No more bags

[EdmondD]

When the county I lived in instituted a 5-cent charge for plastic bags, people predictably went nuts. I'd see people risk balancing several dollars worth of breakable stuff in their hands on the way through the parking lot rather than spend five cents to carry it safely in a bag. But several years later, no one really bats an eye about it.

I don't really care why Disney is doing this, but the notion that a company that contributes an incalculably large amount of carbon emissions to the world is trying to be eco-friendly really makes me chuckle. To offset one single seven-day cruise sailing would take, what? A million recycled bags? One Avengers movie shoot another ten million?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

When the county I lived in instituted a 5-cent charge for plastic bags, people predictably went nuts. I'd see people risk balancing several dollars worth of breakable stuff in their hands on the way through the parking lot rather than spend five cents to carry it safely in a bag. But several years later, no one really bats an eye about it.

Interesting how people react to the "carrot" vs the "stick" in this situation. Our local grocery store used to take 10 cents off for every reusable bag you brought as a way to try to promote people brining reusable bags (and, of course, promote the sale of reusable bags). After about 2 years they stopped doing it because the found at that point those that would bring reusable bags would do so even without the "reward" and those that wouldn't just wouldn't - so they still have tons of plastic bags available for those that don't bring resuable bags

But in areas where there is a charge, even a small one, for plastic bags, it seems to have a longer lasting effect

I don't really care why Disney is doing this, but the notion that a company that contributes an incalculably large amount of carbon emissions to the world is trying to be eco-friendly really makes me chuckle. To offset one single seven-day cruise sailing would take, what? A million recycled bags? One Avengers movie shoot another ten million?

I get that, but I also don't get people that feel like if it is only a small benefit then what's the point - that if they aren't going to 100% change their ways, why bother? Even if it is a small benefit, it is still a benefit ... progress doesn't mean taking all the steps, just taking at least one in the proper direction.[/QUOTE]

 

[EdmondD]

I get that, but I also don't get people that feel like if it is only a small benefit then what's the point - that if they aren't going to 100% change their ways, why bother? Even if it is a small benefit, it is still a benefit ... progress doesn't mean taking all the steps, just taking at least one in the proper direction.

Because, I'd say, the progress is to infinitesimal it literally doesn't make a difference. It's the proverbial grain of sand - If I said, "We need to clear this beach of sand," and then carried out a single grain, what's the point?

Don't get me wrong - I recycle, drive a plug-in hybrid, and live in a relatively small home. But I fly tens of thousands of miles a year, take cruises, summon products from China with a click of a button on Amazon several times a month, crank the A/C, etc. My recycled bottles of water might make me feel good, but I shouldn't be confused into thinking I'm making any difference.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Because, I'd say, the progress is to infinitesimal it literally doesn't make a difference. It's the proverbial grain of sand - If I said, "We need to clear this beach of sand," and then carried out a single grain, what's the point?

Don't get me wrong - I recycle, drive a plug-in hybrid, and live in a relatively small home. But I fly tens of thousands of miles a year, take cruises, summon products from China with a click of a button on Amazon several times a month, crank the A/C, etc. My recycled bottles of water might make me feel good, but I shouldn't be confused into thinking I'm making any difference.

But if a million people take a grain of sand, that might be noticeable ... I know it isn't fixing things but I don't get the whole "well, it isn't everything so let's not do anything". And things like straws, even beyond the actual plastic are bad as animals can get stuck in them so removing them is worth more than the actual weight of any plastic removed.

Why bother recycling at all if it makes zero difference?

 

[EdmondD]

Why bother recycling at all if it makes zero difference?

Cause my wife really wants me to and I realized a long time ago it wasn't a battle worth fighting.

 

[detgadget]

they should also get rid of all the buses then and make everyone walk

 

[WDW_Ding]

I don't really care why Disney is doing this, but the notion that a company that contributes an incalculably large amount of carbon emissions to the world is trying to be eco-friendly really makes me chuckle. To offset one single seven-day cruise sailing would take, what? A million recycled bags? One Avengers movie shoot another ten million?

This is the sort of nihilistic attitude that really bothers me. Why try, right?

Anyway, a million recycled bags? Seems achievable to me...or, how about we just prevent a couple million bags from even being made...then we don't even have to recycle them.

For what it's worth, it is difficult to recycle plastic bags. Many local (curb side) recycling companies won't even do it. That is why you see those collection points outside of grocery stores. I always get paper bags when I go to the grocery store. You can easily recycle those or if you don't, at least they will biodegrade.

 

[EdmondD]

This is the sort of nihilistic attitude that really bothers me.

The sort of attitude that bothers me (and I am not suggesting this is the attitude you have) is people who live ridiculously carbon-heavy lives and then act all sanctimonious over something like recycling newspapers. Their conscious is assuaged by something meaningless like recycling their newspapers and water bottles. It relieves them of doing anything significant.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I always get paper bags when I go to the grocery store.

You can still get paper bags? I haven't had the choice in years.

 

[WDW_Ding]

You can still get paper bags? I haven't had the choice in years.

In my town, I have 3 large grocery stores (also Wal-Mart, Target, and Aldi). At 2 of the 3 I can get paper bags.

