[Just jimmy]

Originally Posted by Keefelane66

It’s not just plastic bags it’s all plastics. We have abandoned recycling in The Villages opting to burn plastics trash to energy.

No one wants our recycles. What are we supposed to do with them. China used to buy them. It’s better to burn them than end up in a landfill.

[morchol]

There are many many products sold in plastic containers and people are worried about plastic grocery bags? What about soda, water, many bulk vegetables, condiments such as ketchup and mustard along with a plethora of other products?

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by Canada friends

I’m from Canada and we are eliminating plastic bags.. When I come to the Villages I’m so disappointed that stores especially Walmart continue to use plastic bags…Why is it that people can spend $400.00 at Costco who don’t offer bags and don’t have an issue…then go to Walmart and use 10 bags for a $50.00 order…Hello people don’t you see what these bags are doing to the environment…

Maybe one of you advocating for ‘paper’ only option...can answer the question(s) that have been posed several times here. What about all the plastic based products that are purchased and transported in said bag(s)? Seems a little hypocritical, no? If you’re using it as a first step in your advocacy, how do you expect compliance and buy in if these (recycled) paper options can’t hold anything with any integrity. If you’re being honest, then you know you’ve seen many shoppers frustrated when their orders collapse to the pavement below due to these inferior products. I also agree with the post about bringing in reusable bags, it’s disgusting. I’ve been behind a shopper that yanked out a half a dozen of those loaded with her fur babies hair. That sounds like someone with other people’s best interest at heart. As I stated earlier, all businesses should make some component of a recycled plastic bag available, durable, and at no cost to the end user. Those that want no part of that can use the litany of cardboard boxes that these grocers accumulate daily that can be used to appease those so inclined.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by DrHitch

A good summary of our burning questions! But still we should up-cycle household stuff to Habitat, thrift stores, etc...and cut apart plastic rings to save wildlife

Absolutely.

Coincidentally, after the cat walked on my face at 3:00 AM this morning, I was flipping through the offerings on YouTube that covered this topic, as well as recycling in general. Very informative. Good coverage of how plastics can be recycled and the efforts being made by various countries, as well as many other substances being recycled and/or repurposed. One rather fascinating topic was "green" burials. Many advertised as such aren't, or aren't to the extent that they're being touted as, but this particular segment concerned the use of mushrooms for coffins! Apparently they introduce a certain breed of mushroom to a mold, wait for the time needed, and the mushroom grows to fill the mold. Once done and processed the end result is something that looks like Styrofoam and apparently can be handled the same way, and burying good old Uncle Walter in one guarantees that the whole thing degrades quickly, returning Uncle Walter to the environment in about a year, vs. up to ten years (according to the segment) if a wooden casket with metal accouterments and various other plastics used in the process, was used.

The show did contain a warning however, for people to be watchful and not be taken in by emotional appeals. Ikea, for example, as made a very public effort to go the green route, recycling many not-too-damaged pieces of Ikea furniture to a resellable state, which they then resell. They tout their efforts as saving the environment but apparently this arrangement is very financially advantageous to them as well, as (as I recall) they charge the customer $X to drop the item off, then resell it for less than new but still at a pretty hefty price. The point was that the environment is not being helped as much as IKEA might want people to think: the stuff that would take too much time or money to fix apparently just ends up in landfills. Another such emotionally-laden topic was "reef burials", where Uncle Walter is apparently cremated, with his (and more than just a few others) remains then mixed into concrete, formed into something that looks like a huge upside-down flowerpot, and dumped in the ocean. The upside-down pot has openings for fish to swim in and out of, and is apparently an ideal structure for coral formation. You can also write Walter's name on it, add trinkets, etc. if you wish. Well and good--but your effort at saving the environment, providing structure for coral and making the fish happy costs, according to the segment, about as much as a normal in-ground funeral and burial, and as THAT number today can go as high as $12,000.00 (I've seen higher) it is obvious that somebody (maybe several somebodies) are profiting from your emotion.

[mrf0151]

Walk around the isles at the grocery store and see how many of the products sold are in plastic in some way.
So, we are worried about the bags that most of us take back to the store and put in the recycle bin?

