• SirEDCaLot
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    4 days ago

    This is a good idea. Rather than trying to collect little penny fees here and there, just get rid of the stuff. We don’t need it, we have other options.

    I would like to see most single use plastic grocery bags go with that. I think there need to be exceptions, for example produce bags or meat department bags. I haven’t seen a good replacement for those yet. But at the checkout, or for carry out food, just get rid of them.

      • SirEDCaLot
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        1 day ago

        How does that help for a package of meat that’s leaking meat juice?

        • feannag@sh.itjust.works
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          1 day ago

          Definitely produce only, would not work for meat at all. But still helps cut down on the single use plastic.

      • SirEDCaLot
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        3 days ago

        I think that there are no all or nothing questions in something like this. I think the lions share of ocean plastic comes from third world countries where ‘dump it in the river’ is the most common form of trash disposal. I think that reducing harm is helpful, whether it’s a little or a lot. I would agree that tackling small issues with extremism while ignoring big ones is performative. For example, telling people in California to take 2 minute showers while ignoring the giant agricultural operations are wasting millions of gallons a day on inefficient air spray sprinkler systems.

        Focusing on us, I think keeping plastic out of our landfills is generally a good thing. We use plastic for millions of things in our society. It is simply not feasible to completely switch off plastic, not anytime soon and probably not ever. But reducing or removing single use plastics does an awful lot.

        So I say let’s replace single use plastic starting in places where it can be done easily and cheaply, where there are readily available cost effective alternatives. That is especially true for plastic film, like plastic bags, that can’t be recycled in a normal recycle bin.
        Use paper cups instead of styrofoam. Put your take out food in aluminum foil trays or cardboard clamshells. Use paper bags for grocery check out.

        And for the vegetables and meats, I don’t suggest banning those because you would get a lot of pushback from both stores and consumers.