Plastic bags are banned from retail businesses in Italy from today. Good stuff. Now if only we had clear leadership on this issue here.
Plastic bags are banned from retail businesses in Italy from today. Good stuff. Now if only we had clear leadership on this issue here.
More green bull
jim… why dont you like the idea of getting rid of plastic bags.
if there was a nation wide ban, then you wouldnt have to buy something that you give away, saves you money right?
dont just hate the idea because its green
Hi Peter please check your power bill with lots more to come
the more you save water and electricity , the more you pay.
We have periodic runs on shopping bags now. If plastic bags were banned it would create a market for string bags and such of old giving us the opportunity to sell conservation at a profit rather than give away waste at our cost.
We find when people use their own bags it slows the movement at the counter at peak times.I find people like plastic bags as they are reused
The re-usable bag concept don’t work. Even those behind the anti-plastic bag campaigns have said so publicly.
The studies show that people don’t re-use re-usable bags. They just keep buying them. Canvas bags are actually worse for the environment than plastic bags (especially if we are talking about biodegradable plastic bags which I believe are now the most common form used by retailers). My understanding is that paper bags, although quicker to degrade, have a larger carbon footprint than plastic.
I am yet to see any practical, environmentally credible alternative to plastic bags.
Plastic bags get re-used as bin bags.
The re-usable ones just end up gathering dust at home. There’s only a handful of customers I see that bring their own with them. Usually the older customers, with their trolleys.
GREEN = MORE $$$$ (force inflation)
I notice that nearly everyone under 30 years of age will take the goods without a bag, it is the older folk who like a paper or plastic bag. They see it as part of the “service” provided. And it is.
THey make good kitchen tidy bags after their forst use.
A lot of my customers don’t want a plastic bag now either requesting a paper bag or going without. Not the majority but a lot and of all ages. The older ones tend to have a bag with them and the younger ones do without. If plastic bags aren’t available customers have three choices. Bring a bag with them, buy a re-usable bag from the retailer or do without. They will adjust once these are the only choices.
lucky if any one brings a bag at our place ,think they are to worried about the cost of power and water and like a lot of people think it is all about the money a con
Newsagents are not the only ones who would be affected by a plastic bag ban. What about those retailers who have a large number of customers make purchases that are not practical to carry. We’re a supermarket as well and id estimate almost half of all our sales need a plastic bag. We would go through hundreds, if not thousands of reusable bags per week if customer were forced to purchase them. How is that good for the environment?
We need to do something. Plastic bags are bad. The ‘enviro’ bags sold by so many stores are bad. I agree that wee need bags for many sales so why not bag plastic bags and approve something which biodegrades in a reasonable period of time?
Mark,
I believe that there were objections to bio-degradable plastic bags as there were claims that they were breaking up and the pieces where causing harm to smaller land animals. I don’t believe there was any reliable evidence put forward to support the claim, but nonetheless, put a koala chewing on a plastic bag on the front page and people become sheep.
Biodegradable plastic bags do exist and I think very few retailers would oppose a ban on non-biodegradable bags.
Our local shire is strongly considering placing a total ban on retailers offering plastic bags and I for one strongly support it.
I grew up in a period when there were no plastic shopping bags when I was young and people clearly seemed to cope quite well then but now we seem to be asked for a plastic bag for just about anything.
Enviro bags are, in my opinion clearly not the answer either as they do just as much initial damage as regular plastic bags, they just break down sooner but the original problem is still there.
I would love to see how supermarkets deal with this.
I’m no tree hugger but I do hate plastic bags, have seen their ugly mess in our local environment first hand and wholly support their banning.
Do councils have the authority to ban plastic bags?
What next councils banning newspapers ?cars? disposable coffee cups? soft drink bottles ?
Why not ban IPADS. They use up a lot of resources to make, a lot of power to run and then we’ll throw them out to upgrade to the next model
I wouldn’t mind seeing an end to plastic/so-called green bags. Neither are good for anything, even though I reuse plastic ones for the kitchen tidy.
Trouble with banning bags is that too often there hasn’t been a big education drive about modifying behaviours in terms of keeping a cloth/string bag handy, and REMEMBERING to take/use it, to precede the implementation of the ban. I’d be all for that.
Start having more kids people. They can carry your shopping for you.
The first couple of times we forget bags, especially supermarket shopping, would be the best and only education required. Remember, there wouldn’t be a choice for any of us.
This also may assist in theft reduction as bags would be opened at the counter to accomodate purchases.
