What will we scoop cat litter into?

Great. Now they want to put grocery bag factory workers out of work. Bastards.

I've run across more and more being given the option between paper or plastic. The clerks don't seem to like my "I don't give a damn" argument.

Plastic = lunch bags, bathroom trash can liner
Paper = kitty toy

Six of one, half dozen of the other.

I call them the State Bird of West Texas.

Stupid. I have the reusable bags because they're *easier* but I take some plastic ones every so often... for example, if I buy meat. I want the plastic in case it drips, why stain my $1 bag? Not to mention that a few are good to have around... bathroom and bedroom trash basket liners, stuff like that. People will still get plastic bags for stuff like that because what else do you use for bathroom trash, kitty litter, etc?

I always feel like some overboard environmentalist douche with my reusable bags, but you really can fill those things with a ton of stuff, and the straps make it easier to haul things. Considering I can't just pull into the driveway at my place, it's helpful.

*shrug*

They should sell the convenience factor over the environmental stuff... and maybe give people who spend X $$ in some month a few free reusable bags. That will make people change over faster than this "green" angle. God, I hate that "green" crap... they've taken it too far.

The same idiocy took over Seattle recently. Basically the do gooders cannot figure out that when bags are banned, you still have to buy bags, and it winds up being less eco friendly. Until theres disposable cat litter liners and other assorted garbage bag uses that used grocery bags now are used for, this whole thing is retarded. Makes the nanny do gooders proud they accomplished something though. And makes us have to spend $3 and up for Glad bags todo what we do now for free. Seattle then went one step further and was discussing "how to provide free plastic bags for the homeless" once plastic grocery bags were banned, how would the precious homeless be able to carry their worldly belongings.

Seattle Bag Tax site

serpent_sky: I always feel like some overboard environmentalist douche with my reusable bags, but you really can fill those things with a ton of stuff, and the straps make it easier to haul things. Considering I can't just pull into the driveway at my place, it's helpful.

For me, it's insulation. That cheapo canvas bag will hold in the cold longer than a plastic or paper bag will. Since I take the bus, the extended period of time I've got before my food enters The Zone plus the increased storage capacity (thus meaning less bags to haul) really helps. I always just feel like a douche when I carry around the empty bags on the way to the store. And sometimes, I request plastic bags and just re-pack everything myself because I don't trust the minimum wage high school kid to pack things in the best way for me to carry them and keep stuff cold.

Why can no one spell our name right? VIRGINIA.

This is the result of all of the Californians and DC scum that moved into NoVa

Dancin_In_Anson: I call them the State Bird of West Texas.

Does this new legislation make them an endangered species?

There's obviously sand in someone's Virgina

Generation_D: The same idiocy took over Seattle recently. Basically the do gooders cannot figure out that when bags are banned, you still have to buy bags, and it winds up being less eco friendly. Until theres disposable cat litter liners and other assorted garbage bag uses that used grocery bags now are used for, this whole thing is retarded. Makes the nanny do gooders proud they accomplished something though. And makes us have to spend $3 and up for Glad bags todo what we do now for free. Seattle then went one step further and was discussing "how to provide free plastic bags for the homeless" once plastic grocery bags were banned, how would the precious homeless be able to carry their worldly belongings.

Seattle Bag Tax site

I am not convinced that liberals are incapable of thinking ahead. They jump from one knee-jerk reaction to another.

I don't see a problem. Nobody was farking crying about McDonalds getting rid of styrofoam packaging, and this makes just as much sense.

Of course, that was before you had to be pro-pollution to be a "conservative".

Walker: Why can no one spell our name right? VIRGINIAVARGINA.

FTFY

For fark's sake.

How about that 3 billion dollar shortfall? Maybe directing a little energy towards the budget since it's a wee bit more important than the future dog poop carriers?

This grinds my gears, I take my lunches in those bags.

HotWingConspiracy: I don't see a problem. Nobody was farking crying about McDonalds getting rid of styrofoam packaging, and this makes just as much sense.

Of course, that was before you had to be pro-pollution to be a "conservative".

Yeah, this. Although it makes more sense to do what Ireland did and just impose a tax. It cut plastic bag use by 90% and people just use reusable bags now.

I swear, Americans are the most butthurt people on the planet. So much for sacrificing a little bit to help out the country and the world.

I would prefer if they perhaps balanced the budget as they're constitutionally required to do, rather than goof off with nonsense legislation like this. I wouldn't mind a transportation plan for Northern Virginia, too.

Virgina?

Nemo's Brother: I am not convinced that liberals are incapable of thinking ahead. They jump from one knee-jerk reaction to another.

You do know that this sentence, due to the double negative, means the opposite of what you most likely intended to say, no?

How many grams of plastic are there in a typical supermarket bag? 10g? 5g? I'd be willing to be there's more plastic in microwave ready-meal packaging than a carrier bag.