Wal-Mart and Target don't have paper bags. Aldi doesn't use bags at all, although I think you can buy paper (or plastic) bags to use.

 

[4leobeans]

Forgive me if I missed a post about this already, but my local Disney store said that beginning this week they will no longer have bags. I was told to either bring a reusable bag when I shop or I can purchase one at checkout (.99 I think). The reason given was that they are "going green." I'm all for green initiatives, but this one seems pretty odd to me.

lol going " green "

I'm not carrying around reusable bags with me everywhere I go, just incase I decide to go shopping

If you're not going to give me a bag to carry all the stuff I was going to buy from you, then I won't buy from you.. Simple as that

If there are people who love to carry around reusable bags, then heres to you, but don't force it upon me

I'm not sure why it seems "odd". Is it because it's Disney, or that you're not used to seeing reusable bags?

Okay. Now I'm reading the comments on here....it appears that reusable shopping bags are not as commonly used in the US?

Single use plastic bags are terrible for the environment. There is a huge movement to reduce single-use plastics going on now - plastic straws, bags, water bottles....billions of these things are thrown away daily in North America, and NOT recycled.

It's not surprising Disney is getting rid of their bags, its surprising they still have them! The last time I was at a Disney store, they had Mickey head cloth bags available.

Many stores in Canada don't provide bags anymore. For several years (and there are still many that do), stores charged $0.05 for every bag you get. However, that's not much of a dissuasion, so now several have taken the next steps, and don't even provide them. There are several towns/cities in Canada that have banned plastic bags....like you literally cannot get them in entire cities.

Many people carry cloth grocery bags in their cars. If walking, I have a fold up one that clips onto my purse

 

[Smittolis]

New research showing unforeseen issues with plastics giving off damaging gases......

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45043989

 

[Tinkerbell58]

IDK. If I have to provide my own bag, they should give me five cents back just like Target does. It should work both ways. Either I pay you or you pay me for a bag.

 

[Farro]

Niiiicccceeee......

 

[Ms.Minnie]

Does anyone know if they are giving bags for purchases made at the parks or at Disney Springs?

I thought the reason we stopped using paper bags was because we were cutting down too many trees, has that changed???

Why don't the powers that be just make it the law that all plastic bags need to made so they are biodegradable?

 

[tarak]

I'm not sure why it seems "odd". Is it because it's Disney, or that you're not used to seeing reusable bags?

Okay. Now I'm reading the comments on here....it appears that reusable shopping bags are not as commonly used in the US?

Single use plastic bags are terrible for the environment. There is a huge movement to reduce single-use plastics going on now - plastic straws, bags, water bottles....billions of these things are thrown away daily in North America, and NOT recycled.

It's not surprising Disney is getting rid of their bags, its surprising they still have them! The last time I was at a Disney store, they had Mickey head cloth bags available.

Many stores in Canada don't provide bags anymore. For several years (and there are still many that do), stores charged $0.05 for every bag you get. However, that's not much of a dissuasion, so now several have taken the next steps, and don't even provide them. There are several towns/cities in Canada that have banned plastic bags....like you literally cannot get them in entire cities.

Many people carry cloth grocery bags in their cars. If walking, I have a fold up one that clips onto my purse

I live in Pennsylvania and you can get reusable bags everywhere, particularly at the grocery store. I prefer to use cloth tote bags because I can wash them. I always use them for grocery shopping and when I go to the mall. If I haven’t brought in enough bags to the grocery, I ask for paper. I avoid the mall like the plague and do 99% of that sort of shopping online, so it’s rare that I forget to bring a bag with me. As far as I can tell, people don’t use the reusable bags because they can’t be bothered, not due to unavailability.

As for why plastics aren’t more regulated in the US, just google plastics lobby. I’ll leave it at that because I’m not trying to start a political debate.

 

[Redcon1]

In my town, I have 3 large grocery stores (also Wal-Mart, Target, and Aldi). At 2 of the 3 I can get paper bags.

Wal-Mart and Target don't have paper bags. Aldi doesn't use bags at all, although I think you can buy paper (or plastic) bags to use.

I always use Aldi's discarded product boxes. Besides easy to get, depending on their size, I only have to load two or three of them for my weekly groceries instead of a half-dozen or more of the plastic bags.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

As for why plastics aren’t more regulated in the US, just google plastics lobby. I’ll leave it at that because I’m not trying to start a political debate.

Not trying to be political but if states and countries can outlaw the use of plastic bags altogether I would guess they could make it the law that the only plastic bags that can be used have to be biodegradable.

I guess no one knows if WDW is giving bags when you make a purchase or have items sent back to your room...I won't be back to WDW until Jan, I guess I will find out at that time...

 

[WDW_Ding]

Regarding "biodegradable" plastic bags:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2009/jun/18/greenwash-biodegradeable-plastic-bags

 

[TeresaNJ]

lol going " green "

I'm not carrying around reusable bags with me everywhere I go, just incase I decide to go shopping

If you're not going to give me a bag to carry all the stuff I was going to buy from you, then I won't buy from you.. Simple as that

If there are people who love to carry around reusable bags, then heres to you, but don't force it upon me

Ditto!