Aaron,
borrow some one elses kids.Having more of your own only increases the shopping load.
Nice one Peter 18
Thats the Hypocracy of this whole environmental argument. Everything is bad. I believe the Town of Bundanoon have banned plastic water bottles however not Coke plastic bottles.
I want mobile phones banned.
@Brendan c#22,
Maybe stores/centres (the larger ones) could hire people to act as porters.
More stuff people can carry, the more they can buy.
I believe there are some higher-end centers that do offer this or a similar service.
Really? I have yet to see any in Australia.
When I was travelling around Asia I saw something sort of like this (mainly it was just to the customers car or to the front of the store).
I know bond junction does … http://westfield.com.au/bondijunction/centre-information/concierge-services/handsfree-shopping
Doncaster and Chadstone sometimes.
Most non-reusable paper bags are actually more damaging to the environment (almost guaranteed unless they’re completely plain with no glues or solvents used on them, and if the paper is treated with anything) then biodegradable plastic.
In terms of plastic bag use, its definitely dropped in only a short period of time. Even seeing less enviro bags been used now, though placing a ban volntarily (i.e what Target has done) does lose customers, especially older ones that expect a carry bag as part of the service – heard many older persons complain about such practices.
We had a customer a couple weeks ago who bought a 200 page book. Once she purchased it, I asked her if I should put it in a paper bag for her. Her response, “na, save the trees”. After a brief pause we both had a good chuckle at the irony. Sometimes in distribution we forget the problem comes from something much larger, how about the packaging of the products covered in ‘non-steal’ plastic wraps. Or the ridiculous amount of energy used to create a device that is supposed to save trees ( as mentioned earlier above). Plastic bags tackles a small portion of the problem. It’s seen as more of a political advance then anything else considering bags are most visible in the mind when considering waste. Just my 2 cents.
@Squee, we did have a couple of complaints when we switched to paperbags only over a year ago, but most customers now are happy to carry the item as-is, or in a paperbag.
It also helps to ask if they’d like it in a bag, or if it will fit in one of the many they are already carrying. I don’t see a point to give you a plastic bag for one small card.
We do keep some plastic bags though around the busier seasons or for larger gifts and products.
Our local council started it with a Say No To Plastic Bags promotion and approached all local businesses. Over 70% took it up with posters at their point of sales and it is still going just as strong 6 months later and with one snowy winter behind us now.
I agree with Y & G it needs a forewarning and education period and it gets up.
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Angelo,
What do those businesses, in your town, who sell goods that need bags do? I would imagine that a plastic bag ban would not mean much to many small businesses who use very few of them.
my poshy customers demanding a pvc bag just for a tele.
When I went home to Ireland on my first trip since the Plastic Bag Ban a couple of years ago, I went to the supermarket to do the grocery shop for my mum and noticed that approx 95% (unofficial survey) of people had resuable bags in their trolleys.
I think that people would get used to the fact you can have a plastic bag but you will pay for it and eventually people would bring their re-usable bags with them as a matter of habit. Change is always hard at the beginning.
Some of my early morning customers are also walking their dogs. I know the real reason that they ask for a bag is to use it to pick up and dispose of their doggie doo-doo on the way home. An example of Newsagents helping to keep the footpaths cleaner!!
to derek (23) i have the newsagency in Bundanoon where we do not sell bottled water. we have had 4 water fill stations installed in town and we were given a chilled filter unit to have in the newsagency.
I am not a particularly “green” person, but this has been a great thing for my till. i have grossed $48 today by selling the refillable bottled (how does that compare to any product you sell?) yes we still sell coke in plastic bottles…. thats another topic
my decision to stop supplying plastic bags to customers was mainly $$. why do we buy bags, to give them out to customers, who may pick up their doggy poop with it or fill it with stuff from other shops. it was made easier because our town now has a green image which we can tag onto.
check out http://www.bundyontap.com.au
BruceH, what do the dog walking customers do before they get a plstic bag from you? It’s impossible to ask a dog to wait until they have been to your store.
Peter 37
Peter that is eerie! If people are happy to buy water that way who am I to argue.
I believed you were not selling any water in plastic bottles, is it because your geographic location or Bundanoon drew a line in the sand.
I make about what you make on water then substract the outlay.
Yes their are infinite items that could be discussed that probably will once the Plastic bag situation is finally resolved.
Jarryd, Easy, the other shops are a bakery, souvenir, gift, takeaway, electronics shop, video store and two restaurants. All of these shops were giving out plastic bags, particularly the bakery but this is slowing down dramatically now that we’re all conscious of it.
