Plastic use in your home...

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
Has anyone else made a conscientious effort to reduce plastic waste in their homes?

If so, what have you stopped buying or using in the way of plastics?

How about plastic bags when shopping? Have your stores banned the use of plastic bags?

What about reusable cloth grocery shopping bags? Do you use them?

Is there anything you currently use in the way of plastic things/items, that you have no intentions on ever giving up?
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Why should we give up plastic bags? Why would stores stop using them? Is this for environmental reasons?

The U.S. is far less environmentally conscience than the rest of the developed world.
 
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Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
SOT. I'm not saying for anyone to give up anything, plastic bags included, I was just throwing conversation out there.

Here in Canada, stores have had a .05¢ premium on plastic bags for a good amount of time now, and Victoria BC, the Capital of British Columbia, is currently strongly pushing for the ban of all plastic bag use, and Vancouver BC (on our West Coast) will become the first major Canadian City to ban plastic drinking straws, as well as impose restrictions on disposable cups and plastic shopping bags.

I was under the impression that the US, was in-line with and in-keeping with Canada on this matter.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
But, Pink, why do they want to ban plastic bags? I believe you but i dont understand the reason. Straws too. There must be a reason. Do you know why?

In the more (not very large smount of,) more enlightened states, this may be happening....California comes to mind. But I still dont know why this would be and am curious. Out here, where I live, plastic and paper is what is used in stores, but we are s conservative state. Most of the U.S. is conservative and many people are apathetic about social issues as a whole. I do take stands snd, say, wont wear clothes made by killing animals and limit meat. But I am not thr norm. Whats with plastic bags?
 
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Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
Has anyone else made a conscientious effort to reduce plastic waste in their homes? Yes and no. As far as plastic bags go, I've religiously reused whatever bags I can, whenever I can, so that in itself equates to a reduction in plastic waste in our house, and I try and avoid using plastic wrap.

If so, what have you stopped buying or using in the way of plastics? Not really stopped buying anything made from plastic, but definitely avoid using the likes of plastic wrap and such.

How about plastic bags when shopping? Have your stores banned the use of plastic bags? Some have banned the use of plastic, while others charge a premium for such bags.

What about reusable cloth grocery shopping bags? Do you use them? I do use cloth shopping bags and have done so for a good number of years now.

Is there anything you currently use in the way of plastic things/items, that you have no intentions on ever giving up? I'd have to say my collection of Rubbermaid and Tupperware. I can thank both of these makers for allowing me to forgo the use of plastic wrap. An ideal way to store leftovers in the fridge, and other prepared food/meals in the freezer.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
But, Pink, why do they want to ban plastic bags? I believe you but i dont understand the reason. Straws too. There must be a reason. Do you know why?

In the more (not very large smount of,) more enlightened states, this may be happening....California comes to mind. But I still dont know why this would be and am curious. Out here, where I live, plastic and paper is what is used in stores, but we are s conservative state. Most of the U.S. is conservative and many people are apathetic about social issues as a whole. I do take stands snd, say, wont wear clothes made by killing animals and limit meat. But I am not thr norm. Whats with plastic bags?
Honestly, SOT, I don't know the reason, other than Canada believes such use of plastic is wasteful and holds no importance.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Ok. I dont think the U.S. cares. It may. I personally dont hear about plastic bag waste. Maybe in other places you do hear about it.

Anyone in the U.S. have saving plastic going on?
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
I do know from reading, that In August 2014, California became the first State to enact Legislation imposing a Statewide ban on single-use plastic bags at large retail stores, and even though California maybe the only State (for now) that has such a law in effect, but it's just a matter of time (in my opinion) where you'll see the same law passed in other States.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Maybe. California is very progressive and tends to do things that other states dont follow. They have HUGE fines for dumping smoke butts on the ground and it isnt a new law. But I dont think any other state fines for dropping cigarette butts in the ground.

California is different in many good ways.

I always try to remember to reuse bags but sometimes forget.
 
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Tired out

Well-Known Member
We re-use the plastic grocery bags as trash can liners. I also have reusable grocery bags , seems I usually forget them. Just like I forget my shopping list .I try to keep a couple in the car.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
That's right - no more plastic bags here in sunny California. We have to bring our own bags or be charged 10 cents per paper bag. One of our local grocery stores came out with a very sturdy reusable, and we have both the regular and the insulated.

We do use plastic garbage bags in the kitchen. Leftovers go into reusable containers for Hubby to take for lunch the next day. I don't compost or anything like that, so garbage is garbage and recyclable is recyclable.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
Maybe. California is very progressive and tends to do things that other states dont follow. They have HUGE fines for dumping smoke butts on the ground and it isnt a new law. But I dont think any other state fines for dropping cigarette butts in the ground.

California is different in many good ways.

I always try to remember to reuse bags but sometimes forget.
We're still neutral here as far as cigarette butts go, but there's no-smoking in any establishment, and no-smoking is allowed within a specified number of metres from public access points. Violators face a stiff penalty.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
We re-use the plastic grocery bags as trash can liners. I also have reusable grocery bags , seems I usually forget them. Just like I forget my shopping list .I try to keep a couple in the car.
I remember trying the shopping bag/garbage can liner thing, and the leaks and messes I had. Switched to Kitchen Catchers and have never looked back. Bad I know, because of the plastic waste.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
That's right - no more plastic bags here in sunny California. We have to bring our own bags or be charged 10 cents per paper bag. One of our local grocery stores came out with a very sturdy reusable, and we have both the regular and the insulated.

