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View Full Version : Plasitc Bag-free Shopping In Australia



Alex H
12-09-2003, 03:03 AM
I think the rest of the world might like to know about this initiative. Several towns in Australia have decided to ban plasitc shopping bags from retail outlets. Australia uses 7 billion plastic bags every year, and enough of them are disposed of badly to make them a big threat to our forna (especially marine life) and our general environment.

Many retailers here are now selling reuseable canvas or calico bags (for about $1)as an alternative, which is proving popular, and many other councils and local authorities are seriously looking at following this lead from Huskisson and Kangaroo Valley.

Wherever you live in the world this is a great way to help your environment. Make this an issue for your next local election.

Planet Ark's Plastic Bag Campaign (http://www.planetark.com/plasticbags)

South Australian Government initiatives (http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/zerowaste/plastic_bags.html)

Tourist town shuns plastic bags (http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6349520%255E1702,00.html)


PS. As j2k4 will inevitably point out, this will have major repecussions for industry - plastic bag makers will suffer badly. On the other hand, reusable bag makers will be much better off and smart people will be changing their businesses to meet the new demand. Sorry j2k4, thought I'd get in first :rolleyes:

kAb
12-09-2003, 03:40 AM
Thank you Australia for trying to protect the enviornment.

clocker
12-09-2003, 03:43 AM
We Americans have nothing to worry about.

We have always protected our forna.

Alex H
12-09-2003, 03:54 AM
:D :D :D :D
Good one!

hobbes
12-09-2003, 03:55 AM
Maybe venus fly traps are "forna", part plant/part animal.

Alex H
12-09-2003, 04:00 AM
www.onlyvenusflytraps.com (http://www.onlyvenusflytraps.com/)

Interesting little buggers actually...

clocker
12-09-2003, 04:08 AM
Actually, I applaud your efforts to rid the world of one-time use, ecologically unsound packaging.
Good on yer.

But what will you use to pick up dog poop?

SciManAl
12-09-2003, 04:12 AM
LOL

hobbes
12-09-2003, 04:12 AM
You're right, I do applaud the effort. I don't want to undermine the topic because of a typo.

When I lived in Missouri the store clerks would ask, "paper or plastic".

Here in Texas, everything is placed in plastic, no options available.

j2k4
12-09-2003, 06:06 AM
Where I am, we are often extended the option.

I always choose paper, as you can't salt and butter popcorn too well in plastic.

While I abhor the plastic, it does make dealing with pets a bit easier.

Alex-I have no empathy for potentially-unemployed plastic-bag makers; they will probably be able to find employment in the paper-bag industry if they don't get hung-up pissing and moaning about their job loss, and insist on rehabilitation at the government's expense.

I believe, therefore, that you have mis-read me once again.

Why isn't plastic re-cycling more wide-spread?

Speaking of, why isn't tire re-cycling more popular?

C'mon, you people, I want answers to some of my questions. ;)

hobbes
12-09-2003, 06:10 AM
So you want to re-use my "rubber"? Egad, your sick. :lol:

j2k4
12-09-2003, 06:19 AM
Originally posted by hobbes@9 December 2003 - 02:10
So you want to re-use my "rubber"? Egad, your sick. :lol:
You use "plastic" rubbers, hobbes?

Or Uniroyal?

Which? :huh:

hobbes
12-09-2003, 06:24 AM
Originally posted by j2k4+9 December 2003 - 07:19--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (j2k4 &#064; 9 December 2003 - 07:19)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-hobbes@9 December 2003 - 02:10
So you want to re-use my "rubber"? Egad, your sick. :lol:
You use "plastic" rubbers, hobbes?

Or Uniroyal?

Which? :huh:[/b][/quote]
Anything that is "double belted" and I do use chains come winter.

Sometimes I even even understand that "your" should be "you&#39;re", but only during lucid moments.

j2k4
12-09-2003, 06:30 AM
Originally posted by hobbes+9 December 2003 - 02:24--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (hobbes @ 9 December 2003 - 02:24)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
Originally posted by j2k4@9 December 2003 - 07:19
<!--QuoteBegin-hobbes@9 December 2003 - 02:10
So you want to re-use my "rubber"? Egad, your sick. :lol:
You use "plastic" rubbers, hobbes?

Or Uniroyal?

Which? :huh:
Anything that is "double belted" and I do use chains come winter.

Sometimes I even even understand that "your" should be "you&#39;re", but only during lucid moments. [/b][/quote]
As your friend, I felt it only prudent to overlook that.

I must be losing my edge. :(

hobbes
12-09-2003, 06:37 AM
Perhaps I should just stop posting before I embarass myself beyond salvagabilty.

Yes, I think a fool is counted amongst the wise when he is silent. I&#39;m going that route.

j2k4
12-09-2003, 06:42 AM
A favorite quote of mine:

"Nothing offends the doctrinaire intellectual so much as our ability to achieve the momentous in a matter-of-fact way, unblessed by words."

clocker
12-09-2003, 06:43 AM
Originally posted by hobbes@8 December 2003 - 23:37
Perhaps I should just stop posting before I embarass myself beyond salvagabilty.


Damn.

Deny us the spectacle of your grammatical implosion, will you?

Barsteward.*




*Hooray&#33;&#33;&#33; I&#39;ve waited almost a full year to use that term&#33;...

j2k4
12-09-2003, 06:47 AM
Originally posted by clocker+9 December 2003 - 02:43--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (clocker @ 9 December 2003 - 02:43)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-hobbes@8 December 2003 - 23:37
Perhaps I should just stop posting before I embarass myself beyond salvagabilty.


Damn.

