Old habits die hard: Stores try to cut down on plastic bags, but shoppers remain stubborn

[sunnyboy2018]

3 hours ago, Bangkokazy said:

Best Investment I've Made
Epic Ultralight Pink Shopping Bag

Its a bit geriatric 

[sunnyboy2018]

10 hours ago, DoctorG said:

Whilst shopping in OZ I use a backpack but many places in Asia will not allow you to take a backpack into the store. I guess the theft risk is too high.

You leave it in the reception area and get a numbered tag.

[Max69xl]

2 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Its a bit geriatric 

That's an understatement. 

[CygnusX1]

24 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

It's always pissing rain in Europe. And you want to go shopping in the late fall and winter there?

I’m actually in Europe now, have been for the last 2 and a half months. 2 days with some brief rainfall over the whole time, glorious blue sky every other day. OK, that’s summer, not late fall or winter.

[sunnyboy2018]

Petrol driven vehicles should be banned at supermarkets and the car parks converted to green space. Such measures would have a positive impact on the environment. The sanctimonious virtue signallers would be up in arms so they salve their consciences by their self flaggellation and agonising over plastic bags. Recycling is nonsense. The use of plastic bags will end when they cease manufacturing plastic bags.

[fhickson]

i dont bother to say no since it xan sound impolite.

 

i gave up and just let them bag it each time. i then pay, get change, and take the bag off and leave it on the counter. never a problem and it works smoothly that way with no confusion.

 

may start doing the same with plastic cup lids and straws in the future since i dont like them.

[metisdead]

Some inflammatory posts have been removed. 

[Max69xl]

24 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Petrol driven vehicles should be banned at supermarkets and the car parks converted to green space. Such measures would have a positive impact on the environment. The sanctimonious virtue signallers would be up in arms so they salve their consciences by their self flaggellation and agonising over plastic bags. Recycling is nonsense. The use of plastic bags will end when they cease manufacturing plastic bags.

It's not possible to cease manufacturing plastic bags without anything to replace them with. 

[berrec]

Yes I think the big super stores are endeavoring to do the right thing.

 

But as another OP stated the volume of combined plastic that all these street food vendor use far out-ways the big stores.

 

At the end of day these street food vendors operate on such a small profit margin I see it a big challenge for them to give up their plastic. 

[freestyle1]

The problem is that plastic bags are not only easy for "carrying", but also have other convenient qualities:
- water tight: prevent stuff from getting wet, or keeping things that are wet, oily, leaking, dirty,...
- air tight when closed: storing food / leftovers (keeping roaches away)
- light weight but strong

As long as there is no ecologic alternative with the same qualities that a plastic bag has, then it will be extremely difficult to erradicate.

Paper bags: not water/air tight, not suitable for heavier contents.
Tupperware (not ecologic, but longterm reusable): not lightweight, not suitable to carry around large contents, takes more room to store.

What we need is a smart inventor who can fill this gap in the market!!

Edited September 8, 2019 by freestyle1

[fforest1]

10 minutes ago, berrec said:

Yes I think the big super stores are endeavoring to do the right thing.

 

But as another OP stated the volume of combined plastic that all these street food vendor use far out-ways the big stores.

 

At the end of day these street food vendors operate on such a small profit margin I see it a big challenge for them to give up their plastic. 

The street vendors must use plastic for like take away away hot soup.....there is no substitute for plastic.....

[freestyle1]

7 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

The street vendors must use plastic for like take away away hot soup.....there is no substitute for plastic.....

People could bring their own reusable tupperware, but i don't see this happening.
Picture this: You go on a night out dancing, take your tupperware with you because you reckon later you might have some street soup ????

[Av8rDave]

So instead of reusing these lightweight plastic bags for trash, now you expect us to go out and buy heavy-duty trash bags. Those take much longer to biodegrade than the cheap lightweight ones. Eco-nuts never consider the negative end-result of their feel-good ideas.

[fhickson]

3 hours ago, fforest1 said:

The street vendors must use plastic for like take away away hot soup.....there is no substitute for plastic.....

soup and other liquids needing plastic we can live with.

 

the problem we can solve straight away is these morons who keep putting everything in a bag or second bag where there is absolutely no need for it. for example, buying a candy bar at 7-11 the clerk with put it in a bag.

 

if we can shame these people somehow most of the problem is solved. chucking the bag back on the counter helps each time because they have to pick it up a second time and restore it or throw it out. the effort wastes time and in the smallest miniscule way makes it less likely they will want to use an unneeded bag for the next customer.

 

if i really need the bag ill just take it. its too inconvienient to carry everything without it if i really need the bag.

 

Edited September 8, 2019 by fhickson

[outsider]

Kudos to all the efforts by the authorities and corporations for trying to reduce dependence on plastic. It's a good start. Meanwhile, we need to find a way to educate uneducated gits like these https://www.facebook.com/NewshawkPhuket/videos/1373898742786213/ This video was taken from Newshawk Phuket.

 

[wayned]

I was in Tesco in Takhli yesterday.  It was the first time that Iv'e been there since they stopped bagging groceries. There were no bags at all paper or plastic and the stock of for sle carry bags was gone.  I have my own which I have used for a long time and bag the groceries as I shop so that like things are together.  All cold food in one bag.  The topper was when I got into the parking lot.  A man and his wife were in the process of putting their groceries into the back of their truck, CART AND ALL! Yeap, they had picked up the whole cart and put it into the back of the truck.  Now you know why Makro has guards at thee parking lot entrances.  Maybe those empty guard shacks at Tesco lots will become manned and the PM can say, alla Donald Trump, "i've created more jobs".

