New Zealand to ban single-use plastic bags

Back to brown paper bags or people taking their own reusable ones.  Good for the Kiwis, although their volume of use is but a drop in the ocean.

Good.

Sounds good on paper... impossible in reality.

gogogoToday 01:03 pm JST

Sounds good on paper... impossible in reality.

Why that ? A few countries already did with success.

Sounds good on paper... impossible in reality.

Nah. Inconvenient maybe... Not impossible. Some supermarkets have preempted the law and already introduced their own policies. It'll just take time.

@gogogo - Sounds good on paper... impossible in reality.

So, I guess you are too young to remember life before single use plastic bags. People used to actually take their own bags all the time. Can you believe that? What a revelation? Also, supermarkets also used to supply large paper bags, that everybody knew would break if you put too much stuff in them and that's why they would take their own. Hard to believe isn't it? NOT! Society has just become lazy and fat at the expense of the environment.

Could you ever imagine plastic bags being banned in Japan? And, how about individually wrapped biscuits, candies and cakes? Do you think that would ever change?

Disillusioned

Being too young to remember life before plastic bags is a good thing.

Enjoy your youth people! Old and bitter is no way to be.

@thepersoniamnow - Disillusioned, Being too young to remember life before plastic bags is a good thing. Enjoy your youth people! Old and bitter is no way to be.

Yeah, being young and naive is much better. (roll eyes) Enjoy your lazy 'age of entitlement' waiting for your grandparents to die so you can inherit what they worked all their lives for. Then, you can sit back and watch the planet die around you. Yeah, that's so much better.

"Back to brown paper bags"

What about the trees?

NZ as always a world leader, he'll if it's to inconvenient to take your own bag...don't shop! Get bigger pockets. Is it really so hard? Get a backpack?

Could you ever imagine plastic bags being banned in Japan? And, how about individually wrapped biscuits, candies and cakes? Do you think that would ever change?

I wish. The amount of plastic used in Japan is overkill. Even for small items that you can put in your pocket they will give you a plastic bag. I feel we should all just bring an ecobag. We need to waste less plastic.

But at least Japan recycles, compared to other countries. I believe its even the number 1 country that recycles with energy return.

I reuse all plastic. Just wash and dry. I also reuse all tissues after they dry. Just after use, hang so they are straight. Veggie waste is buried in the garden. Reuse pet bottles. Wee wee when possible is in a neighbours loose metal car park. Solar panels.

It is time to pull together..

My local supermarket in Kanagawa has been doing this for years; they have little tokens to put on your shopping basket that that say, 'No carrier bag required,' so the cashier knows. Most shoppers bring their own bag nowadays. Fruits and vegetables are also open on the shelves, unencumbered by plastic wrap.

Lol

Confirm my stance much?

Disillusioned FYI

100% self made, lived on my own since 16 and never received a thing. Have helped many a grandparent though.

True about the trees.  but at least we can grow more and paper doesn't pollute as badly as plastic.

Good idea. Stop turning the planet into a rubbish tip. There are better behaved creatures on this planet who don’t deserve this crap.

Just take a shopping bag with you. I’ve had the same ¥100 canvas bag with gibberish about smiling a day happiness or something printed on it for years.

Take your own bags, people in other countries manage it, and the world hasn't ended. We have a couple of supermarkets near us that give you a ¥2 discount if you don't want a bag, others always throw a handful of them in the basket without asking if you want them. It's ridiculous.

Compared to other countries I been to Japan has more plastic crap than most. Everything you purchase is overwrapped in plastic, if you don't want a plastic bag shops put plastic tape on the items, ¥100 shops sell nothing but plastic, shoes are plastic, furniture is plastic, I'm given plastic straws with drinks (I don't have a disability that requires me to use a straw), food with plastic cutlery. Cling film/saran wrap is used on everything. People rely on bottled drinks. And what's with the plastic tablecloths? Most of this stuff is not recyclable.

Or just bring a cardboard box when grocery shopping.

There are many ways around a single use bag ban.

Please, just adapt. You might just find the "alternative" solution works just as well, or even better.

I just fill my day pack with whatever groceries every day after work, after getting off the train and at the supermarket on the way home.

Hummm! So, garbage bags would be banned as well? That is definitely single use.

I'm just wondering if China's refusal to take any more waste plastics from other nations has played a part in this decision.

Good.

I'm just wondering if China's refusal to take any more waste plastics from other nations has played a part in this decision.

Yes, and Thailand how now said they won't take other countries plastic crap.