We do use plastic garbage bags in the kitchen. Leftovers go into reusable containers for Hubby to take for lunch the next day. I don't compost or anything like that, so garbage is garbage and recyclable is recyclable.
We have a large compost bin out back and use it nearly every day. Egg shells, coffee grounds, vegetable and fruit waste/peelings, etc. Definitely contributes to less waste overall.
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
I’m on a plastic baggie strike, so I haven’t used them much lately.

I do have reusable bags, but I mostly use them at Aldi. They are the only store in my area that charges for bags. No store that I am aware of has banned plastic bags.

I remember reading an article about the plastic straw banning controversy not too long ago. It was written by a disabled person who needs to use plastic straws for drinking and was not happy about the law.

We were in a grocery store in Minnesota earlier this month and the bagger asked if we wanted paper or plastic bags. I haven’t heard that in years.

I use the plastic grocery bags in all my trash cans. I don’t have any problems with them.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
I’m on a plastic baggie strike, so I haven’t used them much lately.

I do have reusable bags, but I mostly use them at Aldi. They are the only store in my area that charges for bags. No store that I am aware of has banned plastic bags.

I remember reading an article about the plastic straw banning controversy not too long ago. It was written by a disabled person who needs to use plastic straws for drinking and was not happy about the law.

We were in a grocery store in Minnesota earlier this month and the bagger asked if we wanted paper or plastic bags. I haven’t heard that in years.

I use the plastic grocery bags in all my trash cans. I don’t have any problems with them.
Honestly, I remember paper straws when I was a kid and they sucked (pardon the pun)! They got wet and soggy after only a few draws. Eww!

The whole "do you want paper or plastic" thing, I haven't heard since the 70's. Your post reminded me of how thick and durable the old brown-paper bags were. Honestly, I think reusable cloth is the way to go, but that's me.

Yeah, the whole baggie thing I remember from when my kids were younger. They lost lots of my Rubbermaid and Tupperware stuff, so I went to disposable plastic sandwich baggies and things. Haven't used them in years though...
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
For home use, I use baggies because I hsve never heard until now that I shouldnt.

I.am a fairly socislly conscious person. If I heard a good reason not to use plastic, I woyldnt. But it isnt spoken of in my little neck of the woods. We are stii given plastic store bags and plastic bags for bringing home leftovers from a restaurant. Well, you get a box then.a bag. But when I visit the greater Chicago area, much bigger and more "enlightened") I get plastic too.

Around me, you cant smoke cigarettes inside slmost anyehere but you can.smoke right outside. I wish theyd do a nationwide California ban about cigarettes.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
I still see people with takeout in plastic bags, and yes, we, too, have stores that still have plastic bags, but you're charged for them if that's the route you want to go. Honestly, I quite like the idea of reducing plastic waste.

Sot. Have you ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Look it up... Google it, it's located between Hawaii and California. Read about all of the animals that perish each year on account of all of the plastic waste. It's even been accounted for now that fine plastic particulate and fragments can be found in large metro centres drinking water.

We can keep on living pretending that everything is rosy, and what we as consumers are throwing out doesn't affect us or the environment or living things, but the bottom line is, it's killing us, our planet, and other living things. Insurmountable living things. Very sad, and all because we are such wasteful, inconsiderate creatures.

If someone came into our world, the current world we live in and started poisoning it without our consent, would you openly accept such a thing? What about all of the animals and living things that have been in existence for as long as mankind has been? Do they deserve to have their natural habitat and homes poisoned and polluted? No. We should be thoroughly ashamed of ourselves.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Pink, I am on your side. I care about the animals. Just tbinking about it makes me sad. Hereafter I wont use plastic.

I will change any habit to save an animal. I have plenty of cloth bags I can use.
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
But, Pink, why do they want to ban plastic bags? I believe you but i dont understand the reason. Straws too. There must be a reason. Do you know why?

There are too many reasons why plastic trash is a very bad thing to list. So I'll park this here.

http://plastic-pollution.org/

There are literally islands of plastic pollution in the oceans. It never decomposes, at least not anytime soon.

As for drinking straws, apparently sea life especially are prone to eating or sucking them up and causing them damage.

Here's a straw-specific link. I warn you - the photo and video of the sea turtle is disturbing to those who are soft-hearted toward animals.

https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/straws-why-they-seriously-suck/

Now...having disseminated the horror that is plastic to you all...Yes. I use plastic.

I have shopping bags that I could reuse and I only remember them when I shop at Alidi's because they don't have bags at all unless you buy them. In my defense, we DO try to get the stores to use as few as possible. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've said, "So long as things aren't squished I don't care how you pack it. Put the bananas on top of the soap...it's fine. Don't give me a bag for one item. Don't bag things with handles." The grocery store used to knock 5 cents off every reusable bag you used. But they stopped. They don't charge 5 cents for each bag...so I never remember them in any other stores.

If bags don't have holes in them, we use them to scoop cat litter into. Yes, still goes in a landfill, but at least it gets two uses first. If they do have small holes, I carry my lunch to work in them until the holes are too big or they get messy. We do save them and return to stores to recycle, since our city recycling doesn't take them. There's still too many plastic bags.

I'd love to do this:
https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/diy-crochet-plastic-bags-sleeping-mats-homeless/

We save our leftovers and pack our lunches in plastic containers. But at least we re-use nicer plastic container's with lids. The ones from the deli for instance that are thicker plastic and have tight-fitting lids, get kept and reused by us for left-overs. I have read that heating things in plastic is bad for you. I figure I have to die from something. We don't buy water in bottles, unless it's carbonated, flavored water - we drink out of the tap. We reuse our plastic bottles until they start getting ratty, filling them from the tap and chilling them in the fridge. I never use straws at home...but I admit, I use them at restaurants.

So, we use. But we at least try to tone it down a tad.
 
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