I noticed that the Coles catalogue states that free plastic bags will end by 1 July and that you can now buy the 80% recycled ones for 15 cents. Will you be stockpiling the free plastic bags before 1 July?
Supermarket Plastic Bags
Lcapslock on 16/03/2018 - 13:22
Comments
a lot of people, surprisingly, buy liners. I thought they were just riches who cbf with small bags, but i've met pensioners buying liners.
Some liners provide privacy for the things you're disposing of, compared to shopping bags that can reveal everything..
I never thought of that, I mean, I just throw stuff straight into the bin, never considered that!
They actually sell a product for that…
Coles and Woolies are going to save a truckload of money!
Published reports claim Australians use approx 5 billion plastic shopping bags per year, with each bag costing some 3c.That is some $150 million per year they will save by not providing bags.
If they were so genuine in not providing the bags for the sake of the environment, then they would/should donate the money saved back to worthy causes.
Yeh, I know, a snowball chance in hell of that happening.
3c wtf? it doesnt cost that much.
When my parents had a fruit store 10 years ago it was cheaper than 3c.
they would probably save 10% of ur figure my guess is, given their buying power
Read it and weep (and eat humble pie?)……………
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-18/ditching-plastic-bags-…
They should at least give free bags with can and bottle drink purchases in nsw.
I mean i am paying around 15-20% more for the right to not recycle.Although i have saved up around 30 cans and bottles.
Now im considering the environmental (and real) cost of driving them to the collection depo vs throwing them in the normal bin.I will continue using my string bags that I have been using for many years.It drives me mad seeing people waste plastic bags and see them getting thrown into the land fill.My biggest bug bear at the supermarkets is watching people put bananas in plastic bags. They don't need it.I bring my own fruit and vegetable bags to the shops and even then don't put the bananas in bags.
Does it drive you mad when people reuse plastic bags as bin liners or food coverings before throwing them away to the landfill? Those single use plastic bags that are being used again before disposal are getting a lot more use per energy invested than if someone needed to replace them with bin liners or glad wrap that will only get a single use before being thrown away.
It should make you mad that now I'll have to purchase bin liners and glad wrap, so buying more plastic at a greater cost and actually worse for the environment than I was before.
I said it drives me mad to see bags been wasted.People taking bags unnessesarily from the supermarkets and not resuing them or needing them particularily the small fruit bags.
How do you know what they do with them when they get home? Sounds a bit creepy.
bananas
Why are you buying bananas if you’re so environmentally conscious? The bananas that you don’t bag are trucked to Perth from more than 3000kms away from either northern wa, the nt or as far as qld. The carbon footprint from your consumption of these bananas are greater than the one plastic bag that it’s used to carry them from the shop.
If I was to stop purchasing things that were only made it WA i would either starve or end up paying a fortune for local stuff.
You’re absolutely right that it will cost you more. Just like a ban on plastic bags will cost other consumers more. Hdpe bags are sold by the tonne. Fob is less than $0.01 pce. Coles will now start to sell them for $0.15 pce.
As distinct from the bags shipped from China?
What drives me mad are the likes of you pushing your ideologies onto the rest of us.
If you are a vegan transvestite great do whatever makes you happy. The rest of us do not spend our shopping journeys fuming at others as we have a mortgage, bills and children to worry about.
All of those things are your own doing though.
It is going to happen whether you like it or not.So just be a good lad and either remember to bring your own bags or buy the 15c ones. Since you are on Ozbargain it is a no brainer.Its not really that difficult.
Yes, can't agree more. It drives me mad too when the likes of "them" push ideology like "coal is good for humanity" on us folks simply trying to carve out a meagre existence in such a harsh reality while thinking about the future well being of our children and the bills they will have to pay.
Oh God, No.
I don't want to become that low.
What is this "God" thing you speak of?
http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/~/media/EPA/Corporate%20Site/resou…
Australia wide, lightweight plastic shopping bags make up around 1.6% of litter based on the number of items.
Maybe we can genetically modify certain items to have their own organic casing instead of plastic? We just need some magic scientists to find an organic replacement for plastic. I heard there is already some magic replacement for the plastic coating with this product.
