# Plastic Bag Ban in New York State



## debodun (Feb 25, 2020)

Starting on March 1, there will be a ban on plastic bag use in New York. If you go to a grocery store and plan on buying more than an armful of merchandise, better bring your own bags, totes or boxes. I found that the plastic grocery bags make handy trash bags. When the one I have now are used up, I guess I'll have to buy trash bags. Buying something just to throw away seems like an oxymoron to me. Once a nuisance, plastic bags may become a commodity.


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## Lethe200 (Mar 24, 2020)

Here in NorCA, in many cities the plastic bag ban was passed several years ago. They are still available, but the charge is 10 cents per bag. No problem using canvas or net bags, although one has to remember to wash them periodically!


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## Rosemarie (Mar 25, 2020)

Plastic carrier bags are being phased out here in Britain too. However, if you think about it, they are actually more hygienic during the current situation. Bags can harbour germs and bacteria, whereas a nice new plastic bag will be sterile.


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## hollydolly (Mar 25, 2020)

We've had to pay for plastic carrier bags for a long time now, which has reduced the usage by a massive percentage...so generally most people take their own bags now, or  wheeled shopping trolleys if you have to walk far with a heavy load ..but you made a good point @Rosemarie about the current time and plastic bags.

I tell you what is annoying tho' here... is that lately, one of our largest Chains of supermarkets have stopped providing bags ( little plastic baggies or paper bags)  to put loose  fruit and veg into once we've weighed them and before taking them to the till.

trying to juggle 3 or 4 large baking potatoes, some loose apples, etc without a bag, is difficult, and then we're expected to just put them into the trolley, uncovered with a bag , in which someone's child has been allowed to ride standing in it in dirty shoes..


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## Ken N Tx (Mar 25, 2020)




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## Marlene (Mar 25, 2020)

hollydolly said:


> We've had to pay for plastic carrier bags for a long time now, which has reduced the usage by a massive percentage...so generally most people take their own bags now, or  wheeled shopping trolleys if you have to walk far with a heavy load ..but you made a good point @Rosemarie about the current time and plastic bags.
> 
> I tell you what is annoying tho' here... is that lately, one of our largest Chains of supermarkets have stopped providing bags ( little plastic baggies or paper bags)  to put loose  fruit and veg into once we've weighed them and before taking them to the till.
> 
> trying to juggle 3 or 4 large baking potatoes, some loose apples, etc without a bag, is difficult, and then we're expected to just put them into the trolley in which someone child has been allowed to ride standing in it in dirty shoes.. bagless..


I have an admission to make.  I love reading your posts just to note the differences in our "English."  In this one alone, I note you say "plastic carrier bag" whereas we generally just say plastic bag.  You say shopping trolley; we say shopping cart.  I love the little subtle differences between our language and cultures.


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## hollydolly (Mar 25, 2020)

yes there's many differences..Marlene.. I seem to know much more American versions of words than the general American knows our British words. I have no idea why that should be, but I do...  , perhaps because for many years I've spent a lot of time working with Americans, and when were kids of course we had a lot of American TV shows ..

There's plenty of lists I believe online telling you the comparative terms between the 2 countries... but it's much more fun reading it in a sentence from a real person isn't it?


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## Marlene (Mar 25, 2020)

hollydolly said:


> yes there's many differences..Marlene.. I seem to know much more American versions of words than the general American knows our British words. I have no idea why that should be, but I do...  , perhaps because for many years I've spent a lot of time working with Americans, and when were kids of course we had a lot of American TV shows ..
> 
> There's plenty of lists I believe online telling you the comparative terms between the 2 countries... but it's much more fun reading it in a sentence from a real person isn't it?


I know quite a few because I read a lot of British authors and watch almost exclusively BBC shows.  Plus, I have a long term penpal from Staffordshire.  But I still get a smile even when I have already heard the difference.  Every time my friend says "are you winding me up," or "thanks for the biscuits," I get a smile (we exchange little treats quite often).  So it's always a delight to read your posts.


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## Judycat (Mar 25, 2020)

Haha. The grocery store I shopped at a couple days ago had a sign that said:  No reusable bags allowed at this time. Only single use,  store supplied plastic bags will be used to pack your groceries. Thank you for your patience.


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## hollydolly (Mar 25, 2020)

Judycat said:


> Haha. The grocery store I shopped at a couple days ago had a sign that said:  No reusable bags allowed at this time. Only single use,  store supplied plastic bags will be used to pack your groceries. Thank you for your patience.


 that's probably a good idea, however many of the supermarkets here charge anything from 25p to £1 per plastic carrier bag , so people wouldn't pay it... they'd just put everything into their trolleys' unbagged and take it to their cars and bag it there..


