I hope you will take a few minutes to watch this.
Anyone who has read my blog for any length of time knows I have an every growing hatred for plastic. Like everyone else I cannot get it completely out of my life, though I've made progress in reducing it's coming into my home. You can read about the great garbage swirl here along with other posts about plastic.
California had a bill which would have banned single-use plastic bags beginning with grocery stores and pharmacies in 2012 and liquor and convenience stores in 2013. The general population seemed to be in agreement. Certainly the environmentalists were. Unfortunately by a vote of 21 to 14, the California Senate couldn't get their heads out of their a**es and voted the bill down. You can read about it here.
I'm just sick. I think if California had passed the bill, other states around the nation would have followed.
At the very least, I think grocery stores should make customers pay, say...5 cents for each bag a used. It might make people more aware and cause them to use reusable bags.
Thoughts anyone?
funny, I saw a plastic bag blowing across the highway the other night. I thought about how it looked like a lame crab trying to hobble it's way across the road.
ReplyDeleteI'm reducing plastic in my life too. When it comes in my house, I make sure to recycle it. I think I need to ask my recycling company for a larger bin. Mine is always overflowing by pick-up day. Or maybe I could make a trip to to the recycling center. But that would take work . . . ;0)
I love my reusable grocery bags. They're so much more convenient than the plastic bags. They don't tip over and spill my groceries in the back of my truck. Each bag saves me 5cents and they hold more stuff so I have fewer bags to carry into the house.
ReplyDeleteIt's a win/win!
Having Earth Day founded on my birthday way back when, when hippies were the scourge of the earth has made me a crazy person when it comes to recycling.
ReplyDeleteI recycle everything! I've used my own bags to shop for more than 15 years. I've trash picked for furniture. I've made new clothes, rugs, curtains, stuffed animals from old clothes. I don't turn on my air conditioning in the summer, and keep my heat set at 66 in the winter. (We wear a lot of sweaters at my house.)
I think we all need to do our part to help the earth and not only with plastic. With everything.
Oh and all my plastic jugs and things have been turned into flower pots.
Thanks Bish.
We don't have garbage pick-up, Christy. So we do go to the recyclers. We recycle so much that the two of us produce about one bag of garbage every two weeks. All vegetable material gets buried in the garden. Because we have a large dog we use the large dog food bags to recycle all the class, aluminum, tin cans, and Styrofoam. For the plastic which contributes to most of the recyclables we have two big trash cans. When they are full, we go to the recyclers. We also have a boxes for cardboard, newspaper, magazines and that category call misc. paper. We're very lucky in our little town to have a full service recyclers. They take hazardous waste twice a year and you can drop off old electronics too.
ReplyDeleteI actually saw this and thought of you!
ReplyDeleteI preachin' it sister. When I refuse plastic bags (I can carry lots), I always tell the cashier and the people in line the reason why.
I have changed so much after your first video about a year ago...because back then I thought recycling was enough. IT'S NOT!!!
If I can educate others too that will make a difference!!!
FB has a "green" app... with lots of tips...one I had never thought of was "bring your own containers when you eat out or order food" I should have thought of that because around here...(GermanY) you pay extra for packaging at supermarkets and it isn't uncommon to get a re-used container when carrying out food. [okay, that sounded weird...not like someone elses container...but if i ask to take my meal home...they will usually put it in a container they had for something else.]
I like the idea of the 5 cents a bag, that may make people more reponsible. I almost always bring my reusable bags. But there are a few times a year that I kick myself when I'm inside the store and don't have them.
ReplyDeleteI hope California tries again and passes that bill. We could go back to paper bags for those that forget their reusable ones!
Most of the stores I go to in Canada have started the 5 cents a bag and I think it's making people more aware. I see (and use) reusable bags more all the time. As for the recycling - we moved to a new city this past year and are lucky to have full service recycling here. I feel like we're able to do more now.
ReplyDeleteGreat post - and nice to meet you! :)
Blogger is eating all my comments. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
ReplyDeleteBish, I agree with you on plastic, but most folks want the convenience. Fast everything. That said, making them pay for it is an excellent idea.
Plastic is ruining our earth. *sigh*
Excellent post. I'm linking to it.
I totally agree with you, but sadly the world is for plastic.
ReplyDeletePlastic bags were a huge problem here, but for years now we've been paying for our plastic bags (17c in our money for small ones, 25c for large) and it has definitely reduced (not eliminated) the plastic problem.
ReplyDeleteI've always had this impression that California is a hugely progressive state, but the Proposition 8 story made me wonder. In South Africa not only do we pay for our plastic bags, but we've also got legal same sex marriages. Hmmm. We must be doing something right! :)