P.S. "Definitely our mistake. These have been pulled. We hear you, and we will leave them in their natural packaging: the peel." Them peoples have the smarts, right?
plastic coating with this product.
Limonene may have a strong smell. Sitting next to someone on pubic transport while they peel an orange can be uncomfortable.
Let me preface my comment, I am a "lefty social media echo chamber misanthropic environmentalist". Not sure if I'm slack, but I would like to provide some research on this topic.
- Plastic bags as bin liners
A lot of people have mentioned they are reusers of plastic bags as bin liners, I do the same. While it is excellent to reuse them, most plastic bags will only have up to three uses before they become too weak to reuse. Plus, it's about time we started paying for bin liners, they're not expensive. Here's 1000 bags for $24 (shipping not included)
Many major supermarkets in China started charging for plastic bags years ago.
- Reusable bags are not always more environmentally friendly
For the most part, this is true! Many reusable bags are made from a plastic (polypropylene) fabric, don't buy these they are worse than regular plastic bags!! Although some bags will take 100 uses to break even with the manufacturing cost, cotton bags biodegrade quickly. Other alternatives: don't use a bag (use your arms or a trolley), repurpose old shirts into a bag, use a backpack, consider a paper bag or boxes. One cloth bag will still be able to carry more than a plastic bag.
Cotton bags are 100% biodegradable and generally biodegrades in under a year, plastic bags take a millenium to biodegrade.
- Companies make much more pollution than us!
100% true. But that doesn't give us a free pass to ignore our own impacts to the environment, every little bit counts.
- Packaging and other forms of plastic are much more wasteful
Absolutely stupid why we need to wrap packaging in packaging. This is another thing we really need to start tackling. Forgoing pre-packaged food like the sweet potatoes in a tray wrapped in plastic will send demand signals to producers that this is some stupid shit.
Final word: I think supermarkets should at least have the option to charge for plastic bags. Also, save the environment! Reduce, reuse recycle in that order :) Thanks for reading.
Why is it "about time we started paying for plastic bags as bin liners" ? I reuse my shopping bags, and reuse is much more efficient and environmentally friendly than recycling, as the recycling process itself has a significant carbon footprint.
You are right and I agree. That's why I think supermarkets should charge for the bags instead of outright removing them.
And you can still buy your own plastic bags to take them shopping, then reuse them as bin liners.
If we pay for things, we become more aware of the price and tend to use them more carefully. Many people just frivolously throw away their plastic bags after shopping.
Are you seriously suggesting you go and buy a roll of plastic bags from Coles, and then use them to put your shopping in?
The 15 cent bags they sell are not suitable for bins so I hope that wasn't your suggestion.
@samfisher5986: please refer to my link to the plastic bags in the original post.
And yes I'm seriously saying that. If you still want the supermarket bags as bin liners you can use them as shopping bags first before you use them as bin liners.
Many people use the bags they provide at check out as bin liners.
Don't forget Cash Rewards
Just scan them as a carrot, when they bring this BS in
Why would you need 200 plastic bags? You could buy 8 reusable cotton bags for the same price. I've had mine for ten years. Win-Win.
As an ozbargainer in SA, there is a positive - less impulse shopping.
Couldn’t count the number of times I’ve been in supermarket, forgotten to bring in bags from car and therefore have to put impulse purchases back on the shelf because can’t carry them out without a bag.
Sure I’ve saved a lot on only picking up milk and bread and not all the other items I see when in the supermarket
Buy shares in McPhersons Pty Ltd - they manufacture the Multix brand of bin liners etc etc. They gotta be on a winner.
It is just another excuse for supermarkets to save costs while charging customers for it. By discouraging people and use the environment as a reason to not giving out plastic bags…..people will just buy them off shelves. Profit goes to bin liners manufacturers.
I say the over packaging like fruits is too much and more waste than plastics bags
I really don't care. Sure it is a bit inconvenient but not by much, you should generally know when you're going to go grocery shopping, and if it's an impulse buy it won't be more than you can carry yourself, or there's the option of the 15c bags. I bought one of the Woolworths ones because it looks better than the boring white Coles ones and it's fine, just keep it in the car. Planning on buying a real nice waxed canvas grocery bag (or two) to keep in the car and use for many years to come!