Just use biodegradable plastics that rot in a month or so.

The Homer Tax: This grinds my gears, I take my lunches in those bags.

I do, too, but I've been using the same bag for what feels like forever. I don't see any point in throwing it away when it's holding out just fine.

What will my kids use for toys?

DeltaXi65: I would prefer if they perhaps balanced the budget as they're constitutionally required to do, rather than goof off with nonsense legislation like this. I wouldn't mind a transportation plan for Northern Virginia, too.

Wow, I love this State Commonwealth. I would like it very much if they figured out how they OOPS screwed up on the budget so badly they're $-2.9BILLION.

Freaking idiots. Stop wasting your time on my dog walking bags and work on the fact your Commonwealth Employees are being laid off at a ridiculous rate.

LKGDLJDLJF I hate my employer:(

Generation_D: The same idiocy took over Seattle recently. Basically the do gooders cannot figure out that when bags are banned, you still have to buy bags, and it winds up being less eco friendly. Until theres disposable cat litter liners and other assorted garbage bag uses that used grocery bags now are used for, this whole thing is retarded. Makes the nanny do gooders proud they accomplished something though. And makes us have to spend $3 and up for Glad bags todo what we do now for free. Seattle then went one step further and was discussing "how to provide free plastic bags for the homeless" once plastic grocery bags were banned, how would the precious homeless be able to carry their worldly belongings.

Seattle Bag Tax site

My QFC of Broadway isn't doing the pay-for-bags thing.

Plastic bags are actually more eco-friendly to manufacture than paper. However, they don't biodegrade as well. Really, if you're stuck using a bag, use plastic. Otherwise bring one from home.

Todays lunch bag. Going on the trash when Im done with it, and I will use another one tomorrow! It says it is made of at least 15% recycled material, so I guess it has evened out on its usefullness. I thought they were making them out of biodegradeable materials anyway?

My local supermarket gives you five-cents off your total bill per reusable bag you bring.

They do get angry when I insist on individually-bagged grapes, but the savings are worth it!!

Meanwhile, out here in Southwest Virginia, my truck fell into a pothole going down the interstate yesterday. Luckily I resurfaced in the next pothole.

Farking roads are getting as bad as the West Virginia turnpike, and they're worried about my dog poop storage systems.

Edsel:

I swear, Americans are the most butthurt people on the planet. So much for sacrificing a little bit to help out the country and the world.

Yup a bunch of ed angers over here.

SBinRR: Meanwhile, out here in Southwest Virginia, my truck fell into a pothole going down the interstate yesterday. Luckily I resurfaced in the next pothole.

Farking roads are getting as bad as the West Virginia turnpike, and they're worried about my dog poop storage systems.

Well, you know, by not fixing the roads they're trying to get us to use the public transport system..

Oh wait. They forgot WE DON'T HAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT in the SW of the state.

Sorry, I'm in a crappy mood about our legislature.

Crunch61: There's obviously sand in someone's Virgina

I chuckled.

"Virgina" is actually how the female bits are pronounced in certain parts of the state.

sparklymegz: SBinRR: Meanwhile, out here in Southwest Virginia, my truck fell into a pothole going down the interstate yesterday. Luckily I resurfaced in the next pothole.

Farking roads are getting as bad as the West Virginia turnpike, and they're worried about my dog poop storage systems.

Well, you know, by not fixing the roads they're trying to get us to use the public transport system..

Oh wait. They forgot WE DON'T HAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT in the SW of the state.

Sorry, I'm in a crappy mood about our legislature.

Hey you live in Roanoke, you guys have buses and everything, the further south you go, the more you are on your own...

Bandwagon03: sparklymegz: SBinRR: Meanwhile, out here in Southwest Virginia, my truck fell into a pothole going down the interstate yesterday. Luckily I resurfaced in the next pothole.

Farking roads are getting as bad as the West Virginia turnpike, and they're worried about my dog poop storage systems.

Well, you know, by not fixing the roads they're trying to get us to use the public transport system..

Oh wait. They forgot WE DON'T HAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT in the SW of the state.

Sorry, I'm in a crappy mood about our legislature.

Hey you live in Roanoke, you guys have buses and everything, the further south you go, the more you are on your own...

Yes, we do have buses. Buses that run at weird hours through weird places.

I have lived in Martinsville, and it was worse...

Free Radical: Does this new legislation make them an endangered species?

Not out here to be sure!

Depicts 60,000 plastic bags, the number used in the US every five seconds.



Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.

• According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year.

• According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion)

• According to the industry publication Modern Plastics, Taiwan consumes 20 billion bags a year-900 per person.

• An estimated .7% or 49,600,000 end up as litter each year.

• Four out of every five bags handed out at grocery stores are plastic.

• They are rarely recycled and don't degrade in the natural environment, much less in a landfill.


