2049 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

sea turtle does not even know how to use a straw properly (unless it's doing cocaine with it).

 

https://www.chicagot...0618-story.html

 

 

The anti-straw movement took off in 2015, after a video of a sea turtle with a straw stuck in its nose went viral. Campaigns soon followed, with activists often citing studies of the growing ocean plastics problem. Intense media interest in the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch — a floating, France-sized gyre of oceanic plastic — only heightened the concern.

 

But this well-intentioned campaign assumes that single-use plastics, such as straws and coffee stirrers, have much to do with ocean pollution. And that assumption is based on some highly dubious data. Activists and news media often claim that Americans use 500 million plastic straws per day, for example, which sounds awful. But the source of this figure turns out to be a survey conducted by a 9-year-old. Similarly, two Australian scientists estimate that there are up to 8.3 billion plastic straws scattered on global coastlines. Yet even if all those straws were suddenly washed into the sea, they’d account for about 0.03 percent of the 8 million metric tons of plastics estimated to enter the oceans in a given year.

 

 

 

A recent survey by scientists affiliated with Ocean Cleanup, a group developing technologies to reduce ocean plastic, offers one answer. Using surface samples and aerial surveys, the group determined that at least 46 percent of the plastic in the garbage patch by weight comes from a single product: fishing nets. Other fishing gear makes up a good chunk of the rest.

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 April 2019 - 05:56 PM.

[DustMagnet]

You think sea turtles can tell the difference?

 

I think they can, put they aren't posting here.  As far as we know...

[DustMagnet]

^actually since there are proposals on the radar to ban straws, cutlery, etc...

All the more reason to change the title then?

[Mike K.]

It looks as though Sooke will be implementing a plastic bag ban starting January 1st, 2020.

 

As part of the bylaw, paper bags will be available at businesses for $0.15 and reusable bags for $1.

[FogPub]

Annoying though it may be, I get the rationale for getting rid of plastic bags; but for the life of me as a consumer I see no reason at all for enforced charges for non-polluting recyclable paper bags which could themselves be made from recycled paper.

 

It's just extra profit for the business selling the bags, as they get to keep that money and paper bags are dirt cheap...which is probably the reasoning they used to get the businesses onside in the first place.

[spanky123]

Annoying though it may be, I get the rationale for getting rid of plastic bags; but for the life of me as a consumer I see no reason at all for enforced charges for non-polluting recyclable paper bags which could themselves be made from recycled paper.

 

It's just extra profit for the business selling the bags, as they get to keep that money and paper bags are dirt cheap...which is probably the reasoning they used to get the businesses onside in the first place.

 

The "official" explanation from the City is that paper bags and recyclable bags are more harmful to the environment then plastic bags so their use must be discouraged. Setting a high price discourages their use.

[FogPub]

Er...how can a paper bag be more harmful to the environment than a plastic bag? 

 

Not in production, surely - plastic is (often) oil-based, paper is wood-based; trees are renewable, oil isn't. 

 

And certainly not in disposal - plastic doesn't break down other than into smaller bits of plastic; paper can be recycled and failing that it breaks down just fine.

[Midnightly]

Er...how can a paper bag be more harmful to the environment than a plastic bag? 

 

Not in production, surely - plastic is (often) oil-based, paper is wood-based; trees are renewable, oil isn't. 

 

And certainly not in disposal - plastic doesn't break down other than into smaller bits of plastic; paper can be recycled and failing that it breaks down just fine.

 

 

paper bags take more energy to produce vrs plastic, trees might be renewable but it takes a long time to grow a tree.. even if you are using recycled paper the processing to recycle the paper takes energy, there's also the cost of shipping the bags paper bags tend to be much heavier then plastic bags and take up more space then plastic so again more carbon output in transporting the bags, they do make plastic out of renewable resources such as corn, that do breakdown over time

[vortoozo]

The enforced charges are a method of ensuring people get in the habit of bringing reusable bags.

[Nparker]

Of course, whether those "enforced charges" have any measurable environmental benefit is less important than controlling people's behaviour.

[sebberry]

The enforced charges are a method of ensuring people get in the habit of bringing reusable bags.

