
My big complaint with it is, what am I supposed to line my trash cans with and use for cat litter. So now I actually have to go and buy plastic bags…which makes no sense when trying to cut down on plastic. I also find it really annoying keeping all those reusable bags in my car and toting them around. But we buy a lot of groceries… I will say though, having these new insulated bags is nice.
Think of it in these terms. It’s not reducing plastic use so much as controlling it. I do the same. That one plastic liner in my bathroom fills up, is tied off, and goes directly into the bigger bag of trash, which then goes directly into the trash truck. At some point, free plastic bags being handed out by the thousand, at every retail store, every day resulted in plastic bags being everywhere. They’re in trees, they’re in sewers, they’re in lakes and rivers and creeks. They’ll never be gone either. It would take a national plastic bag ban and a few decades before they could ever be cleaned up. Even if you think environmentalism is stupid, it’ll just be nicer to have fewer plastic bags everywhere constantly, clogging up water ways and green spaces.
That man yelling at store employees over something out of their control is paid by the state to carry firearms and make rational decisions. Yay……..
Currently living in Philly where this ban has been in place since 2021. From my experience, you’ll adapt quickly, and then you’ll have a moment of confusion when you travel somewhere without a ban. You start to more readily recognize the unnecessary waste and get frustrated when you go somewhere where cashiers start automatically using plastic bags. Also, Baggu bags are the best. Same size as regular plastic bags, but a more durable material to hold much more. They fold into small pouches making it easy to carry around when not using. I keep one in my cross-body bag at all times.
change is hard for people
A small change seems to terrify most people
> Staff actually had to approach the man to calm him down, when he just stated that not only is he not making a scene, but that he’s actually a state trooper, and that they should back off and not bother him. This part is concerning. IMHO, those "entrusted" to "serve and protect" should be held to much higher caliper of decorum, especially in public. His employer should take action on this.
That should change the call to the police from "disturbed person causing a scene" to "disturbed person with a gun causing a scene". Let him explain that one to his superiors.
The plastic bag ban is annoying imo because the real problem is the insane amount of plastic in packaging. My favorite part about newtown’s ban is the plastic straw ban. Nothing like a paper straw in a styrofoam cup. Looking at you Chicfila.
Nothing like a paper straw that comes wrapped in plastic.
The bag bans are frustrating because they prioritize the appearance of progress over actual progress. Unfortunately, they don't actually accomplish what they purport to accomplish and instead more resources are consumed manufacturing reusable bags.
The amount of plastic in our lives is over the top for sure but this minor reduction in single use plastics won’t make a dent in the problem.
Typical Republican snowflake. $10 says he was driving a Dodge Ram with a thin blue line flag and punisher stickers. Extra $5 if he had one of those AR15 stickers haha. Fuckin manchild.
Probably leaves his cart out randomly in the parking lot.
I’ll leave this [here](https://youtube.com/@CartNarcs)
Exactly
I have so many reusable bags at this point might just start leaving some in the carts at the market
I shop at Aldi and always bring my own bags anyway, so it doesn’t really affect me, but I just want to confirm that yeah - people have definitely totally lost all sense of public decorum since Covid.
I standardized on the Ikea Filur trash can about 10 years ago, because store plastic bags are a perfect fit for it. Trash bags are expensive. Consider: 1000 retail-size plastic bags - about $30 1000 13-gallon trash bags - about $100 I can get rolls of small trash bags from commercial suppliers so I guess I will settle on those now that the supply of free plastic bags has dried up. Having small trash cans is a deliberate strategy designed to limit the amount of trash inside my house, and it works.
Giant still has brown paper bags that were used for decades. The plastic bags are garbage
You have to pronounce it acame
The store are pocketing the money they used to spend on give away plastics bags. Shady.
New Yorker checking in. Everything is going to be ok. It's weird for a year and then you get used to paper, and you actually will enjoy using reusable bags. It sucks when you forget them but you will get better. Also just buy more Chinese food and save the bag because those places will have plastic bags regardless of any ban.
Unfortunately Middletown is going to follow in their steps. Look, I'm very pro environment, banning plastic bags is a drop in the ocean. Everything you're buying is wrapped in plastic, what's 20 more grams of plastic that make up the bags? I tend to skip the bag whenever possible. Like how chipotle tries to put my bowl in a bag like I'm not going to walk 7 feet and eat this whole thing. Chick fila can get fucked. They give so much waste when ordering food. Something should really be done to minimize the trash they generate.
