QLD Plastic Bag Ban: 3 Months on, How Are You Going?

Hows everyone coping? I found 3 plastic bags while cleaning the garage today and was pretty happy with myself. Made my Weekend a bit better.

I remember grocery bags around 50% of the time now, getting better at keeping a cooler bag & bags in the back of the car permanently.

Anyone found a suitable replacement for small trash cans? All the liners I can find are too big.

Comments

      • Last time I tried to grab a box, a lady slapped me, security pinned me to the floor and Donald Trump tried to high-five me.

  • +2

    It's amusing to see how worked up some people get over plastic bags.

    They have a right to express their opinion about the ban - that it's just for the supermarkets to save money. But then they should be equally vocal about all the other ways the big supermarkets rip-off customers, which are far more significant.

    Goes to show people just don't like change.

  • +1

    Its a struggle trying to remember to take the bags from the boot into the shops. I've been using the clear little plastic bags they provide for veggies to carry my shopping afterwards.

    • What does the M stand for?

  • +5

    I like the thicker bags, and because of that, I actually don't mind paying for them.

    I have carried on the same, and put the price of buying the bags in perspective ($15 bucks for 100).

    The thicker bags are just better at most things (they have no holes for one), better bin liners, better at keeping wet/dirty clothes seperate, better at holding greasy pans (just been camping).

  • +2

    Nothing’s changed for me except my grocery spend goes up by the number of bags, the new bags take up too much space at home so I throw them out a lot, but they do fit my bin ok so I reuse a few of them….overall my plastic use has increased because of the ban and where I used to take any excess bags into the recycle bin outside coles now I just throw them in the general waste bin at home

  • i have mine in the car and always forget them when i go to the shops… so i just load all my groceries into the car and make multiple trips when i get home. annoying but not the biggest deal

  • I am still managing to find old bags around the house for use as a bin. Its amazing they have lasted this long.

  • I'm struggling with it. Not once have i remembered to take my own bags.

  • +1

    I've been using the same bags for about 5 years ( some kind of nylon like a stuff sack) super strong and fold down to fit in pocket. I also use boxes when available. Never had a problem. I do smaller more frequent targeted shops so im not overloaded. I shop for a family of 4.

  • No change here, I've been collecting plastic bags since forever.

  • My environmental footprint is the same as before the ban. I do however, make it a point to never buy bin liners from colesworth again. I don't want them profiting from this ban. Get em cheap in bulk on ebay.

  • +2

    I buy new bags every trip and dump them in the ocean afterwards

  • -2

    I'm not against banning free plastic bags by coles and wollies. However, I don't agree that you have to pay for plastic bag since it use to be free.

  • I do most of the shop for our family of 4. Using string bags for loose veggies from the supermarkets or markets. These work really well and can be washed.

    For the bin at home I’ve converted to a small bin (I bought three) with a lid and handle. When this is full and I’m going out, I take the full ones to the rubbish room downstairs (I’m in a 10 storey apartment building) and leave these in my carport for when I come back home. Then bringing the emptied bins upstairs and a quick wash in the laundry ready for the cycle to start again. Bin liners free.

    • +1

      We got a really great bag from Red Hill in Victoria, it is a stretch material that scrunches down to almost nothing. Sits in my small bag and I take it out when I need it. None of this is rocket science, I do wonder how some people adapt when their work duties change.

      • +1

        From my experience, there are a whole bunch of folks out there who don’t cope well with changes in their jobs roles. They’re the ones who have ‘ownership’ sense of entitlements over their workstation and stationery (that are paid for by their employers)…. they’re easy to spot.

  • Since the plastic bag ban. My wife left me.
    I lost my job, and just got told i have kidney stones…THANX COLES!

  • I have spent more money buying plastic bags so that's a "lose" from me. However, those "green" bags I threw away are now much thicker and tougher than the old ones so I suppose that's good for the environment and that's a "win" </sarcasm>

    • those "green" bags

      are recyclable at most Coles & Woolies

  • I've made my peace with the cost, I now buy plastic bags to put my plastic bag purchases in.

  • I've had a good run. Been able to bring my bags. A couple of times I haven't brought enough and have to fill a bag more than I would prefer to.
    I think it really helped when Coles decided the have the 15 cent bags free for a couple of months, on the few occasions I forgot I just used those.

    My plastic bag stash hasn't quite ran out, but it's nearly there. (I use them for rubbish in addition to garbage bags)

  • I bought a box of 2000x plastic bags off ebay. Works out to 2c per bag.

  • Still angry over the symbolism rather than actually saving the environment. The world does not need this.

    I have plenty left and I quite enjoy the hobby of preserving them as I reuse the "single use" bags.

    I do have some reusable bags for groceries, my only issue has been arriving at the checkout without thinking, have forgotten them and realising I have too many items and no bags. I cannot bring myself to destroy the environment by buying thick bags that I cannot use as bin liners. I take the hand basket out to the carpark and empty the items into my car.

    • We leave spare bags in the car and just put the groceries in them when you get down there; if we don’t have any on us. The thick plastic bags aren’t the answer either, they are a stop gap. The bags we take shopping are, mostly, over 12 months old and have been used a lot. You can get reusable bags that scrunch down to roughly the size of a handkerchief so it isn’t hard to make sure you have some with you. It is a matter of remembering, like people had to do before plastic bags were available. The oceans didn’t have islands of string bags before plastic became so ubiquitous; however we do have islands of plastic rubbish now. Plastic bags aren’t all of it, but they are a significant amount and one that can be easily addressed. The issue needs to be done incrementally and single use packaging is a good starting point. You don’t forget to take your wallet shopping just add bags to the memory palace.

  • 18L Bin Liners are the perfect size for small trash cans!

    http://www.polyroll.com.au/store/p2/18L_BLACK_TIDY_LINER__%2…

    On sale at the moment:

    $31.05/1000 = 3c per bag

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