Deny us the spectacle of your grammatical implosion, will you?

Barsteward.*




*Hooray&#33;&#33;&#33; I&#39;ve waited almost a full year to use that term&#33;... [/b][/quote]
I shall have to notify J&#39;Pol of your infringement. :D

clocker
12-09-2003, 06:51 AM
Oh, like that is supposed to scare me?

Bring on the old geezer.

j2k4
12-09-2003, 07:09 AM
Originally posted by clocker@9 December 2003 - 02:51
Oh, like that is supposed to scare me?

Bring on the old geezer.
Actually, I think he&#39;d appreciate the term getting more exposure.

Here&#39;s a thought:

If you use J&#39;Pol&#39;s version of the word, you could slip it by the "sniffer" in overclockers.

clocker
12-09-2003, 07:11 AM
Excellent advice&#33;

Evil Gemini
12-09-2003, 07:24 AM
I dont see why we have to pay for plastic bags.

Dont we pay for it in GST ??

Goods and Services Tax ???

j2k4
12-09-2003, 07:29 AM
Originally posted by neattairoski@9 December 2003 - 03:24
I dont see why we have to pay for plastic bags.

Dont we pay for it in GST ??

Goods and Services Tax ???
Don&#39;t quite get you, neattairoski.

The problem is re-cyc.

Can&#39;t compost the crap.

It is a problem.

Are you Aussie?

Not familiar with GST.

Evil Gemini
12-09-2003, 07:33 AM
Yeah im In Aussie land. ;)

Since its a service we shouldnt have to pay for it if the GST covers it.

j2k4
12-09-2003, 07:54 AM
Originally posted by neattairoski@9 December 2003 - 03:33
Yeah im In Aussie land.&nbsp; ;)

Since its a service we shouldnt have to pay for it if the GST covers it.
Could (maybe "should") be, but, as with all other government programs, they can&#39;t plan for everything, and since it should be covered by your GST (and probably isn&#39;t) private industry can&#39;t step in but for the government to cry "FOUL", even if they&#39;re in no hurry to address it. ;)

Alex H
12-10-2003, 02:21 AM
Oh, for those who are unfamiliar with our shitty tax system, GST stands for Goods and Services Tax, which is a flat 10% tax on pretty much everything you buy. Its kind of like the Value Added Tax (VAT) in the UK.

And it is unfair because it makes the tax rate the same for a kid buying a &#036;1 chocolate bar and a CEO buying a &#036;100,000 sports car. And for business owners like me it makes administration much more difficult.

But back to the plastic bags. They&#39;re only good for 1 or 2 uses, then they&#39;re just waste. Paper bags (as a disposable bag) are much better because they can be pulped and recycled into new bags, or toilet paper, or boxes, or whatever. With a 10c "deposit" on them it will make your shopping bill go up, whith the cosequence that you will decide to use a less expensive form of packaging i.e. canvas or paper bags.

I still don&#39;t know why the rest of the country doesn&#39;t follow South Australia with its 5c refund on all plastic, glass and aluminium drink containers. We&#39;d have a much cleaner environment, and all the homeless people would keep the streets clean by picking up the rubbish for the cash refund.

clocker
12-10-2003, 02:45 AM
Originally posted by Alex H@9 December 2003 - 19:21
We&#39;d have a much cleaner environment, and all the homeless people would keep the streets clean by picking up the rubbish for the cash refund.
It&#39;s nice of you to think of the homeless, but IRL that is not exactly how it works.

In Michigan, where my brother has several businesses and there is a deposit on cans and bottles, the homeless ( or just professional bottle pickers) routinely dump trash cans, comb them for cans and leave the mess behind.
There may be fewer bottles/cans laying about, but the resulting strew of garbage is much worse.

Alex H
12-10-2003, 03:32 AM
Ah, there would be a way around it. "5c Refund Bin" next to regular garbage bins. Just leave the bin there and the scavengers will empty it. Everyone knows what attracts the refund, cause every damned container has it written on it.

A mate of mine collected a shitload of cans and bottles, hired a trailer and drove to South Australia. After all the costs were taken out we still made a profit of &#036;90. It was very silly and took ages to collect them, but we got a holiday in SA out of&#33;

billyfridge
12-10-2003, 06:42 PM
Originally posted by Alex H@9 December 2003 - 03:03
I think the rest of the world might like to know about this initiative. Several towns in Australia have decided to ban plasitc shopping bags from retail outlets. Australia uses 7 billion plastic bags every year, and enough of them are disposed of badly to make them a big threat to our forna (especially marine life) and our general environment.

Many retailers here are now selling reuseable canvas or calico bags (for about &#036;1)as an alternative, which is proving popular, and many other councils and local authorities are seriously looking at following this lead from Huskisson and Kangaroo Valley.

Wherever you live in the world this is a great way to help your environment. Make this an issue for your next local election.

Planet Ark&#39;s Plastic Bag Campaign (http://www.planetark.com/plasticbags)

South Australian Government initiatives (http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/zerowaste/plastic_bags.html)

Tourist town shuns plastic bags (http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6349520%255E1702,00.html)


PS. As j2k4 will inevitably point out, this will have major repecussions for industry - plastic bag makers will suffer badly. On the other hand, reusable bag makers will be much better off and smart people will be changing their businesses to meet the new demand. Sorry j2k4, thought I&#39;d get in first :rolleyes:
What goes around comes around. i was using canvas and cloth shopping bags
until early 70&#39;s when brown paper carrier bags came into use. the flimsy plastic bags are a bloody nuisance, they clog up the sewers, flutter like flags on trees and telegraph poles. some improvements in life are not always for the best. <_<