plastic shopping bags in Europe
Dec 12th, 2006, 09:55 AM
#43
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ira says:
"The cats like to hide in the paper bags.
The plastic bags are good for disposing of cat poop."
If I had cats, I'd use the paper bags for their poop and let them play in the plastic ones.
"The cats like to hide in the paper bags.
The plastic bags are good for disposing of cat poop."
If I had cats, I'd use the paper bags for their poop and let them play in the plastic ones.
Dec 12th, 2006, 09:59 AM
#44
Original Poster
Actually, in the France, there has been a new tax whose application just began less than 2 months ago -- the recycling of electronics and appliances tax. All stores are OBLIGED to take back any old appliance and recycle it when you buy a new one, and every receipt for the purchase of a new one includes the recycling tax. I bought a new remote control the other day and saw that there was a 10 cent tax for it, but things like washing machines or refrigerators have taxes of 8 or 9 euros. And of course, any store that sells batteries must take back used batteries.
Dec 12th, 2006, 10:14 AM
#49
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We've had the electronic waste recycling fee/program in place for some time here in California.
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/electronics/act2003/
We also have the rechargeable battery recycling act in place -- it took effect earlier this year.
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/electronics/act2003/
We also have the rechargeable battery recycling act in place -- it took effect earlier this year.
Dec 12th, 2006, 11:20 AM
#50
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It's interesting to read how others handle waste disposal and recycling. In Nova Scotia, we sort everything that leaves the house. Household garbage is divided between waste that can be composted (food, scraps of paper, and garden cuttings) and stuff destined for the landfill, such as an old bucket or chair. We also have a weekly recycling pickup for paper, plastic containers, plastic bags, tins, and cardboard. Drink containers are handled in a slightly different way: we pay a deposit on anything you can pour into a glass. When you have accumulated a trunkful, you take it to a depot where you get half your deposit back. Used automobile tires and lead batteries are returned to where you bought them. Household hazardous waste, such as stale gasoline, acid, certain cleaners, and pesticides go to a hazardous waste facility. (And there aren't too many pesticides showing up there now--our municipality banned everything a few years ago, much to the Weed Man's disgust.)
Back to the topic of plastic bags in France, we have several of those large Carrefour totes and carry them back and forth with us to France. We carefully stow them in the trunk of our rental and then forget to take them in with us when we shop. We finally arrive bagless at the checkout and buy a couple more ...
Anselm
Back to the topic of plastic bags in France, we have several of those large Carrefour totes and carry them back and forth with us to France. We carefully stow them in the trunk of our rental and then forget to take them in with us when we shop. We finally arrive bagless at the checkout and buy a couple more ...
Anselm
Dec 13th, 2006, 02:02 AM
#53
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A very interesting thread on comparative supermarket shopping /recycling habits.
Self check-outs are making inroads in UK. Though I cannot use my own bags with the ones I know at M&S or Somerfield--they must be checking if the weight matches what's been scanned.
Personally, I'm picky about how you bag the groceries, so not a fan of baggers. German consumers must have felt similarly when they were at local Wal-Mart.
As for Robinson-Pa<b>t</b>man Anti-trust, there are enough legal specs (exempts cooperative promotion, looks only at net price) that allows Wal-Mart to continue getting better terms from its suppliers.
Self check-outs are making inroads in UK. Though I cannot use my own bags with the ones I know at M&S or Somerfield--they must be checking if the weight matches what's been scanned.
Personally, I'm picky about how you bag the groceries, so not a fan of baggers. German consumers must have felt similarly when they were at local Wal-Mart.
As for Robinson-Pa<b>t</b>man Anti-trust, there are enough legal specs (exempts cooperative promotion, looks only at net price) that allows Wal-Mart to continue getting better terms from its suppliers.
Dec 13th, 2006, 04:37 AM
#54
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>> Actually, in the France, there has been a new tax whose application just began less than 2 months ago <<
It's the transposition of a EU directive, and France is sadly not among the first countries to enforce it.
It's the transposition of a EU directive, and France is sadly not among the first countries to enforce it.
Dec 13th, 2006, 07:05 AM
#56
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This has been a very interesing and informative thread - finding out how other countries handle their waste like plastic & glass.
Well, down here in Africa we have only just begun.