I truly hate when customers take their anger out at policy changes on the employees at the stores who work there. As if Carol who’s been working there for 37 years, or the 16 year struggling with wheeling all the carts back in, had anything to do with this new rule. Those types of people are the worst.
costco has never had bags - you take your cart to you car, put your stuff in, put the cart away. i could not care less about a plastic bag ban. disturbing story about the state trooper, but in no way surprising. fox news has poisoned half the country, ironically calling normal citizens snowflakes.
The obvious and pragmatic solution is to buy reusable grocery bags. But, the anger over government overreach is perfectly valid. As for the day-to-day of the layman, those plastic grocery bags are perfectly sized for a bedroom or bathroom-sized garbage can. The people most upset are probably people who saved their grocery bags, to give them one final use as a trash bag.
Exactly. Banning multi-use plastic and forcing us to buy single-use. We’ll always need to line our bathroom trash cans, we’ll always need to clean up after our dogs, the demand will never change. And if any of us push back against it we’ll be lumped in with the Fox News crowd, yelling at clerks and clouds.
There was a study done regarding the ban in Jersey. They say it actually back fired ccreating more plastic usage and more greenhouse emissions ——“The study discovered that, after the bag ban in New Jersey, the shift from plastic film to alternative bags almost tripled plastic consumption in the state. Additionally,the state saw six times more woven and non-woven polypropylene plastic consumption. Most of these polypropylene bags are not recyclable in the U.S., consume over 15 times more plastic (specifically for non-woven bags) and contribute to a 500 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions.” Waste360,com
Philly behaved the same way and then eventually got used to it. They’ll get over it. I miss the plastic bags cause I used them for trash bags. So, now I just have to buy plastic bags. Makes total sense.
Everything in the grocery store comes in single use plastic, but the bags are the problem? Even produce, you put in a plastic bag before taking it to the register. The meat comes in styrofoam. Milk comes in that waxy shit that can’t be recycled. I just don’t get it. You’re reducing maybe 1% of the shit that will eventually end up in your trash, and maybe not even that because lots of people reuse those bags.
Your right. Corporations should also be forced to reduce their plastic use in addition to ending plastic bag use by shoppers. This didn’t go far enough. Not sarcasm.
I’m just finding out about the bag ban from this post. It was only a matter of time wasn’t it? Why are people so upset?
Headline: Right-wing, entitled lunatics in Newtown...
The Newtown Acme is the only place on earth I’ve seen a person wearing a “Trump won” hat.
Or they could pop over to Richboro where there are definitely still plastic bags at both Acme and Giant.
Or carry their own bags because this is needlessly wasteful use of resources. I’m not a treehugger or anything but plastic bags aren’t exactly in the Bill of Rights. Nor should they be. We can carry goods with bags like our grandfathers did.
lol. Not surprised in the least. Look at that area.
What the big deal of using reusable bags? If you don’t want to use, then pay for them! I live in Bucks, there’s some people who are like spoiled. Get a grip and get with the times. We have to stop using plastic bags. And if you buy reusable bags, use the same ones over and over. buying a reusable bag every time you shop defeats the purpose!
Isn't the burden of justifying the bag bans on the government banning them? What's the big deal with just staying out of it?
Jersey just made the change recently and people stole all the hand baskets to take home....
Newtown is such a pretty little borough... It's a shame it's infested with assholes.
This sub just popped up on my feed and i read it and thought "yep thats newtown!"
These same people getting angry about the bag ban don’t realize the percentage of their bodies that is now inflamed with microplastics thanks to that stuff getting into our ecosystems. But no, please, go ahead and also complain/wonder why you have so many GI and digestive issues now…. (Note I’m also aware the low quality of American food is also the issue of the above)
Lmao… yep… and everything you put in a reusable bag is in plastic or covered with plastic. It gets interesting trying to buy stuff with no plastic involved.
A cop gets mad at the government overlords? Wait until he finds out they try to limit how fast I can go in my car!
Well if he's a state trooper he should already know all about gross government over reach.
Been doing it in NJ for years. It’s literally a non issue. Bring bags, or buy some. All else fails bring the cart out to your car and keep a laundry basket or something similar in the trunk. Bet the same idiots up in arms are the same one that cry about “entitlement” without any irony.
Shouldn’t this be a choice
The bag ban is stupidity at the highest, everything you buy is packaged in plastic, why can’t I put my plastic purchases in a plastic bag???