Of course the ugly elephant in the room (and this town) is Woolies who give them out like free candy. With the exception of those with a don’t care view it’s not going down particularly well with the locals (but then again neither is Woolies but that is another story.
Peter good on you for taking a stand and sticking to it. This is one of those issues that with rear its head again and again. It won’t go away.
What would you suggest Woolies do?
Have old boxes outside so people can pack their groceries in.
This was often the case when I was in Japan. You’d pay for your stuff, then carry it over to a bench just past the registers and they’d have old boxes and packing tape so you can put them together and load up your groceries.
The boxes also helped make stacking them in the car much easier.
i remember boxes in supermarkets 20 years ago as a youngster…… makes perfect sense, re-using the boxes.
i wonder why the super markets moved away from that practice to now, where they pay to dispose of the boxes the product arrives in, and they pay for plastic bags to give to customers.
angelo (40) thanks, its crazy that public bubblers used to be every where, then they were all taken out (vandalism) and evian told us we had to buy water at a higher cost than petrol. thats all we are trying to do… reduce waste and make water more accessable.
I do not understand the constant NEED people have with things in bags, they buy a mag and NEED a bag or a newspapers in a bag ( because they do not want paper ink on their hand), what are they embarrassed that others will know they are a tele reader or that they read new idea. It has all got out of control.
We stopped offering plastic over 4 yrs ago now.
Luke, they want a bag because otherwise “what am I going to carry it with?”
how about one of the 50 other bags you have, or you know, your hands?
Aaron,
Most of the boxes supermarkets get are not suitable for packaging anything in after they have been opened – they’re not designed for re-use. And the number of boxes received would not be anywhere close to the number required for customers to carry items.
Jarryd, With all due respect to you and your business I really don’t give a tinkers what Woolies or any supermarket do because they are all about offering convenience. I appreciate that the plastic bag goes hand in glove with the whole easy put in basket, pay at counter and relocate to plastic bags leaving all warm and fuzzy for my experience at shopping at Woolies, IGA wherever. I know it’s hard and yes I do remember boxes being available at supermarkets when I was a kid and everyone seemed to cope just fine then.
You know Jarryd, there are a lot of poeple out there who just love to see some newswagents squirming as they adapt or fail to a changing world. All I am strongly wishing for is for all Supermarkets to adopt this simple change and revert to paper or educate people to bring their own bags. Heck, you take an umbrella or waterproof gear with you when there is the likelyhood of rain so why not take a bag with you when there’s not only a likelhood of shopping, I know that I am going shopping?
Education, advice of intention and implementation. Simple.
green my123 !!!!
@Jarryd, #46;
I’m probably missing something aout the boxes and supermarkets, but I’m pretty sure a bit of tape (or lots) and a good pair of hands will suffice to move your shopping from the registers to your car.
Unless they are totally ruined when they get unpacked.
I don’t like the idea of boxes in supermarkets. Where would they store the boxes for customers to get them? Woolies have 13 million unique shopper visits every WEEK across their network (approx 16000 per store per week). Granted some shopper visits are for only $20 but how would you store that many boxes for customers?
Jarryd is correct that most boxes nowadays are no longer suitable for people to pack their groceries into since shelf ready packaging became more popular.
Having said all that, in countries like Ireland where they charge for bags, people just bring their own bags. It becomes habit.
Angelo,
Paper bags are not an environmentally sound alternative. And re-usable bags simply don’t get re-used like they should. People just keep buying them. To make less of an impact on the environment one has to use EVERY re-usable bag no less than 104 times (at this point the reduced impact is obviously marginal). We can educate all we like, but trying to artificially change the habits of consumers is incredibly difficult.
Aaron,
Most boxes are too small to use. Those larger ones usually have holes in either end (their more like cardboard folded around the product than sturdy boxes). As Niall mentions shelf ready boxes are also becoming the norm for many products. But the fact remains that stores would be short by hundreds or thousands of boxes per day.
I would think that bio-degradable bags would be the best solution for everyone. My understanding is that they’re usually made from plant-based product so we actually be providing a commercial opportunity for growers/farmers while at the same time reducing our impact on the environment.
That makes sense. But for the ones located in shopping centres, i’m sure they’d be able to find enough boxes someway or other.
Not everone will use them of course.
Please point to some official research on the harmful effects of paper bags as I would love to read it.
They’re educated in my shop (and soon our town) because we don’t issue plastic bags.
I agree with you about boxes and that it is hard to change consumer habits however the bottom line is plastic bags are bad.