One of my primary objections to plastic carryout bag bans is that it imposes someone else’s solution to a perceived problem on everyone else. It does so, by banning plastic carryout bags and imposing a fee of 10 or 25 cents on paper bags to coerce the customer into using reusable shopping bags. While customers can always bring their own bags of any type, including plastic carryout bags, to the store to take their purchases home, the stores are only allowed to sell paper bags or reusable bags to the customer. Continue reading Pro-Choice on Shopping Bags
Tag Archives: Plastic bag
Plastic Bag Ban and Shoplifting
In an article titled “Store owners say plastic bag ban causes more shoplifting“ author Casey McNerthey (Seattle PI, 28 February 2013) reports that Seattle store owners have reported thousands of dollars in merchandise losses. The losses are blamed on thieves with reusable bags who are harder to track and monitor. The highest losses reported occurred in stores in low income areas with many homeless and transients.
Plastic Bags Today And Bottled Water Tomorrow
Many people may wonder why, after retirement, I chose to become involved in fighting the plastic bag ban. The answer is rather simple. Had our government leaders just banned plastic bags because of the litter issue and reported harm to marine wildlife, I would have simply gone along with it. But instead, they crossed the line when the ordinances imposed a fee on paper bags in order to coerce you into purchasing and using a reusable bag. When the government through force of law tells you to use a certain kind of shopping bag to take your purchases home from the store, you know you have lost a little bit more of freedom and individual liberty. That little bit of freedom was fought for by men and women from the founding of our nation to the present time, whose blood was spilled to preserve our nation and the precious freedom and liberty we enjoy. Continue reading Plastic Bags Today And Bottled Water Tomorrow
Do Californians Really Use 20 Billion Plastic Bags Per Year?
How often have you heard proponents of plastic carry out bag bans say that Californian’s use 20 billion plastic carry out bags per year or 531 bags per capita. Have you ever asked yourself the following questions:
- Where did this number comes from?
- How is this number is calculated?
- Is the number is reasonable?
- Is there a more reasonable number?
Continue reading Do Californians Really Use 20 Billion Plastic Bags Per Year?
Is a Plastic Carry Out Bag Ban Justified?
Many communities all across California have either banned plastic carryout bags altogether or are somewhere in the process of doing so. Environmental extremists have pushed for a plastic carryout bag ban in community after community based primarily upon claims of environmental damage to marine wildlife and marine habitats.
Shopping will cost more with Plastic Bag Ban
Protecting the environment from plastic carryout bags is going to make your shopping a lot more expensive. If community leaders have their way, a plastic bag ban is in your future.
A plastic bag ban normally involves a ban on plastic carryout bags and a fee of 10 or 25-cents on paper bags. The fee is intended to coerce you to purchase and use reusable bags.
Continue reading Shopping will cost more with Plastic Bag Ban
The Downside of Reusable Shopping Bags
Many people have been misled to think that using a reusable shopping bag is an environmentally friendly solution to using plastic bags. Proponents of plastic bag bans, like the proverbial used car salesman, point out the advantages of the reusable bag and never talk about the disadvantages. For example, they will never tell you about the health hazards associated with the reusable bag.
First, reusable bags can become contaminated by meat juices, moisture, and traces of nutrients from food items and become a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, yeast, mold, and coliforms including E. Coli. Bacteria are known to increase by 10-fold if bags are stored in the trunk for as little as two hours. Bacteria can be transferred to packaged food items during the transport home, and ultimately to your hands and to your mouth when packages are opened and food items are ingested. Continue reading The Downside of Reusable Shopping Bags
Fight The Plastic Bag Ban 