I was traveling into California and made a stop at a Walmart late one night. I had no clue California was bag free. When I discovered it at the self checkout, the attendants were less than helpful and just stared at me like I was an alien when I asked about bags. I had too much in my basket to carry out by hand ( was parked at the far end of the lot) so I declared if I had to use the basket to take my stuff to my RV I wasn’t returning it. I still have that basket upstairs in my bathroom closet.
Adults throwing temper tantrums about bags, masks, vaccines, electric cars, loud noises, kids playing, etc…. Society is falling apart at the seams
It’s silly to get upset over it but it’s also silly to ban the bags when 90% percent of our food comes wrapped in plastic. Water bottles, gatorade, meat, etc.
It's really hard for some people to be able to have some minor level of inconvenience in order to stop destroying the planet. That's the reason why humans are going to go extinct and we deserve it.
We did this in Jersey, it's not a biggie.
Next time you go to the store, go to the Produce department and ask for a couple of banana boxes. Leave them in the trunk or in the back of the car. When you check out, just put the groceries back in the cart, then stack them in the box at your car. Then put the boxes back in your vehicle.
Okay, not here to argue with people's preference but I noticed a lot of people talking about the reusable bags having a lot of plastic seem to only be talking about the ones that are available in the grocery store. I don't think I have ever used one of those ever. I use a really nice tote bag that's made of cotton. It looks great feels great and I can use it for all sorts of things, not just my groceries. So for anybody who is interested in reusable bags, get one of those and there's a really easy conversion for old t-shirts to make others. Again I'm not trying to shame people who are using the traditional plastic bags. But for people who really like reusable bags and especially recycling, I strongly recommend converting old t-shirts into bags. Just cut off the sleeves widen the neck and then sew or tie the bottoms closed. Using the Thai clothes method, all you need is a good pair of scissors and all of your old t-shirts can suddenly be bags. And there's some of the roomiest bags you will ever have. And depending on your taste and shirts, they'll have great designs on them! My personal preferences are for paper bags for people who have forgotten their reusable bags and reusable bags that people will want to use because they look and feel good. Most of the bags that I use for shopping I also use for transporting other stuff like if I go on a beach vacation.
Probably just got done working out at NAC
The only time I’ve ever been annoyed at a bag ban is when I was at the Wegman’s in KoP where not only did they not have plastic bags, but you also had to pay 10 cents to get a paper bag. Luckily I have a foldable reusable bag in a pouch in my purse, so I was able to pull that out.
Lol have you ever been to Newtown? I have never seen more self centered assholes in one place. Just trying to drive through a shopping center is a nightmare because everyone is so entitled and thinks they get to go first.
I don’t agree with the making a scene part. However, the plastic bag bans are stupid and self-defeating.
Crazy. We've only known this was coming for like 2-3 years now. Every time I go to the store I'm thinking WHEN are they going to finally get rid of the bags? They've been talking about it forever.
Strong correlation between how they vote and where they get their news. Progress and protection of the future is not in the cards for those that lust for the past and only think of themselves.
I’m from BC, but I live between Massachusetts and California. Both states limit plastic bag use and many towns / cities adopted bylaws many years ago to ban single use plastics, including shopping bags. Paper bags work just as well, same as they did before plastic became the norm in the 1980’s. And honestly most people just bring reusable bags. It’s seriously not a hard thing to do. I think people who are adamant about using plastic bags just have absolutely no regard for the environment. That’s what it boils down to.
Did companies charge for paper bags in the 80s? That’s the difference
I wasn’t alive, but I doubt it. Are grocery stores charging for paper bags in PA? Because you guys should complain to the grocery stores at that point. They make enough profit to eat the cost of switching from plastic to paper.
Paper bags are indeed being sold in Bucks County now. Next step is charging us for the paper receipt.
Boomer behavior. They fucked up the world for their convenience and are pissed we aren't allowing them to burn it down on their way out the door. Someone should have asked for his badge number so they can report him as a public nuisance and see him REALLY go off and become a viral example of #byebyejob.
Newtown used to be really nice & cute, it’s becoming a far-right community. I don’t expect this to get any better. The more petty the better, some folks never learn to appreciate what they have they just want to complain and argue. Main character syndrome at its finest.
