  Cargo_kitty Member Username: Cargo_kitty Post Number: 4 Registered: 07-2008 |
Starting in January, Seattle shoppers may see groceries go up 20 cents per bag. That's because the City Council voted 6-1 to institute a fee for the use of paper or plastic bags at grocery, drug and convenience stores. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 277 Registered: 06-2008 |
Just for clarification, the fee is designed to encourage the use of reusable grocery bags and is not intended to be a revenue-raising mechanism. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 3411 Registered: 09-2007 |
The off-brand stores (Aldi, Save-A-Lot) already charge 10 cent per bag to offset costs. | ||
Rid0617 Member Username: Rid0617 Post Number: 261 Registered: 03-2008 |
It's not intended as a revenue raising mechanism but they sure have no problem accepting it. | ||
Ndmom Member Username: Ndmom Post Number: 163 Registered: 05-2005 |
Meijers sells nice,reusable bags for $.99 ea. My problem is not remembering to bring them inside with me. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 3414 Registered: 09-2007 |
quote: Yeah, I have a whole area stuff with Aldi bags (and probably old Save-a-Lot bags) because I always forget to bring them when I go shopping. The trick is to find stray boxes lying around that will hold your food. Luckily (for now), the traditional stores (as a whole) don't charge for baggage yet (at least in MI). They usually get back their money by selling out-dated foods or over-priced meat.  | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 7209 Registered: 08-2004 |
Funny you mention Aldi's Detroitrise... every time I visit one of their stores I end up with an extra 25 or 50 cents because some dummies forget to return their shopping carts to the 25 cent cart lockup. | ||
Lefty2 Member Username: Lefty2 Post Number: 1699 Registered: 07-2007 |
.20$ a bag? What a ripoff. Socialists they are. Plastic are more recyclable than paper. Another tax increase on the population. | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 778 Registered: 04-2006 |
quote:Paper is biodegradable. Plastic is not. Reusing bags is better than using them only once no matter what they're made out of. Cloth bags last the longest. quote:Only those who insist on having new bags every time they go shopping. I have reusable bags anyway, and either use those or just carry my stuff in my hands if I'm only buying a couple things. I do not understand why people see a free, unlimited supply of throwaway grocery bags as a God-given right. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 3415 Registered: 09-2007 |
Ok, before we get into the subjective "Paper or Plastic" debate... Bearinabox, everyone can't remember to lug huge grocery bags with them evertime they go shopping (especially if it's a spur of the moment situation). Besides, some people (like myself) use them to hold bottles for future recycling or Garbage (to save on buying garbage bags). Gistok, I've yet to see that happen (although I'm sure it has happened). I'll keep an eye out. | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 779 Registered: 04-2006 |
quote:Cloth bags work just as well for holding bottles as paper/plastic. You can bring your bottles to the store in your cloth bag and then fill the now-empty bag with groceries. That way, you don't have a problem with remembering to bring your bags to the store. All I'm saying is, the world wouldn't stop turning if grocery stores here started charging 20 cents a bag. People would bitch for the first week or so, then they'd adjust their lifestyles a bit and in a month it'd be second nature. It's not that big of a deal, and certainly isn't some sinister socialist plot to bolster tax revenue like Lefty was making it out to be. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 3416 Registered: 09-2007 |
"All I'm saying is, the world wouldn't stop turning if grocery stores here started charging 20 cents a bag. People would bitch for the first week or so, then they'd adjust their lifestyles a bit and in a month it'd be second nature. It's not that big of a deal, and certainly isn't some sinister socialist plot to bolster tax revenue like Lefty was making it out to be." Agreed. Grocery have neem charging money for bags for years, so this isn't nothing new. It's a sinister plot for grocery store owners to earn more revenue so the local governemnt can tax them more. | ||
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit Post Number: 1494 Registered: 03-2008 |
Yeah, I definitely re-use the plastic bags. So do my roommates, as well as Kally, and my friends and family. Usually one time for small bathroom and bedroom garbage, or pop bottles. I remember when I was little, my Dad used to love the paper bags. He would reuse those for lunch packing. I have never had a dog, but would think people might use plastic bags to clean up after their dogs while walking. We use them for cleaning the cat litter every day. Because I use them so much, I have actually chosen free bags, over charged one elsewhere. Of course, many parks offer clean up bags for free or cheap... so that use might not be valid. | ||