I'd be really curious how store security would react if:
Buy a number of items without purchasing a bag so you're holding the items in your hands
Realise that you forgot something and head back into the supermarket with all your items in hand (and receipt)
The item you forgot isn't available inside
Walk out with all your original items in hand and its receipt.
Would security check each item? Would they be more/less suspicious depending on dress/appearance?
Im curious because I've heard of a scam where people pick up receipts off the ground outside and use those receipts as a shopping list inside the shop, then claiming that they've already purchased those items and "here's the receipt". It'll be very difficult to prove one way or another without the time consuming process of obtaining video footage. I can easily see that happening here.
how does removing plastic bags make that scam any harder or easier?
It's the perception that counts.
Someone just walking out of the supermarket with a number of items in their hands vs someone walking out with the items in a plastic bag issued by the supermarket themselves.
Which one looks more suss?
I leave stores quiet often with no bags and have never been stopped.I just make sure I keep my receipt in my hand particularly if I am leaving Myers with new clothes, bed linen etc.
ignore - duplicate comment
They're not going to be stopping everyone. Walking out with items in your hand would only be one factor in whether or not they try to stop you. Things like the way you dress, your body language, walking speed or come into play when security makes an assessment.
Coles and Woolies are just happy to save on the plastic bag costs.
And charge us 15 cents, for what probably costs them half a cent.
they really aren't going to like the extra labour costs. the current system is streamlined. once each little old lady hands over a hand full of crumpled up disposable bags the checkout staff are going to want the old system back. they already try to double bag my 3lt milk unless i remember to tell them not to bother with a bag at all. once they cant trust the integrity of the bags they are given they'll be triple bagging.
I started working at a major supermarket 6 months ago. I'm all for the environment but whenever anyone brings their own bags green or crumpled up plastic I die a little inside. Everything slows down and honestly you don't know what you are going to find when you open them.
Food for thought (no pun intended):
Bunnings was the first retailer to remove bags from stores nationwide in 2008.
As of January this year they have stopped buying balloons for all stores. The current stock will last till the end of the calendar year.FYI, they tried limiting the environmental impact by balloons by attaching to sticks and limiting to outdoor use but was unable to manage the disposal of them once they had left the store.
as a side note, I watched Blue Planet II and they had a very upsetting segment on the impact plastic bags has on our ocean. Recommend all to watch
they have stopped buying balloons
No shopping bags. No balloons. No plastic bottles. Where will this stop? Things that makes life convenient is slowly being taken away.
Meat is next, as are all non electric vehicles.
Washing out a reusable bottle is not a huge inconvenience I do not think you are that lazy.
It’s not about being lazy. It’s about convenience and taste. A coke served in a paper cup doesn’t taste as good as a cold one in a can or bottle. The good old glass bottles were the best.
bit silly as I will now have to go and buy bin liners
Hmm. Have you tried a week without using any bags and just tipping the rubbish into the red bin?
Maybe you should give it a go, it might be more helpful in the long term as there might be a tax introduced on bin liners and other plastic bags. This will 100% happen over time as is the case overseas.
I made the switch to no bags and it doesn't seem that bad. Although, I would take plastic bags if they were free anyday and if the social norm hadn't changed. My street also doesn't like to use plastic bags so you kind of get shunned if you aren't an environmentalist. A lot of bin snoops in my area too. I got shunned for putting a freaking dead computer PSU into the red bin.
That's how crazy the environmental movement has become.
You don't want to be seen as the rich guy who uses plastic bags… F- my neighbours sometimes.
Your bins probably have their own environment going on inside them. Whoah… what if our universe is just the inside of some higher dimensional existence’s rubbish bin? If so they may have similar values as I don’t recall reading about plastic nebulas.
Wait, you just throw old meat and food in the red bin?
Your house must smell like a garbage dump.
Water apparently is more environmentally friendly.