About 4 or 5 years ago the government supposedly passed a law that no retailer was allowed to put any goods into a plastic bag that was not of a certain 'thickness' - Their theory was that the light thin plastic blows around in the wind travelling far and wide. In the rural areas the cattle were munching through the garbage and ingesting the plastic ( and still are).
We are allowed to purchase a thick-type plastic bag with handles at supermarkets for groceries ( all bagged for you by the assitant at the end of the counter), OR you can bring your own bag made of anything you like.
Funny thing though - all the fabric, habberdashery, clothing, chemist shops, etc. etc., still give free little thin bags and no one gives a hoot. There is no "Plastic Police" checking up on you.
I have kept seperate bins for glass & cans, Veg peelings (compost) & regular garbage for years.
You have to be prepared to take the glass to a depot and also the cans.
Even if you seperate them and leave them for the garbage man he will throw them all together into the truck that mashes it all up so there's no point doing that!
The majority of the population have never heard the word 'recycle' and don't have the means to do it anyway.
Needless to say we are always knee deep in litter.
Well, down here in Africa we have only just begun.
About 4 or 5 years ago the government supposedly passed a law that no retailer was allowed to put any goods into a plastic bag that was not of a certain 'thickness' - Their theory was that the light thin plastic blows around in the wind travelling far and wide. In the rural areas the cattle were munching through the garbage and ingesting the plastic ( and still are).
We are allowed to purchase a thick-type plastic bag with handles at supermarkets for groceries ( all bagged for you by the assitant at the end of the counter), OR you can bring your own bag made of anything you like.
Funny thing though - all the fabric, habberdashery, clothing, chemist shops, etc. etc., still give free little thin bags and no one gives a hoot. There is no "Plastic Police" checking up on you.
I have kept seperate bins for glass & cans, Veg peelings (compost) & regular garbage for years.
You have to be prepared to take the glass to a depot and also the cans.
Even if you seperate them and leave them for the garbage man he will throw them all together into the truck that mashes it all up so there's no point doing that!
The majority of the population have never heard the word 'recycle' and don't have the means to do it anyway.
Needless to say we are always knee deep in litter.
Dec 15th, 2006, 01:32 PM
#57
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Logos99 wrote:
"Not really, it's a socialist achievment. Why would any citoyen be forced to do degrading work like bagging other peoples stuff. It's like at MCDonalds in Germany where you are expected to empty and bring your tray back afterwards."
However,in most Latin American countries ( and I suspect throughout the so-called "developing world"
to do your own bagging as bus-boying is not a "socialist" act at all. You will be cutting down on jobs, by making it unecessary for the supermarket owners to employ baggers, and fast-food restaurants bus-boys. Actually, any union worker will tell you precisely that!
"Not really, it's a socialist achievment. Why would any citoyen be forced to do degrading work like bagging other peoples stuff. It's like at MCDonalds in Germany where you are expected to empty and bring your tray back afterwards."
However,in most Latin American countries ( and I suspect throughout the so-called "developing world"
to do your own bagging as bus-boying is not a "socialist" act at all. You will be cutting down on jobs, by making it unecessary for the supermarket owners to employ baggers, and fast-food restaurants bus-boys. Actually, any union worker will tell you precisely that!
Dec 15th, 2006, 03:28 PM
#58
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surprisingly to me, when i visited my parents in cincinnati and wanted to RE-USE a number of their plastic bags at the local Kroger store, i was not allowed to.
it seems there is a health code that prohibits any bag coming into the store and being used with foodstuffs that is not direct from the manufacturer.
so they had to spend energy to recycle my plastic bags and give me new ones when i checked out. very wasteful.. and also worrisome that bringing my own bags to store could cause a problem IMHO.
it seems there is a health code that prohibits any bag coming into the store and being used with foodstuffs that is not direct from the manufacturer.
so they had to spend energy to recycle my plastic bags and give me new ones when i checked out. very wasteful.. and also worrisome that bringing my own bags to store could cause a problem IMHO.
Dec 15th, 2006, 06:34 PM
#59
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For those of you who re-use plastic bags for using in garbage bins at home should consider buying biodegradable plastic bags for the trash and stop taking platic bags from grocery stores. These are very reasonabaly priced and availbale even here at the grocery stores in Hong Kong (where most people do not recylce)so I suppose they should be available in most places.
