Grocery bag tax..Good idea or bad?

[Papageorgio]

Any new tax is a bad idea. That said, they need to cut down on plastic bags.

 

[tjvh]

Any new tax is a bad idea. That said, they need to cut down on plastic bags.

As I explained, the Tax is not going to effect the people who are the root of the problem. The people who don't care about recycling are the people who receive Welfare and public assistance. The target of the Tax is the middle class, and they are not the problem. They recycle, and keep their neighborhoods clean, unlike the entitlement crowd who prefer to live in squalor.

 

[Katzndogz]

I don't recycle. I take a certain pride in not recycling. I don't get welfare and I don't litter. I throw all those plastic bottles and plastic Keurig cups in the trash where they belong.

I do reuse the plastic grocery bags. For me personally, using reusable grocery bags would not at all impact the amount of plastic bags I do use. I just have to buy plastic bags instead of using the ones from the grocery store. I buy dog poop bags and trash bags. So the plastic bag impact isn't changed at all.

 

[Harry Dresden]

I think it would be hard for you to say Harry that one plastic bag is more responsible than another. That being said biodegradable plastic bags are a good thing but I don't believe they are a better solution than canvas. Ppl will still throw away large amount of the biodegradable kinds far more than the canvas bags, and until they degrade they will still pose a problem the canvas bags don't.

so the Trash bags are ok then?....

 

[Harry Dresden]

The city of Seattle passed a law to make "plastic grocery bags biodegradable - so they did - then 7 years later they banned them and made retailers charge a fee for any bags used to put items into - in the name of a "greener" state. So now they use paper bags that are more expensive and pay the fee to use them. You can bring your own bags and not pay the fee - so I used the saved plastic bags and use them just to spite the city government.

thats what i would do.....there have been a few canvas baggers i have talked to in line saying they feel the bags are cheap.....the handle comes off after so many uses and then you have to buy a new one.....yea someone is making a buck here.....

 

[ClosedCaption]

The government should not be taxing to manipulate behavior. If people care enough to voluntarily use reusable bags, they will do it. If the government has a problem with plastic bags blowing around, that's a problem with litter, not plastic bags.

If ppm want to voluntarily do it they don't get voluntarily live on the planet. We all live here and volunteering won't help unless a ton of ppl do it. All of us have to live on earth and if there is a tax to protect it...how can you be against it?

I understand the tax to manipulate argument...but compared to how important it is to, you know, live. I think you are siding with ideology more than living and breathing. Ideology don't mean shit if when you develop cancer and destroy wildlife in the name of it.

 

[ClosedCaption]

I think it would be hard for you to say Harry that one plastic bag is more responsible than another. That being said biodegradable plastic bags are a good thing but I don't believe they are a better solution than canvas. Ppl will still throw away large amount of the biodegradable kinds far more than the canvas bags, and until they degrade they will still pose a problem the canvas bags don't.

so the Trash bags are ok then?....

Don't be stupid

 

[Harry Dresden]

I think it would be hard for you to say Harry that one plastic bag is more responsible than another. That being said biodegradable plastic bags are a good thing but I don't believe they are a better solution than canvas. Ppl will still throw away large amount of the biodegradable kinds far more than the canvas bags, and until they degrade they will still pose a problem the canvas bags don't.

so the Trash bags are ok then?....

Don't be stupid

am i?.....if the grocery ones are so bad,why are the trash ones ok?....

 

[boedicca]

I think it would be hard for you to say Harry that one plastic bag is more responsible than another. That being said biodegradable plastic bags are a good thing but I don't believe they are a better solution than canvas. Ppl will still throw away large amount of the biodegradable kinds far more than the canvas bags, and until they degrade they will still pose a problem the canvas bags don't.

so the Trash bags are ok then?....

Don't be stupid

CC thinks it's more important to store trash in sanitary plastic bags than it is to keep groceries in similarly sanitary receptacles.

 

[ClosedCaption]

so the Trash bags are ok then?....

Don't be stupid

am i?.....if the grocery ones are so bad,why are the trash ones ok?....

You would have to find the guy who thinks trash bags are cool and ask him. I'm the other guy, your strawman doesn't apply to me.

 

[Harry Dresden]

Don't be stupid

am i?.....if the grocery ones are so bad,why are the trash ones ok?....

You would have to find the guy who thinks trash bags are cool and ask him. I'm the other guy, your strawman doesn't apply to me.

why don't you just say....i don't know why.......you know dam well know that is a legitimate question in this debate....

 

[DiamondDave]

More and more ways to tax... ridiculous..

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNDYArDUgSg&feature=player_embedded]Stevie Ray Vaughan - Taxman - YouTube[/ame]

 

[ClosedCaption]

am i?.....if the grocery ones are so bad,why are the trash ones ok?....

You would have to find the guy who thinks trash bags are cool and ask him. I'm the other guy, your strawman doesn't apply to me.

why don't you just say....i don't know why.......you know dam well know that is a legitimate question in this debate....

Whats a legitimate question? You cant seem to say that plastic bags are bad...you're just running around saying something else is worse. And how do you prove that? You just repeat it and expect for it to be true.

Plastic bags are bad for the environment. Period, you are the only one wanting to go down a list...Grocery, convience, garbage, sandwich etc...lol

 

[Katzndogz]

There is no decline in the use of plastic bags. Plastic bag use is just being shifted from plastic grocery bags to other types of plastic bags.