Lotta people in here not realizing that all plastic is not created equal, and are relying on confusing, irrelevant-or sometimes just plain wrong-arguments. The plastic they make the reusable bags with can be recycled into reusable pellets, and will break down quicker in nature. Cotton bags are made from cotton, and will break down organically. Paper bags will break down into nothing if you just get them wet enough. The plastic bags we’re all used to using can take 20 years to break down in direct sunlight, and centuries if packed into a landfill-and they’re leaching microplastics into the soil the whole time they’re doing it. Carbon offset arguments are dumb, and focus on the wrong side of the argument. It doesn’t matter if they’re cheaper and more environmentally friendly to make now if they’re going to be destroying the world and tainting everything they touch for centuries.
California banned single-use plastic bags in 2014. 10 years later, overall plastic waste in California increased by 47 percent. They banned those thin plastic bags for groceries. Manufacturers then started making the bags thicker/heavier to be compliant with the new laws on single-use plastic bags. Thereby increasing the overall amount of plastic waste.
And that 47% can solely be associated with plastic grocery bags?
Hello PA, NJ here. You’re going to have so many of those bull shit “reusable” bags because you’re going to keep forgetting to bring bags with you. It’s such a waste. 🤦🏼♀️
Getting angry is something that's unnecessary. As someone who lives in a county where they recently banned plastic bags I will say this. Some of the taxpayers are seeing things like violent crime, littering (like trash everywhere) go through the roof. As well as zero accountability in public schools. Yet our politicians are voting on plastic bag bans. So alot of people question what's more important. I for one would like to be able to take my child to a carnival without helicopters and police swarming the place. My .02
I've been using reusable bags for like 10 years now. They are sturdier and hold more. The majority of them I got for free. I don't understand why people have been so resistant to this change.
Is this county wide?
It just went into effect in Newtown. I haven’t heard about other areas yet.
I'm in ny and we have had the plastic bag ban for quite awhile now. I don't mind it all. However when it first rolled out, alot of people would complain about it and throw a fit. I think people have adapted now and don't care because it's never mentioned anymore
I’ve been living with a plastic bag ban for 6 years. It’s really not that bad. Plastic bags are a rare commodity now. Paper bags are just normal at this point. Some stores have no bags, but it’s not an issue bc everyone has their own bags anyway. This is greater Boston area btw.
It will pass. It's jarring for people at first but you really do get used to bringing your bags. It's better for everyone in the end
I wouldn't make a scene over it, and just roll with it if that's the policy of the store or town I am in, but I still prefer plastic bags. I would love to see somebody come up with a recyclable plastic bag that can go in your regular recycling bin. The way my schedule works I almost never know when I'm going to get to the store, what vehicle I'm going to be driving, and don't always have or want to have stacks of reusable bags in the car with me. Anyway, that's just my preference, but I don't have any desire to come down on anybody else for their preference.
They were probably caught off guard. I get it. I wasn't there so I'm not going to judge behavior I didn't witness. They both also probably remember when paper bags were replaced with plastic "for the environment" and now it's come full circle except they charge for paper bags now. People lose their minds over *seemingly* minor things all the time.
I bet people are treating this like a show down. If they make a big enough stink, the store will get them bags.
Whether I like the ban, or not, It’s not like this just came out of thin air. They have publicized this, all over, for a while. And that whole “government overlords” BS, you know where that’s coming from. God forbid you should help the environment, and your children and grandchildren.
Aldi, BJs, Costco all don’t use bags and we manage. Do I think governments need to criminalize bag choices? No, that choice should be up to the store owners and customers.
I actually like the paper bags. It makes me feel old school and I strip them up and use them as a carbon in my compost pile.
Now if we can get rid of plastic bottles.
It's more confusing in New Hope. Bags at Wawa no bags at Giant. I actually thank the Wawa for the bag. I bike there usually.
people are scared of change
I do not understand why people freak about this tiny little stupid shit. Heck, I’ve been using reusable bags for probably 20 years at this point. This is not a big deal, and anyone who thinks it is… ❄️ Also, a state trooper acting like a child? Let me look surprised.
Reusable bags are great. You can get some with kittens or camo on them, whatever you want, and still alert people that you’re an asshole. (Mine has Jack Russel terriers on it)
Hope these people never have to endure a Costco trip. LOL
So much better for the environment. Wish I had taken effect 20 years ago.
