this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2024
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It was a decade ago when California became the first state in the nation to ban single-use plastic bags, ushering in a wave of anti-plastic legislation from coast to coast.

But in the years after California seemingly kicked its plastic grocery sack habit, material recovery facilities and environmental activists noticed a peculiar trend: Plastic bag waste by weight was increasing to unprecedented levels.

According to a report by the consumer advocacy group CALPIRG, 157,385 tons of plastic bag waste was discarded in California the year the law was passed. By 2022, however, the tonnage of discarded plastic bags had skyrocketed to 231,072 — a 47% jump. Even accounting for an increase in population, the number rose from 4.08 tons per 1,000 people in 2014 to 5.89 tons per 1,000 people in 2022.

The problem, it turns out, was a section of the law that allowed grocery stores and large retailers to provide thicker, heavier-weight plastic bags to customers for the price of a dime.

(page 2) 42 comments
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[–] Draupnir 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Would it not work to do like we do for refundable cans? QR code or barcode on the bag to verify and store drop off for a refund of this 10/15¢. People would go out of their way to collect and drop these off at facilities that could accept and recycle these.

[–] ben_dover 1 points 8 months ago

you can't really recycle a regular plastic bag, the materials used are "bottom of the food chain". around here they recycle bottles and containers, but use wrappings and bags to heat up the regular garbage incinerators...

[–] Maggoty 3 points 8 months ago

Yup. They just created more waste. We need to make the jump to no plastic bags. It's time, we can do it.

[–] Rapidcreek 2 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Germany did this years ago. Seems to work. You can still get plastic bags, but you have to pay for them.

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[–] Orionza 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Yeah. Why are they even offering these? Use paper for instacart shoppers only. Everyone else needs to bring their own. Why is it so hard to put this into play?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Because stores lose out on the impulse shopper market. Who didn't plan to go shopping and didn't bring bags.

[–] Wooki -2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Coming from a country that did this ages ago for stupid reasons.

Wait until they come for your straws. Cutting down trees for paper bags I can deal with but fucking paper straws (Mcdonalds im looking at you) is god awful.

Edit: downvoters getting sour about the paper bags consuming trees is a reality and cost of shifting resources. So do we create enormous plastic waste and destroy the environment or do we cut down trees and destroy the atmosphere. Policy change requires constructive thought, critical thought to test, and balance (not always but considered) to get the best outcome.

[–] brlemworld 1 points 8 months ago (2 children)

There are compostable straws that work quite well. Also maybe just use a metal straw, or bring your own cup, no need to have disposable everything.

[–] Wooki 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Metal straw I can get bahind but other straw types just dont make it to market because money. Personally just take the lid off and use a cup like an adult.

God the fictional line of just bring your own cup. No one brings their own cup to Mcdonalds. No one. They dont accept them now anyway. Their soda machines are automated for their own cups. Their trajectory is hire less people buy more robots.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

I got a paper straw the other day that actually worked really well, so it seems like someone finally figured out how to make a good one.

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