Plastic bags will be here until they are replaced by something better like paper bags were replaced by plastic bags.

 

[g5000]

Maryland is set to impose an additional tax on plastic bags. I heard a commercial about it saying thst it would hurt the middle class and poor while losing jobs. But itnwas paid for by plastic bag manufactures...sooooo...yeah.

I se it like this...tax the hell outta plastic bags means that less ppl will use them means less plastic goes into our environment. Win win

The only down side is for those who cannot livenwithout plastic bags will have to pay more for their plastic, or adapt.

Your thoughts?

Get rid of those plastic bags get the reusable ones, also get rid of no return containers. Back in the 50's and early 60's there wasn't so much throw away plastic bottle trash.

You have to use a reusable bag about 187 times to offset the environmental impact of just one plastic bag.

What do you think the reusable bag is made out of, fairy dust?

 

[g5000]

TreeHugger has a helpful guide to the environmental impacts of different kinds of reusable bags (canvas, polyester, polypropylene...) with this final word:

"What ultimately matters is if you actually use your reusable bags, or if you collect them dutifully from vendors and at conferences but then forget them at home every time you go to the store. If you can commit to using your canvas bag 171 times, or something like a Chicobag eleven times or more, then you have made a good decision. If you can't commit to this, chose plastic over paper bags, reuse the bags at the store, repurpose them as trash can liners, and recycle the rest at your local grocery store."

Reusable bags: Only superior to plastic if you reuse them - a lot

 

[UKRider]

Maryland is set to impose an additional tax on plastic bags. I heard a commercial about it saying thst it would hurt the middle class and poor while losing jobs. But itnwas paid for by plastic bag manufactures...sooooo...yeah.

I se it like this...tax the hell outta plastic bags means that less ppl will use them means less plastic goes into our environment. Win win

The only down side is for those who cannot livenwithout plastic bags will have to pay more for their plastic, or adapt.

Your thoughts?

We bought our own bags for groceries and use them. An added bonus has been that we never have ripped bags and groceries on the ground.

 

[ClosedCaption]

TreeHugger has a helpful guide to the environmental impacts of different kinds of reusable bags (canvas, polyester, polypropylene...) with this final word:

"What ultimately matters is if you actually use your reusable bags, or if you collect them dutifully from vendors and at conferences but then forget them at home every time you go to the store. If you can commit to using your canvas bag 171 times, or something like a Chicobag eleven times or more, then you have made a good decision. If you can't commit to this, chose plastic over paper bags, reuse the bags at the store, repurpose them as trash can liners, and recycle the rest at your local grocery store."

Reusable bags: Only superior to plastic if you reuse them - a lot

But the problem is ppl dont reuse plastic bags. Most of the time they use them for about 10 minutes then it goes in the wind and stays on earth for decades. Why would anyone have to use a bag 171 times for what? Why?

They suggest doing so but never explain why? Canvas is superior to plastic on the environmental impact alone..3 canvas takes the place of 3 plastic. Which if multiplied you can see how thats a good thing

 

[DiamondDave]

TreeHugger has a helpful guide to the environmental impacts of different kinds of reusable bags (canvas, polyester, polypropylene...) with this final word:

"What ultimately matters is if you actually use your reusable bags, or if you collect them dutifully from vendors and at conferences but then forget them at home every time you go to the store. If you can commit to using your canvas bag 171 times, or something like a Chicobag eleven times or more, then you have made a good decision. If you can't commit to this, chose plastic over paper bags, reuse the bags at the store, repurpose them as trash can liners, and recycle the rest at your local grocery store."

Reusable bags: Only superior to plastic if you reuse them - a lot

But the problem is ppl dont reuse plastic bags. Most of the time they use them for about 10 minutes then it goes in the wind and stays on earth for decades. Why would anyone have to use a bag 171 times for what? Why?

They suggest doing so but never explain why? Canvas is superior to plastic on the environmental impact alone..3 canvas takes the place of 3 plastic. Which if multiplied you can see how thats a good thing

So a tax is the answer?? Well guess what, those who do reuse or recycle (not that you can really reuse a flimsy grocery bag) GET TAXED FOR IT THERE AS WELL..

My wife and I try and use our reusable bags as much as we can, mainly because they are larger and easier to carry... and we get a discount at Giant Food with each reusable bag we bring in (hey, a couple cents is a couple cents).. but to tax bags in this state (Yes, I do live in MD) is just another money grab.. it has NOTHING to do with the environment or anything else... it is another O'Malley 'Open Your Wallet' moment

 

[Katzndogz]

Maryland is set to impose an additional tax on plastic bags. I heard a commercial about it saying thst it would hurt the middle class and poor while losing jobs. But itnwas paid for by plastic bag manufactures...sooooo...yeah.

I se it like this...tax the hell outta plastic bags means that less ppl will use them means less plastic goes into our environment. Win win

The only down side is for those who cannot livenwithout plastic bags will have to pay more for their plastic, or adapt.

Your thoughts?

The company that makes those bags closes, they fire all the people who used to work there. How are these ex employees being helped? They get to go on welfare? Is that the help they will get?

All the stores that those people used to shop at have lost their customers. Are they being helped?