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## Judycat (Mar 25, 2020)

I see.


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## RadishRose (Mar 25, 2020)

I've begun wheeling my loose groceries out to my car and bagging them there in the trunk. Weather permitting.

Soon, I'll get my own collapsable cart and won't bother with the store cart at all unless I need lot, which is rare.


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## Pappy (Mar 25, 2020)

We carry a tote in the back of our SUV. Loose items can be carried into the house. We still have plastic bags and I put them in the tote too. It seems to work for us.


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## Lethe200 (Mar 28, 2020)

Interesting to hear some markets are temporarily banning reusable bags.

Haven't had problems here. But on our last trip to a big supermarket, we packed our purchases ourselves. The store didn't have enough baggers and lines were loooonnnnnnngg!


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## Geezerette (Mar 29, 2020)

Our city ordered grocery stores to go back to the original plastic immediately because they didn’t want clerks to be exposed to those dirtyold cloth bags. We’re previously advised to “launder your cloth bags every day” .Yah, sure....


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## Marie5656 (Mar 29, 2020)

Judycat said:


> Haha. The grocery store I shopped at a couple days ago had a sign that said:  No reusable bags allowed at this time. Only single use,  store supplied plastic bags will be used to pack your groceries. Thank you for your patience.



Same here, at he store I shop at. We can bring our own bags, but we need to bag our own groceries. Or have the cashier use the plastic bags.  I always wipe down my reusable bags, but I do realize that not all people do.


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## Pinky (Mar 29, 2020)

We still have the option of plastic bags, but they are 5 cents each. We save them to line our green bin container.


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 29, 2020)

Same here but I actually prefer to bag my own reusable grocery sacks so it's not a big deal for the cashier to place the items back into the trolley.


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## Pinky (Mar 29, 2020)

We generally load our groceries directly into our sturdy canvas bags. It's amazing how much we can get into them. They then go into our fold-out square trolley with wheels and long handle. It all fits nicely into the trunk.


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## JaniceM (Apr 20, 2020)

Now a grocery store here has said they don't want customers bringing in those reusable cloth bags, so we're back to the plastic bags the store provides.


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## PopsnTuff (Apr 20, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> Now a grocery store here has said they don't want customers bringing in those reusable cloth bags, so we're back to the plastic bags the store provides.


Here too....if you do a pickup they use paper bags with sturdy handles, that we use at home for recycling.


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## Aunt Bea (Apr 20, 2020)

I'm almost out of my stash of single-use grocery bags! 

I'm still resisting the idea of spending money on disposable trash bags.

I've been using the bread bags that I save and have found that one will take care of a week's worth of trash.

Another foolish little experiment by someone with way too much time on their hands!


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## JaniceM (Apr 20, 2020)

Aunt Bea said:


> I'm still resisting the idea of spending money on disposable trash bags.



I'm with you on that-  I don't like to spend money on something that has no purpose other than to throw it away!


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## danielk (May 14, 2020)

I think its ridiculous. While I'm all for helping the environment bringing your own bag just isn't convenient in most situations. Plus those little store bags are such great little garbage bags that I always re-use them. Instead maybe they should give people who bring their own bags a discount of a cent or two, since the store saves money on not providing a bag. That seems fair. Or maybe increase the price a cent or two but not more than that. Anything more and they're making money selling bags. Also I wonder if these large stores/corporations "influence" law makers to do this in the guise of saving the planet.  It seems pretty convenient that this will save them a ton of money not having to provide millions and millions of bags.


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## JaniceM (May 15, 2020)

danielk said:


> I think its ridiculous. While I'm all for helping the environment bringing your own bag just isn't convenient in most situations. Plus those little store bags are such great little garbage bags that I always re-use them. Instead maybe they should give people who bring their own bags a discount of a cent or two, since the store saves money on not providing a bag. That seems fair. Or maybe increase the price a cent or two but not more than that. Anything more and they're making money selling bags. Also I wonder if these large stores/corporations "influence" law makers to do this in the guise of saving the planet.  It seems pretty convenient that this will save them a ton of money not having to provide millions and millions of bags.


The grocery store I usually go to does give customers a nickel off their grocery purchases if they bring in their own bags...  however, now that this virus is going around they don't want anyone to bring bags in at all.


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