 

I'm not a fan of carrying around a big reusable canvas bag with me every time I go out for a walk on the off chance I'll remember I need some cream and eggs for the morning.

 

My trips by car to the store have risen significantly since the bag ban. 

[DustMagnet]

I'm not a fan of carrying around a big reusable canvas bag with me every time I go out for a walk on the off chance I'll remember I need some cream and eggs for the morning.

 

My trips by car to the store have risen significantly since the bag ban. 

 

How about those ones that fold down to a pocket square and even have a clip for attaching to things (a belt loop)?  Those would be plenty strong enough to hold cream and eggs.

 

I know that doesn't get the plastic bags back, but it might be a way forward without needing the car.

[todd]

I'm not a fan of carrying around a big reusable canvas bag with me every time I go out for a walk on the off chance I'll remember I need some cream and eggs for the morning.
 
My trips by car to the store have risen significantly since the bag ban.

And now my bags are even heavier with the plastic bags I have to purchase for the trash receptacles and whatnot.

[Kikadee]

I remember the first time our local grocery store clerk asked my mom if she’d prefer paper or plastic bags—this was, like, 40 years ago only—so If you’re old enough to have done it before, you can do it again, I promise.

[vortoozo]

paper bags take more energy to produce vrs plastic, trees might be renewable but it takes a long time to grow a tree.. even if you are using recycled paper the processing to recycle the paper takes energy, there's also the cost of shipping the bags paper bags tend to be much heavier then plastic bags and take up more space then plastic so again more carbon output in transporting the bags, they do make plastic out of renewable resources such as corn, that do breakdown over time

 

Paper bags do take a lot of energy to produce. That's why the city has imposed a mandatory charge. Bring your own reusable bag!

 

There's basically no market to recycle soft plastic. PEI recycling companies have been burning soft plastics because they don't have anywhere to send it. Plastic is also burned in Burnaby. Plastic bags *have* been turning up on beaches in Canada & on the Island - https://www.cheknews...beaches-389937/ for example, or https://www.shorelinecleanup.ca/impact-visualized-data

 

Plastic bags are convenient, no question. People don't like convenience being taken away. Luckily, the bag ban has a really easy solution that takes a bit of getting used to, but once adapted has minimal effect on day to day live for most of us.

 

I used to get my groceries bagged in plastic. Once home the bags would get put in a drawer and sit there until the drawer got full. Occasionally I would grab a bag for garbage or another use. But ultimately I ended up either tossing most of them or bringing them to be "recycled". That's not sustainable. Now, I remember to keep some bags in the car. If I'm in a store and have forgotten them, I'm more willing to juggle a few items without a bag than I used to be. This is the type of behaviour change that the ban targeted, and I now use probably 20% of the amount of new bags that I used to. I do the same when I'm shopping outside of Victoria, too, because I'm now in that habit. I can't be the only one that has reduced my use. Even if a quarter of Victoria residents have adopted similar habits (and it's likely way more), that's had a huge impact on the new paper/plastic material being used in the city. And it's had absolutely no negative impact on my quality of life.

[Nparker]

Do you see the irony of your statement "I keep some bags in my car"?

[mbjj]

I don't have a problem carrying reusable bags to the grocery store, but it's for the other purchases that one may make spontaneously that is the problem. Once as I was walking around downtown, I saw a sale on something I was planning on buying at some point and when I saw the price I couldn't resist as it was a necessity. They had no paper bag large enough for it, whether I'd been willing to be forced into paying for it or not,  so I had to carry it out in the pouring rain. Even if I'd had a grocery bag magically attached to me it would have been too small. On the reverse side, I've been to three businesses downtown that provided a bag free of charge with my purchase, lol.

[Nparker]

...I've been to three businesses downtown that provided a bag free of charge with my purchase..

OMG! Haven't they heard about the    CLIMATE EMERGENCY!!!   

[vortoozo]

Do you see the irony of your statement "I keep some bags in my car"?

 

No, because they're not mutually exclusive.

[Nparker]

I don't own a vehicle and walk to make most of my purchases. My carbon footprint is far smaller than those who drive and keep reusable bags in their car. It's just that simple. And yeah I am going to be smug about this.