Life without plastic bags?

[miketsp]

I was reading in today's newspaper about the town of Huskisson in Jervis Bay, Australia that banned the use of plastic bags.
I checked on Google and found a lot of articles, ex
http://www.prodivejervisbay.com.au/Newsletter/April2004/plasticBags.htm

When I go diving, I use a lot of plastic bags to keep things dry, like towels & clothes etc.
Plus dozens of small plastic bags for o-rings & other odds & ends. Then I use other bags to take wet stuff home after the dive.
I was just trying to imagine what life would be like without plastic bags.
How did people ever manage? :11:

 

[Rick Inman]

I was reading in today's newspaper about the town of Huskisson in Jervis Bay, Australia that banned the use of plastic bags.
I checked on Google and found a lot of articles, ex
http://www.prodivejervisbay.com.au/Newsletter/April2004/plasticBags.htm

When I go diving, I use a lot of plastic bags to keep things dry, like towels & clothes etc.
Plus dozens of small plastic bags for o-rings & other odds & ends. Then I use other bags to take wet stuff home after the dive.
I was just trying to imagine what life would be like without plastic bags.
How did people ever manage? :11:

When the rubber cement leaked out all over my spare hoses, I put it in a plastic bag. When the spare batteries got wet and stained the top of my mask, I started putting them in a plastic bag. It seems like I've got little plastic bags of stuff all over the place.

 

[geraldp]

I was just trying to imagine what life would be like without plastic bags.
How did people ever manage? :11:

Remember when we used to get our lunch sandwiches in wax paper bags? Definetely not waterproof.

Jerry

 

[Scubaroo]

You guys have never seen a plastic bag floating in the ocean? Turtles think they're jellyfish and choke on them, whales injest them, they smother marine life - they're bad news in the environment. Our local shopping strip in a suburb of Melbourne has just done the same, and you can now either buy a reusable calico bag for your groceries, or get the old brown paper bags instead. I think it's brilliant. I read the other day that something like 6 BILLION plastic bags get used in Australia each year, and we only have 20 million residents - that's 300 bags per person per year. Think of how many bags are being produced globally.

Now we just need to hoard them so we've got something to put the doggy doo in when we walk the dog

 

[miketsp]

You guys have never seen a plastic bag floating in the ocean? Turtles think they're jellyfish and choke on them, whales injest them, they smother marine life - they're bad news in the environment. Our local shopping strip in a suburb of Melbourne has just done the same, and you can now either buy a reusable calico bag for your groceries, or get the old brown paper bags instead. I think it's brilliant. I read the other day that something like 6 BILLION plastic bags get used in Australia each year, and we only have 20 million residents - that's 300 bags per person per year. Think of how many bags are being produced globally.

Now we just need to hoard them so we've got something to put the doggy doo in when we walk the dog

I'm not saying I don't think it's a good idea, but your figures speak for themselves. They're a way of life. When I grew up they didn't exist. Now they're a convenience that everybody takes for granted.
If I didn't have plastic bags available I would really have to rethink a lot of habits.

 

[Rick Inman]

You guys have never seen a plastic bag floating in the ocean? Turtles think they're jellyfish and choke on them, whales injest them, they smother marine life - they're bad news in the environment. Our local shopping strip in a suburb of Melbourne has just done the same, and you can now either buy a reusable calico bag for your groceries, or get the old brown paper bags instead. I think it's brilliant. I read the other day that something like 6 BILLION plastic bags get used in Australia each year, and we only have 20 million residents - that's 300 bags per person per year. Think of how many bags are being produced globally.

How many man made things fit the category, there are a lot of them and if the animals eat them they can die? I guess we should just destroy it all and go back to living naked in the garden...

 

[Wristshot]

My garden has rose bushes. No naked-ness in there!

I use zip-lock (or equivalent) bags for tons of stuff, but I reuse most of them over and over. I understand the dangers of plastic bags for the environment, but I try real hard to not let them loose on the world. After they pick up the trasgh (and recycling) from my bins, I have no control.

For years I have torn other people's plastic 6-pack holders into pieces whenever I see them. If we all do our part, and set good examples. . . . I guess I am half a tree hugger.

In my area in California the plastic grocery bags are biodegradable.

Wristshot

 

[Scubaroo]

I'm genuinely surprised that on ScubaBoard there isn't more support for something that could improve the marine environment so easily. Reusable or recyclable bags (not just biodegradable) are such an easily implemented environmentally friendly alternative.

There's no need to rethink plastic bag reuse "habits" - plastic bags are unfortunately here to stay, but if the number of them in the environment can be reduced, and the remaining bags replaced with biodegradable bags - which are not in use everywhere.

 

[Nay]

Are we talking plastic grocery bags or all plastic bags? That's a big difference. If it's just plastic grocery bags, this is something totally doable and just requires some adjusting, all plastic bags on the other hand is be another story all together.
I've always admired Australia for it's progressive environmental practices.
I didn't know our grocery bags were biodegradable... learn something new every day.

 

[Scubaroo]

Plastic grocery bags.

I've always admired Australia for it's progressive environmental practices.

Sadly, this is a bit of a misconception. Our government won't even sign up to the Kyoto protocol.