Plastic Bags
 

My wife and I have probably about 15 cloth bags that we use when food shopping. What I have noticed is that the majority of the people that I see shopping at the supermarkets are using plastic bags. With all the talk about the indestructibility of plastic and the huge amount of plastic in the oceans it would seem to me that people would be aware of the problem and switch to cloth bags. I have a feeling that in the near future that these plastic bags will be illegal which I believe in some cities they have been outlawed already.

Any plastic bags that we get (newpapers) are put in the recycling receptacles at the supermarkets.

John

The majority of plastic bags are re-used.

I'll agree with you when you find a better bag for cat and dog waste than plastic

I still use the plastic ones because they're very handy for picking up after my pup on walks. BTW, I'm from Neptune as well and left the year after you did.

You’re right, and most of the time we use the cloth bags. On occasion we have a brain freeze and forget them. Then we’ll ask for paper sacks, which we use for yard waste and our dog’s “gifts”. ������

Re: Yard waste
 

Pre-Florida, we used to put our yard clippings into carboard boxes from the grocery stores. Makes total sense they are recyclable, they come from plants, they are stronger than bags AND THEY ARE FREE.

I had a good laugh with the lady at the trash collection company as she tried to explain why here you need to BUY paper bags, addinf to the trash volume, cutting down trees etc to be able to get rid of your garden waste.

LOGIC?

Oh and they insist that you purchase both black and clear bags adding those to the trash volume so that the trucks will take it.

take all my plastic bags back to grocery stores for recycling. Just got back from California. Grocery stores charge 10 cents for each plastic bag you need at check out.

Using canvas bags as much as possible
 

I'm not a Villager (yet). I have made an effort over the past few years to use canvas/reusable plastic bags when grocery shopping. When I was on my Lifestyle Preview Visit a few years ago, I received a very nice shopping bag from The Villages which I often use. Last year the city of Chicago started charging a 7 cent per bag tax on plastic and paper shopping bags. I'm surprised more suburbs in the Chicago area haven't gone this route. If I need a plastic or paper bag while shopping, I would not have a problem paying a bag tax.

On a related note, the city of Seattle is banning plastic straws and utensils starting in July. Plastic straws, along with other plastic waste, often end up in the oceans and into marine animals.

A Problem No One Wants To Address
 

John -- You are 100% correct but worse than what you've said is the requirement for all residents' trash to be in plastic bags!

A really BIG Village pet peeve of mine. And when I say big, I mean BIG!

The Villages requirement is for plastic trash bags and in addition -- they want certain types of bag, to boot!
Doesn't that get anyone's ire up?

Anywhere else in the country in most urban areas, trash cans are provided which are designed for the trucks to automatically pick up the cans.
Do Villagers have any idea what these bags are doing to our environment and landfills?
Do Villagers have any idea how many plastic trash bags this is per week, per month, per year???
Do any Villagers care?
I say this because I have seen threads where residents do not want trash cans. This makes me wonder about that kind of lazy mentality which is loaded with lame excuses for not wanting them.

Then there's the developer who makes money from the trash collection.
Then there's the developer who does not want to invest in what it would cost him to provide the cans, recycle bins and trucks.

I would love to see Waste Management come in and do the job.
They know how to run the trash business and do it right.
Alas -- it will never happen; there aren't enough residents who care enough to make sure that some kind of change takes place.

The current trash situation is very sad at too many different levels. :spoken:

The paper bags identify the yard waste and ensure that it goes into the correct truck.

Sounds like a ripoff to me. But, I really don't care what they do in California.

I have always used black plastic bags to put out trash and continue to do so here in The Villages. However, I did not realize that the black plastic bags are required for the collectors to pick up the trash.

We have always had a garbage can to put out trash before we moved to The Villages. Having said that, I would put the trash in a plastic bag THEN put the plastic bag in the garbage can. In fact...... Here in The Villages, I have a clear plastic bag lining my garbage can in the kitchen. Then I put the clear plastic bag inside the black plastic bag to put out on garbage day.

I have always thought all these plastic bags which are used to put out trash ARE RECYCLED by the trash company. I sincerely doubt all these plastic bags are sitting in landfills. That just doesn't make sense to me.

I was back to Long Island in March for a few days and discovered that if you want plastic bags you have to pay 5 cents a bag. I didn't know and so I had to carry my purchases out in my hands. I asked for paper, but they didn't have any. Good old Walmart. The supermarkets have paper.

I like plastic bags. Isn't almost everything that you throw out made from plastic anyway?

Re: wanting or needing garbage cans to put out the trash...... I would never just put trash in the garbage can without putting the trash in some sort of recepticle which would keep out the odor or moisture that trash generates (plastic seems to fit the bill at least to keep out the moisture). I would not want that trash can in the garage. The Villages does not want the unsightly look of trash cans visible anywhere around our homes. I prefer not having to look at trash cans so I agree with The Villages rules about NO TRASH CANS.

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

For recycling, I would much rather use a recycle bin than a clear plastic bag. But it's not allowed here so it don't matter.

Is that popcorn in a paper or plastic container?

Waste management does all of Fenney and Desoto,