Wolverine Member Username: Wolverine Post Number: 585 Registered: 04-2004 |
"Plastic are more recyclable than paper. " Not always true. Most [plastic bags] are labeled R5, which many municipalities won't accept. Yeah, they'll pick it up, but it gets rejected at the sorting center. ..so it's off to the landfill.... (Message edited by wolverine on August 17, 2008) | ||
Diane12163 Member Username: Diane12163 Post Number: 164 Registered: 07-2008 |
What I've done so I remember my bags is to have a small box in my trunk with bags folded up in it and then when I get to the store, I just grab a few out. When they have broken handles or big holes in them they get tossed and I will get another small supply of them and use them till they're no good. I do like the cloth bags, too but you have to make sure you haven't got a leaky milk carton and that your produce and meat are wrapped up well. But, you can always toss them in the wash. I love shopping at Aldis and Save A Lot because I can get 5 times as much groceries, have all the quality if not better quality than the name brand stores and it doesn't bug me to pack my own stuff. Their cashiers are very fast, too. | ||
Detroitduo Member Username: Detroitduo Post Number: 942 Registered: 06-2005 |
I have gotten quite used to using the reusable bags in Germany. Yes, I have on many occasions forgotten them at home or in the car, but after a while, you simply remember. Another popular way, here is you leave the bags in your car, then just bring the cart full of your groceries to the car and pack 'em in. Now, in the US, there are some "security" issues with doing it that way... but I think the people worrying about their security will also remember to take the bags in with them. overall, I think it's a great idea.. and Americans can hardly do anything unless it makes economic sense. To voluntarily do something inconvenient because it is good for the environment is impossible for Americans to conceive. I think it is high time for the days of the free "convenient" bag to be over. If people want to be wasteful they should pay for it! | ||
Diane12163 Member Username: Diane12163 Post Number: 166 Registered: 07-2008 |
Hi Detroitduo-I can really see your point. How many times have we seen those plastic bags strewn on our roads and blowing into our yards? I've also seen them billowing about on car parks and everywhere. I've seen paper bags that way, too. It really is such a waste of trees and energy to not recycle them properly. Maybe stores should just phase out the plastic and just have recycled paper and cloth bags made of hemp or flax. I'd offer the cloth bags for sale individually or a pack of 5 or 6 for a discount bulk rate. This way folks can keep a couple in their cars so they always have them. The paper bags could carry a 20 cent charge. | ||
Cooper Member Username: Cooper Post Number: 35 Registered: 02-2008 |
This is a great idea that's worked very well in Ireland: quote: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02 /02/world/europe/02bags.html?e m&ex=1202187600&en=a0cb9e6b494 6bd27&ei=5087%0A | ||
Diane12163 Member Username: Diane12163 Post Number: 167 Registered: 07-2008 |
Hi Cooper. I very much like that idea and hope to see implementation of it here in the states. I'm formerly of Detroit and in Houston now and the streets and lots are riddled with those plastic bags. They become an eyesore after awhile. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1822 Registered: 04-2006 |
I always liked the idea of paying for bags or having shopping carts for rent. The bags encourages recycling and the quarter for the cart keeps the area around the store from looking crappy and lessens the likelyhood of door dings. I was sold on Food Basics when it opened by me. I still miss it. | ||
Sumas Member Username: Sumas Post Number: 219 Registered: 01-2008 |
We save and reuse both plastic and paper bags. We also use cloth bags on occaision. I am happy to say that EEV now has a recycling center once a month. (Message edited by sumas on August 17, 2008) | ||
Sirrealone Member Username: Sirrealone Post Number: 207 Registered: 01-2007 |
We bought Meijer bags about two months ago and now it's habit that we use them. They work out great. You can typically fit in one reusable bag what would usually take 2-3 plastic bags. Dumb question, but will I have problems if I took the Meijer branded bags into other stores to use? | ||
Panda Member Username: Panda Post Number: 3 Registered: 05-2008 |
^^^No. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 8244 Registered: 10-2003 |