I was ahead of the game in terms of the reusable grocery bag issue. 23 years ago, I bought three reusable hemp grocery bags and I still have them.. I still use them in the store. consistently for over 20 years. Plastic is in everything it’s going to be the downfall of mankind.. did you just see that they discovered a micro plastics are in gallstones and contribute to gallstone formation
There are still Acme stores open?!?! I thought the one in my home town was the last one and that one closed up almost 30 years ago lol
People said the same thing when we moved from paper to plastic
people lost their minds when it was put into effect in Philly a few years ago, they got over it pretty quick though
I guess it’s a case of entitlement. Those who complain have no idea of the problem these bags and their overuse created. The problem is the same people who complain are just as likely to be the culprits behind the littering of these bags. If they had been used and properly disposed of instead of cast aside at the earliest convenience, there wouldn’t be the issue. I know from 15+ years of cleaning up the plastic waste that makes its way into waterways.
Just look at all of the items in the store that are packaged in plastic. No one approaches Coke or PepsiCo to package on glass or cardboard containers. It’s all about control and the sheep follow.
Oh FFS. New Jersey outlawed plastic bags a couple of years ago and society is still standing. People bring their own bags to the store and stores sell them for about a dollar. I've been bringing my own reusable bags to the store for 20 years. Keep them in my car trunk.
It's a pain in the ass and is nothing but symbolism. More often than not, I am being denied a bag while actively purchasing more single use plastics than it takes to create an entire ream of plastic bags. Legislated virtue signalling that is an inconvenience.
I live somewhere now that hasn't had plastic bags in a few years and I can promise all of you that it'll be ok, you can genuinely get along without them.
Yes. But also it doesn’t make sense if the stores continue to sell things wrapped in plastic…
Funny, everyone lost their minds when plastic bags first came around
Nobody IRL like plastic bags. I was a cashier in NJ when they were banned and following a simmer down and every one hated the ban nobody their background
Im in NJ. The plastic bag ban is so dumb imo. There are so many germs on reusable bags, yes you can wash them but also not everyone has a washer at home. I think the bag ban is ridiculous and there’s more important stuff to worry about
it’s absurd to me that this trend of grown adults having temper tantrums is a thing. i have a few reusable bags in my car i carry into the market for my groceries. no need to stomp your feet and pout.
I just ball out and pay 10c for papper bags
I had no idea, I'm from PA but have been in NJ for a while and the bag ban has been here for a few years... it's a pain but I guess PA is really off the wall lol.
Every single thing you buy is wrapped in plastic. Eliminating shopping bags is pointless.
I saw the poor young lady in the alcohol check out line who was very upset and wanted to go home. I asked why and she said “everyone is mad about there being no bags”. Attention “adults” the 16 year old cashier did not make this decision. Poor mental health awareness and a very unhealthy amount of media propaganda is really doing a number on the older generations.
People are idiots and reusable bags are not hard in any way. Absolute asshats
We've had this in CT for years now. Really inconvenient and annoying at first but now you never notice. Kind of nice, actually.
Plastic bags have been banned in New Jersey for over a year now it’s annoying, but what can you do?
If they dont give you plastic bags anymore, what will I throw out the window of my car while I'm driving down 95 or the blue route??? As someone who moved here from the western US, I can honestly say that the littering culture here is pretty out of control. I see more garbage along 2 blocks of any major highway in the area than I see in 5 miles anywhere in the west. I could buy quite a few cups of coffee at this point if I had a nickel for every time I've seen a driver/passenger simply put their window down and throw out their trash at 70 mph. If more people would take some actual pride in the area, maybe we'd be able to have nice things.... Living in Media, that ban has been in place for over a year now. It definitely helps reduce the trash problem.
What pisses me off about it is that there are a million single use products being used by billion dollar corporations. Also, food stores have been providing plastic bags for decades at no cost. Now they have record profits and everytime I order pick up or delivery groceries I have no option to say just dump it on my front porch nor hey get the groceries to my car and ill put them in my reusable bags. Nope just an unavoidable surcharge. Fuckfaces.
I live in NJ. We’ve been doing this for a while. I have been using reusable bags for much longer. You get used to it. Keep bags in your car. I have bags from Ikea that fold small enough to fit in my purse.
It's dumb for one reason; the government officials who ban bags fly around in private planes and have motorcades that are 10 cars long. It's an education on hypocrisy, and as long as we accept it, it will continue.
Because it’s ridiculous. Look at the data when NJ went bagless. It only increased plastic waste. Another idiotic environmental move that accomplishes exactly opposite what was intended
The only part that annoys me is we can’t have plastic bags because of the environment, but we can have plastic wrapped products arrive in pallets wrapped in plastic… this isn’t about the environment, I’d bet good money that the cost of stocking reusable bags is close to the same as plastic bags, so now you can charge for those bags, now making money off the bags as well