Italy Bans Plastic Bags!

1.9.2008 10:11 AM

China has never been considered an environmental role model. Given a population of 1.3 billion, unprecedented carbon emissions and a slew of recent lead-toy scandals, many would say the country stands as a — if not the — prime example of environmental failure.
Yet, in a bolt from the blue, it looks like the red has embraced green.
Yesterday, China’s State Council put a nationwide ban on plastic bags. The cabinet has demanded all stores (from major supermarkets to small shops) go plastic bag-free after June 1.


Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/china-plastic-bags-47010907#ixzz1A0NEXeZV​

 

That's great news, hopefully more countries will follow the likes of Italy and China.

 

It's a good idea, but i'm more interested in replacement solutions rather than point blank banning something.

Let's not ban oil, instead 'get a car to run on water' type of thing. Then we can reduce use through less stringent means. After all, we all hate being told what to do by the government, don't we?

I mentioned it before, sugar cane can be used to create plastic. I am sure they can think of alternatives that will please many more people, as lifestyle trends would not have to change.

 

"Mother Earth" is telling me what to do.

 

It's a shame she keeps tight lipped around the rest of us then, eh?

 

It is.

 

You make a good point, but while trying to find an alternative, why not ban the bags in the mean time?

Every single store in my city, that uses plastic bags, now makes people pay 5 cents a bag. I heard nothing but complaints when this was first introduced a few years ago. Now any time I'm in a store, aside from Walmart where the customers don't seem to care, I see about 1 out of every 3 people with their own cotton bags or re-usable plastic bags, which stores also sell. This is a much better alternative.

As for the idea of alternatives...

http://www.hempplastic.com/


Is there anything hemp can't do?! Why are we not exploring the possibilities of this...oh, wait a minute....

 

because going green . save the earth is a bunch of bullshit.. When I see a help the planet commercial I want to smash light bulbs..

 

Lol...

 

Why? Do you mean the commercial aspect of it, or saving the planet in general is bullshit?

It's true. The location closest to me is particularly bad. Every customer has the most, "I don't give a fuck," look about their face.

 

How do you know it is about plastic bags?

 

it's about everything

 

Possibly more about "obamacare" than plastic bags, right?

 

Bingo!

I live in Canada, people here don't give a shit about Obama.

 

Oh awesome! Two different countries did it!

 

Regular or swirly tubes?

I should buy more re-usable bags every time I forget to bring them. That would help me remember once I accumulate a few dozen. You can really load them up with a lot of stuff.

 

why not use bio-degradable bags.. they have those now. we did after all put a man on the moon, and put a sandwich between two pieces of fried chicken..

 

You can only really use them a few times and they still linger in the environment.
People still treat them as disposable items they do not have to worry about.
Believing: Oh, it's all being eaten up by nature.
Why not have something people use time after time after time...and tend to dispose of more considerately.

 

I take a folding basket along for grocerys. For anything else Its very seldom that ill let a clerk bag anything. Iv been know to take stuff back out of the bag and hand the bag back.......