They can charge more for bags if they want. But they have to start paying me for doing my own scanning and bagging in the U-Scan lanes. | ||
Diane12163 Member Username: Diane12163 Post Number: 179 Registered: 07-2008 |
Johnclodge-I agree. Fair wages! If we do the work we ought to get paid. We shop at one of those neighbourhood WalMarts and my roommate insists on using the Uscan. First, it has a harder time reading the barcodes on some things that go through easily in the regular checkout lanes and second it only gives you so much time before the wait for assistance voice comes on. Then sometimes it does not get that you have put the item in the bag. All in all it takes much longer to use the Uscans and I'm not a fan of them. I'm also not a fan of coupons and wish they'd just mark the stuff down to begin with and get rid of the wastefulness of all that paper for the coupons and also just give me the savings instead of having me have to present some card for them. They just make more work for themselves and more headaches for the customer. | ||
Pkbroch Member Username: Pkbroch Post Number: 80 Registered: 02-2008 |
Let me get this straight.I buy a tee shirt and some socks at Target for $ 20.00 and I get a bag to carry my purchases. I buy $ 100.00 worth of groceries and I am expected to bring my own canvas sacks or pay for bags. Somethings not right here. | ||
Detroitbred Member Username: Detroitbred Post Number: 55 Registered: 06-2008 |
Funny story about U Scans..we were out with friends and stopped at the grocery store, went through the self checkout. My friend told my husband to hit "Spanish" when it asked what language, so he did....of'course we didn't know what it was telling us to do because we don't speak Spanish ( except for a few words that have nothing to do with groceries! )and we were laughing too hard, the U scan got all jammed up and the U Scan checkout girl had to come bail us out. She needed a special code and key to undo what we had done. And she was definitely not laughing. | ||
Wolverine Member Username: Wolverine Post Number: 587 Registered: 04-2004 |
The store hopes you don't realize that. | ||
Sirrealone Member Username: Sirrealone Post Number: 208 Registered: 01-2007 |
What's the big deal here? There are still choices in everything that's being complained about. If you don't like the idea of paying for plastic bags, then don't. Bring your own. You don't even have to buy the reusable ones if the $0.99 is too expensive. Just bring some plastic bags from previous trips, and they'll re-use them as long as they still function. Either way, it's a very simple thing that can help the planet. Maybe think about the greater good rather than just your own personal inconvenience. Aren't there more aggravating things in life to spend time getting up in arms about? I can sure think of a few. I like the option of having a U-Scan, but so far, nobody forces you to use one. I'm guessing that the people that get upset about their existence never use ATMs, right? | ||
Scout Member Username: Scout Post Number: 30 Registered: 12-2007 |
Let me get this straight.I buy a tee shirt and some socks at Target for $ 20.00 and I get a bag to carry my purchases. You can bring your own bag to Target, too. I do all the time. | ||
Diane12163 Member Username: Diane12163 Post Number: 184 Registered: 07-2008 |
Thank you, Scout and Sirrealone. Excellent points. Thanks for the funny tale Detroitbred. Scout--I had a friend in the Detroit burbs whose nickname was Scout. | ||
Scout Member Username: Scout Post Number: 33 Registered: 12-2007 |
Scout--I had a friend in the Detroit burbs whose nickname was Scout. From To Kill a Mockingbird? Either way, your friend clearly has good taste. :-) | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 8274 Registered: 10-2003 |
Does this mean a $2.70 bottle of Mad Dog 20/20 in a brown paper bag would now cost a full $3.00? That's like an extra tax on bums. | ||
Wolverine Member Username: Wolverine Post Number: 589 Registered: 04-2004 |
Well I guess you can now say they aren't spending all their money on booze. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1823 Registered: 04-2006 |
$2.70 for Mad Dog? I can remember when it was $1.50! DO the party stores charge extra for bags like Aldi and Sav-a-lot do? | ||
Diane12163 Member Username: Diane12163 Post Number: 185 Registered: 07-2008 |
MD 20/20 Loved and still love it. The original dark red almost purple elixer. I remember when it was $2.00. Saw a movie called 5Th Element with Bruce Willis and Milla Yovovich. They did away with grocery shopping altogether. She merely went to this thing that looked like a microwave, pushed a button, said chicken and out came perfectly done chicken on a platter. No plastic, no paper just cooked food like in The Jetsons. That should be the future of shopping. Scout---Actually I believe so. Is your first name Steve? |