Anyway, my whole street has been doing this for months.
The smell isn't that bad at all, especially if you keep the lid closed. In fact sealing it inside a plastic bag and putting it in the red bin has an almost negligible change in the smell because there is always a gap in the plastic bag or occasion when the fish scales cut the bin plastic bag liners (experienced it, especially when it is at the bottom and you throw something on top which causes it to pierce the bag underneath). Once you've tried it, you'll figure it makes no difference. I compost most of my food scraps, so maybe that makes a difference too. My neighbour just throws their apple cores onto their lawn and I can see it biodegrading, it has no smell whatsoever. One day they will probably have a nasty surprise when an apple tree starts growing. hehe.
I have been reusing cardboard boxes to put rubbish in before throwing it in the red bin. The few stores excluding coles and woolworths that have plastic bags, usually have the smaller ones which don't make good bin liners anyway. I have also tried reusing the vegetable bags from coles/woolworths, but they just fall apart.
I think we all are shooting ourselves in the foot with these new changes, but you just adapt.
It is frowned upon to be buying plastic bin liners. I usually bag the meat in smaller bags, e.g. fish heads, so I don't contaminate the bin liner inside my house. When it gets slightly dirty, I rinse it. No rats or roaches because the house is modern and well built, but I suspect some houses with cracks in the walls and side skirting will have problems.
Not to mention, a lot of the poorer suburbs will most likely not be buying bin liners once the bag drought occurs. A lot of them will most likely use some creative hacks to save money. A lot of the smaller stores are also shifty and won't give out plastic bags. If a well off suburb can do it, I don't see how the poorer suburbs won't jump in on the action once time comes.
Just a quick look on eBay, and for $0.183 cents each, you can buy 5000 bags delivered.
So Coles is essentially saving less than 2cents per bag, and offering an alternative for $.15 each.
Win for them.Question. What will we use for bin liners now?
You can purchase bin liners for $0.07 pce.
Ooops.
Sorry I was a decimal point out.
Works out $0.0183 (less than 2 cents) each.
So bin liners are more expensive.
Just use bin liners for the bin.
Take reusable bags to the supermarket or get some collapsible boxes - Costco sell them. Put them in your trolley then collapse them when back in the car empty
So will that mean if we take our own bags, will we have to pack items ourselves ALDI style?
Can we ban coffee cups! Becoming worse than cigarette butts, imho.
I don't think they will have spare cardboard boxes lying around at Woolworths as that doesn't seem like something they do.
I think most of us will be forced to buy a cheap chinese trolley for an amount like $20-50. I already use mine at Aldi. I used to get cardboard boxes from the ground or in the middle of the Aldi store where it usually is at my local one, but that got annoying after a while and sometimes they broke before I got to the car.
You can also buy the trolley token, but I don't know how many times I've misplaced mine. I wish it was just a $2 coin instead that was refundable after you brought the trolley back.
I do not have a problem with the new biodegradable plastic bags, and find the reusable green bags a bigger problem. If you recycle your shopping bags into rubbish bags, you save money on rubbish bags and they break down quicker then the bought ones. The new reusable green bags and such have a limited life and take up much more landfill for quite a longer time than the plastic ones.
Most 3rd world countries have phased them out decades ago. NSW welcome to to the 20th century… i am not Eco warrior or tree hugger (quite the opposite) but to bring your own bag when you go shopping is such a small thing to avoid trillions of bags ending up in our oceans and landfill…
The citizens of most third world countries throw there rubbish in the street or where ever.
Im just going to go to IGA more and take a couple extra bags from the fruit section as bin liners.
We use them as nappy bags, any way I can purchase the bags that woolies use in bulk or anyone have alternatives that block the smell as much as the woolies bags did? Cheap but strong would be good as I find other retailers bags not as good as the woolies grey bags
do a google search for singlet plastic bags. 2-4c each in bulk
If you have ever gone to Hawaii you will see the “effect” it has. The stores give you reusable bags for free with a certain amount of purchases. These bags are extremely thick plastic… unbelievably bad for the environment.