Edited September 8, 2019 by wayned

[RJRS1301]

8 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Its a bit geriatric 

Looks new to me????

[wavodavo]

22 hours ago, bdenner said:

Our local Tesco has tried to introduce large brown paper bags on 3 occasions I know of. Customers seem to be OK with them but the checkout staff get very frustrated trying to unfold and pack them.

 

Stores like Makro will not allow you to carry reusable carry bags with you into their stores so one has to go through their bullshlt method of placing items from one trolley into another as they are being checked out then repacking in the boot of the car. These effin wackers are not trying to help the situation

I would say that they do that to stop shoplifting because you could hide goods in your cloth bag and not declare them at the checkout.Not everyone is honest you know.

[canopy]

9 hours ago, fforest1 said:

The street vendors must use plastic for like take away away hot soup.....there is no substitute for plastic.....

You mean you didn't know? Really??? THERE ARE SUBSTITUTES FOR PLASTIC. For every use real or imagined. And they work better than plastic. And they look better than plastic which makes the meal tastier and more exquisite.

 

[RideJocky]

I would question your statement 'a few'. 
Around my way it's everybody, and their brother.

Well both you and your brother should stop.

I know I don’t, and I’m pretty sure my brother doesn’t, so clearly it’s not everyone.







“Them what bite, gonna get bit. Them what don’t bite, gonna damn sure get ate up” JDH ‘77

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, blackcab said:

Some branches of Homepro in Bangkok have completely stopped giving out plastic bags for free. You can buy a plastic bag for 1 baht each.

Which will make virtually no deference... customers will except the small extra cost to pack their goods.

The middle aged to older generation have this ingrained into their mindset and only the complete ban of plastic bags will get them to use an alternative. As for street vending & consuming of food from bags this needs a complete re-think.

It needs an attack from many angles.

at the manufacturing factories to rethink packaging & marketing before supplying to outlets.
at the supermarkets to look at all aspects of plastic to eradicate as much as possible to kick-back at manufacturers who do not comply. Customers to be coerced into changing their habits by the supply of alternative carry-out bags.

at schools to start to educate the next generations into major changes in daily practices.

Some people are too lazy to change their ways

Some just don't understand the global issues  
 

[Thaigreg]

It wasn't that long ago that we were told to choose plastic over paper.  We have no one to blame but ourselves for this problem.

[ZeVonderBearz]

Here we go again, the shops trying to pin the issue of plastics on the consumer. This problem is solvable but it requires strong will from the big corps to actually do something about it rather than just keep coming up with all these bs slogans that they do just to make it appear as though they care. Ban plastic from every shop, yes there will be grumbles at first, and eventually everyone will fall in line. When there's a will, there's a way. Maybe during the twice daily propaganda push at 8am and 6pm they can follow it up with a Communist sounding song about how great the environment is, how bad plastics are and that all plastics must be defeated for the good of the people, country and religion.

Edited September 9, 2019 by ZeVonderBearz

[owl sees all]

18 minutes ago, Thaigreg said:

It wasn't that long ago that we were told to choose plastic over paper.  We have no one to blame but ourselves for this problem.

I make you right on that Thaigreg. But where is the problem? The world moves on. Plastics are a modern technology that is a great boon for modern living and a source of employment for millions.

 

Mosquitoes kill half a million people each year and some are concerned about a few bits of plastic. People should have more pride in their surroundings and stop chucking out their rubbish. Educate people right from the start; whilst they are toddlers. and in kindergarten. 

 

Long live the plastic bag I say; a boon to transporting koi carp around the world.

 

 

[zydeco]

16 hours ago, Foexie said:

don't give plastic bags anymore so they have no choice then use re-usable bags.

Who is "they," Bwana?

[zydeco]

16 hours ago, giddyup said:

Oh, the inconvenience! You carry the bags in your car or on your bike, unless you foot it everywhere, in which case you wouldn't be carrying five shopping bags of groceries home. I know, life is hard!

No, I use taxis. But tell you what, I'll ask for extra plastic bags each and every time I shop now, while thinking of you and your like.

[Daffy D]

I'm all for the reduction of the use of plastic bags.

 

Thing is we use the bags as liner for the small bin in the kitchen and if we don't get the plastic bags from shopping we are going have to buy some - catch 22

 

[zydeco]

15 hours ago, sirineou said:

Yea I understand, but we had rain back then , and moto-cy, and we made do.I am sure we can figure it out again.

We made do because shops and small groceries were on every corner. A 10 kilometer trip and back to Tops, Lotus, or Big C changes those circumstances.

[zydeco]

15 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Do you live more than 10klm from your nearest shops?

Don't know about others. But it's 3 km to my nearest Foodland. Sometimes I stop in on the spur of the moment when I'm closer to the area. And, yeah, I walk it back home. And trying to carry four or five paper bags that distance is impossible.

[Humpy]

There's no problem with the use of plastic bags. The problem is the way users dispose of them and how they are recycled. If the supermarket won't supply you with a plastic bag will they stop you buying a roll of their pedal-bin bags to pack your purchases in at the check out !!?