Not a bad thing to debate considering there's whole islands of this shiat floating in the ocean.

Who opts for plastic anyways...I need the paper ones for my sorted recycling.

DarnoKonrad: Not a bad thing to debate considering there's whole islands of this shiat floating in the ocean.

But it is a bad thing to debate when there are more immediate problems that need to be dealt with, such as the massive budget shortfall.

balthan:
But it is a bad thing to debate when there are more immediate problems that need to be dealt with, such as the massive budget shortfall.

This.

We could try airlifting out the literally twice-the-size-of-Texas Great Pacific Garbage Patch and re-using those.

KyngNothing: What will we scoop cat litter into?

They make flushable cat litter now. Unfortunately, this is one of those decisions that your cat has veto power over, so YMMV. Our friends' cats love it, and it does make disposal pretty easy if your litter box is already in the bathroom. It does cost somewhat more.

If your cats veto and you don't acquire plastic bags at the grocery store, you'll still end up with them through other means. Put aside stuff like Zip-loc bags you've previously used, etc. We make a significant effort not to obtain plastic bags and never seem to run out.

balthan: DarnoKonrad: Not a bad thing to debate considering there's whole islands of this shiat floating in the ocean.

But it is a bad thing to debate when there are more immediate problems that need to be dealt with, such as the massive budget shortfall.

I think you'll find that there are always more important things to discuss, no matter what the issue.

balthan: But it is a bad thing to debate when there are more immediate problems that need to be dealt with, such as the massive budget shortfall.

You could go after both problems and attach a tax on the distribution of said bags at grocery stores, etc. A few cents a bag could work. Most people would switch over to paper or reusables, and the rest would be addressing the budget shortfall. At the end of the day, a touch less demand for petroleum, and less of a litter/disposal problem.

Joining the other Seattlites in here, when they started discussing implementing this here all I heard was "we no longer want people to clean up their dogs crap".

If they think the same amount of people will clean up after their dogs if they have to buy bags as if they have free ones they are wrong. People are cheap. They wont shell out for plastic bags in an economic crisis if they think they can just get away with leaving shiat everywhere.

Nemo's Brother: This is the result of all of the Californians and DC scum that moved into NoVa

That's some fine Southern hospitality right there. Thanks for reminding me why I got out of the 'real Virginia.'

sparklymegz: SBinRR: Meanwhile, out here in Southwest Virginia, my truck fell into a pothole going down the interstate yesterday. Luckily I resurfaced in the next pothole.

Farking roads are getting as bad as the West Virginia turnpike, and they're worried about my dog poop storage systems.

Well, you know, by not fixing the roads they're trying to get us to use the public transport system..

Oh wait. They forgot WE DON'T HAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT in the SW of the state.

Sorry, I'm in a crappy mood about our legislature.

Hey it's what happens. No roads for Northern Virginia, no roads for you guys too.

Say "thank you" to Fairfax County for your schools, btw.

every time someone lacks a coherent argument for or against doing something, but they want to oppose it for some incoherent reason, they bring out the "aren't there more important things to worry about right now, like the DEFICIT?" argument.

Since, so far, that's been the most substantive complaint about this idea, I'm thinking that the ban must be a good idea.

although I agree that a tax is a better one.

I know that I decided to start using sturdy reusable rectangular, handled bags about a year ago, and I LOVE using them. They were a buck each, and the grocery store gives me 10 cents every time I use one, typically I fill up 4 per week, so they paid themselves off 8-10 months ago (4 dollars, whoop), and the only time I even use paper bags is when I forget my reusable ones like an idiot.

If you've seen those images of the giant floating texas-sized plastic vortex of terror in the pacific ocean, you know why this is an issue. Those bags aren't recycled very often, just reused once and then thrown away. You can bring your lunch in a paper bag. Or in one of those thermos-type lunchboxes that's all soft and squared off. The average Kroger bag won't fit around an entire litter box anyway. I don't see much defense for using them, other than ubiquity and convenient storage for the retailers...

biodegradable plastic has to be either VERY thick, or very weak. Would you guys really be happy with biodegradable plastic bags if it meant 1 out of every 4 gallons of milk you buy ended up broken in the store parking lot because the bag ripped?

to sum up:
durable flat-bottomed bags for the win.

I have a friend whos mother lives in some island off Columbia. They ban plastic bags because they don't have a place to trash them. I find it funny when she comes for Christmas because she hoards them and brings them back with her. Then she becomes queen of the island.

Tragedy of the commons in full fx

In Germany they change like 20-30 Euro cents a bag in the grocery store.

balthan: DarnoKonrad: Not a bad thing to debate considering there's whole islands of this shiat floating in the ocean.

But it is a bad thing to debate when there are more immediate problems that need to be dealt with, such as the massive budget shortfall.

One can do many things at once.