3 ms·

the non-reusable plastic bag ban in austin, tx was a pretty big failure. the problem is that a lot of the big stores (heb in particular) sell heavier "reusable"

the non-reusable plastic bag ban in austin, tx was a pretty big failure. the problem is that a lot of the big stores (heb in particular) sell heavier "reusable" bags for 25 cents that no one actually reuses. these bags have a significantly larger environmental impact than the disposable bags if they are not actually reused as intended. http://kxan.com/2015/06/10/report-austin-bag-ban-had-unintended-consequences/ http://kxan.com/2015/06/10/report-austin-bag-ban-had-uninten...

badwolf 9y ago
anecdata... Every time I go to HEB almost everyone in checkout line is reusing their HEB "emergency" bags.
kodablah 9y ago
In the Metroplex the plastic bag law was repealed after bag manufacturers sued the city for unlawful taxes on containers. It didn't have majority citizen support anyways, was seen as a way to complicate purchasing on smaller retailers, and many were just paying the fee anyways. While many support the idea of reduced plastic bag consumption, they didn't like the government tax approach. I personally don't have a strong opinion.
monk_e_boy 9y ago
how do you feel about the government imposing these rules on commerce. In the UK we're quite used to this and don't mind. Americans often feel that government should keep out of capitalism.
- jeffffff 9y ago
  i think it's fine in principle but in this case the implementation was poor. mostly i don't understand why non-reusable paper bags were banned. they're recyclable, biodegradable, and made from a renewable resource. the regulation requires paper bags to have handles and be at least a certain thickness so that they're "reusable". we'd be better off if the people that buy the 25 cent plastic bags and throw them away were getting disposable paper bags. probably need to charge them a fee on top for being wasteful. in my opinion the second biggest problem with regulation is that often regulators don't properly account for human nature and some percentage of people being shitty. the biggest problem with regulation is corruption and money in politics. i think regulation is necessary in lots of cases. not sure that my views are representative of most americans though.
- dsmithatx 9y ago
  I live in Austin and the change was very welcome here as the city is considered liberal. About a mile away in a conservative county they would probably never have such a ban. You can purchase bags however, I think they cost $1. For my family the ban worked, we always reuse our bags now. Before it was easy to forget even though we try to always help the environment.
seanalltogether 9y ago
It's probably not practical to implement something like this city by city, it has to be statewide or countrywide. That link also states a "higher carbon footprint" for the reusable bags if not reused. I believe the core argument for banning disposable bags, straws, etc is because these throwaway items end up on the sides of highways or in rivers and beaches. If ALL of your trash ends up in a landfill instead of out in the environment, the higher carbon footprint to manufacture them is worth it.
- TomK32 9y ago
  There's a point in having variations of the same idea set into practice because only then the best system can shine and be implemented globally.

badwolf 9y ago

anecdata... Every time I go to HEB almost everyone in checkout line is reusing their HEB "emergency" bags.

kodablah 9y ago

In the Metroplex the plastic bag law was repealed after bag manufacturers sued the city for unlawful taxes on containers. It didn't have majority citizen support anyways, was seen as a way to complicate purchasing on smaller retailers, and many were just paying the fee anyways. While many support the idea of reduced plastic bag consumption, they didn't like the government tax approach. I personally don't have a strong opinion.

monk_e_boy 9y ago

how do you feel about the government imposing these rules on commerce. In the UK we're quite used to this and don't mind. Americans often feel that government should keep out of capitalism.

jeffffff 9y ago
i think it's fine in principle but in this case the implementation was poor. mostly i don't understand why non-reusable paper bags were banned. they're recyclable, biodegradable, and made from a renewable resource. the regulation requires paper bags to have handles and be at least a certain thickness so that they're "reusable". we'd be better off if the people that buy the 25 cent plastic bags and throw them away were getting disposable paper bags. probably need to charge them a fee on top for being wasteful. in my opinion the second biggest problem with regulation is that often regulators don't properly account for human nature and some percentage of people being shitty. the biggest problem with regulation is corruption and money in politics. i think regulation is necessary in lots of cases. not sure that my views are representative of most americans though.
dsmithatx 9y ago
I live in Austin and the change was very welcome here as the city is considered liberal. About a mile away in a conservative county they would probably never have such a ban. You can purchase bags however, I think they cost $1. For my family the ban worked, we always reuse our bags now. Before it was easy to forget even though we try to always help the environment.

seanalltogether 9y ago

It's probably not practical to implement something like this city by city, it has to be statewide or countrywide. That link also states a "higher carbon footprint" for the reusable bags if not reused. I believe the core argument for banning disposable bags, straws, etc is because these throwaway items end up on the sides of highways or in rivers and beaches. If ALL of your trash ends up in a landfill instead of out in the environment, the higher carbon footprint to manufacture them is worth it.

TomK32 9y ago
There's a point in having variations of the same idea set into practice because only then the best system can shine and be implemented globally.