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by Ponygirl

Hmmm. Not so sure abt powering 1 million homes. That’s seems impossible Not the number that I recall but I will look it up

That may be a blanket number. Apparently Covanta runs several such plants.

Originally Posted by Darield

I am amazed that Florida still allows the use of plastic bags in grocery stores. So many other states have banned it. We now have microplastics (very small plastic particles) in our agriculture soil, ocean and just about anywhere you can think of. There are so many studies that verify the dangers of plastics and I cringe every time I go to the grocery store and see 10-20-30 plastic bags per cart. Just one Publics said they can go through thousands of plastic bags in a day. Here is one link that talks about how serious this problem has gotten. It's our new DDT.How microplastics are infiltrating the food you eat . There are now studies beiing done of earthworms ingesting micro-plastics. ScienceDirect

One must ask... how many plastic container or packaged items are in just ONE Villages grocery store? How much plastic is picked up twice a week in the Villages and incerated locally?

Three or four plastic bags as you leave to CARRY your stuff is a problem? Nope.

Mine get recycled within the home. Many uses. Sorry for not feeling sorry.

The powers that be virtue signaling over worms digesting plastics, nanoparticulates are ALL AROUND us. Do the ptb feel bad for us?

Enter in rice paper, algae, kudsu weed based containers... then maybe carrying my groceries to the car in plastic will convict me. Guilt sorry, that's a big, fat nope.

"What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" KEEP IT THAT WAY. FL practices free choice. We LIKE our plastic straws and grocery bags. Those not in favor by all means fly far far away from The Villages and be one's own special kind of free.

[NotGolfer]

I'd say that plastic bags are the least of our worries. IF they are---then take your own bags. BUT that said---one probably could find particles of anything if they so wanted to be a "scientist". We're the generation that grew up with paint they no longer allow (lead based) and cans that probably weren't "healthy" neither. One could get into the "chem-trails" (they are a thing btw) that are emitting who-knows-what into our atmosphere.

[MrFlorida]

The other day it was self checkouts, now it's plastic bags... some people need a hobby.

Originally Posted by NotGolfer

I'd say that plastic bags are the least of our worries. IF they are---then take your own bags. BUT that said---one probably could find particles of anything if they so wanted to be a "scientist". We're the generation that grew up with paint they no longer allow (lead based) and cans that probably weren't "healthy" neither. One could get into the "chem-trails" (they are a thing btw) that are emitting who-knows-what into our atmosphere.

Yes, yes, and more yes-es!!! Right. Inhale exhale good stuff.

Trying hard not to go there but fun stuff. TN PASSED this bill. It is a done deal! FL should be following BUT DeSantis and Rick Scott are unresponsive as far as protecting Villagers.

TN Ban SB 2691/HB 2063 (copy and paste)

There is an article on it but for funny, it won't link right.

[Markus]

We use the reusable bags and have been for well over 10 years. When we do use plastic we keep them. Some of them are reused for other purposes or we take them to the drop off in front of Publix to be recycled.

[Rodneysblue]

Originally Posted by Darield

I am amazed that Florida still allows the use of plastic bags in grocery stores. So many other states have banned it. We now have microplastics (very small plastic particles) in our agriculture soil, ocean and just about anywhere you can think of. There are so many studies that verify the dangers of plastics and I cringe every time I go to the grocery store and see 10-20-30 plastic bags per cart. Just one Publics said they can go through thousands of plastic bags in a day. Here is one link that talks about how serious this problem has gotten. It's our new DDT.How microplastics are infiltrating the food you eat . There are now studies beiing done of earthworms ingesting micro-plastics. ScienceDirect

No one is forcing you to use plastic bags. We bring our own reusable bags shopping.

[Ponygirl]

An earlier poster said that over a million houses are powered by the waste to energy plant which I knew was incorrect

From Covanta website We use waste to produce 15 megawatts of electricity 24/7 - enough to power 8,000 homes for a year.

Another concern abt the Covanta facility is the level of toxins released in the air although Covanta says the number is negligible

[Velvet]

Originally Posted by Rodneysblue

No one is forcing you to use plastic bags. We bring our own reusable bags shopping.

Yes, it’s sort of like religion. Each to their own.

[MrFlorida]

Since we can't use garbage cans here in The Villages, how do you propose we put our garbage out for pickup ?