Being from Germany, everyone just takes their own cotton bags to the shop, drops the items from the counter into them and then brings them to the car.
Or if forgotten, just brings the trolley to the car and puts the items in the back (where there are normally containers or plastic bags anyways).
And imagine, I even carry everything up to a few items without a bag ;)
I can count the times I used the free plastic bags with one hand - being here over a year.
Either bag / backpack or just carrying.Being from Germany
Isn’t that the country where the biggest passenger vehicle manufacturer comes from? The company that had to cheat to pass vehicle emissions tests to be able to sell their vehicles to the rest of the world.
Yes, it is.
Didn't say everything is better.
Just throw stuff into the Red bin without bagging it.
That's what I do on most days now. I have some stash of plastic bags but even the smaller stores in my area aren't handing them out anymore.
Sooner or later, there won't be any plastic bags left at all.
I heard the garbo complain one night, so I ran out and told him off and that this will be the norm. He shouldn't be poking around in my rubbish anyway. Just tip the shit and move on.
Just hose your red bin each time after it is emptied. You should be doing so in summer anyway, it would smell horrendous if you didn't. I did this even when bags were plentiful.
Oh, and when you go to the store; you'll need to bring either a trolley or your own reusable bag, duh…
i wonder if anyone has done the calculations on the water wasted by needing to rinse the wheelie bin each weak for 8.5m households. perhaps plastic bags were greener after all.
Possibly, but the pro everyone keeps talking about it that it won't harm wildlife as there won't be bags swallowed by fish and seagulls. Go figure, maybe washing my bin has some unintended effect as well.
Lol.
You will need to hose your bin every week, and even then it will smell before that.
My bins already smelled even before my street started this experiment.
This is because most plastic bags have holes in them already or will be slightly cut due to defects from carrying produce home; or from bones and other semi-sharp objects
I am never going to wash ours and will be chucking the dog shit from four German Shepherds straight in the thing. It can then live on the medium strip.
Whole thing is just political BS and profits. Do some research to find out who was backing and funding the campaigns to abolish plastic bags.
Quite common whilst I was living overseas.
I'm not sure where to pinpoint who benefits, it sure isn't us.
No
Good, the 15c ones are actually strong and can hold alot more.
What about online shopping?
People above said it is packed in plastic bags at no cost.
Does anyone remember when places like Target started charging 10c per bag several years ago ?
I recell the likes of Woolies and Coles changing the quality of their bags around the same time too. The older style bags were far far farrrrrrr stronger.
Target went for Biodegardable, the reason they switched back to normal plastic is all the bags that they order started to degrade on the shelf. They had to through a lot of bags away.
I don't know what people are complaining about. Little effort, big reward.
It's not just about global warming, or wildlife, or our environment it's also about chemicals and plastic getting in our food chain. Simple science.
I just keep a folded cotton bag in my bag and some in the car. Easy! It's not hard, and it's not expensive.
Countries across the globe have been doing this for over a decade and with great success.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/30/england-…
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/31/world/europe/31iht-bags.4.…
cant they use recyclable paper bags?
more expensive than recycled plastic.
conflicted! On one hand, get rid of those shopping bags. I see customer buy a cooler bag and wants to put in the plastic bag! or buy 1 chocolate bar and wants a bag.
On the other hand, now I need to buy my own garage bag. lol. Better stock up then!
Two words.
STOCK UP!
Can people not afford to spend $15/20 on a bunch of green bags and keep them in reasonable condition for a few years?
a bunch of green bags
do you use your green bags as bin liners?
Not really. I compost food scraps, recycle everything where I can, and the rest just goes as scraps in the bin.
Same, no big problems so far. In fact in most other countries they do something similar where plastic bags have been banned.
I don't know how California is coping, but at least they didn't have a doomsday event when it was introduced.
Apparently in Kenya you can go to jail for trafficking plastic bags. lol. Makes you wonder how they throw away their trash?
I take my lunch to work in Woolworths plastic bags. Then dispose at work in a specific bin for said plastic.
The only thing that will change for me is I will have to buy bin liners. My plastic waste will not increase or decrease.
I'd pay for that too!