Ban Reusable Bags - coronavirus

imcold on 24/03/2020 - 09:05
Last edited 27/03/2020 - 21:37

Due to growing concern of covid-19 we need to take action to protect ourselves and each other.

I think there is currently a need to completely ban reusable bags, and there is a need to stop selling them in woolies and coles, they simply increase contamination at checkouts.

I think there been news in the past about sales staff refusing to bag dirty grocery bags, but now this is a pandemic situation and all reusable bags need to be rejected no matter how clean they look.

It's possible that virus from quarantined people to be carried directly into supermarkets via the bags by family members, infecting sales staff and checkout machines.

UPDATE:

If your bored here a research paper outlining just this scenario.
https://www.neha.org/node/60021

General Discussion COVID-19

Comments

  • popsiee on 24/03/2020 - 09:07
    +5

    Agree

  • Archi on 24/03/2020 - 09:14
    +1

    might as well scan and bag your own items as well. no-one will want to touch the stuff you touched either

    • Chandler on 25/03/2020 - 11:00
      +1

      What about the stuff that people have picked up and put back?

      • Ozpit on 25/03/2020 - 11:37
        -3

        Yeah, like biscuits and chocolates where they've opened the packet, taken out and eaten a few of the ingredients and then discarded the packet in another aisle.

  • kerfuffle on 24/03/2020 - 09:17
    +1

    They've already done this for reusable coffee cups in some cafes and restaurants where you get your own cutlery like IKEA

  • Stewardo on 24/03/2020 - 09:22

    I agree, this is common sense
    The checkout staff at Woolworths on Sunday told me she wasn’t going to charge for bags anymore. The supermarket staff shouldn’t have to use dirty bags.
    They could suspend the bottle deposit as well.

    • imcold on 24/03/2020 - 11:14

      This too we shouldn't have old folk rummaging bins for bottles and cans.

      • Stewardo on 24/03/2020 - 11:28

        Somebody goes thru my bin every fortnight. The unwanted items are often thrown on the kerb to get to the bottles.

    • Chandler on 25/03/2020 - 11:01

      The supermarket staff shouldn’t have to use dirty bags

      What dirty bags are the supermarket staff using?

  • brokenglish on 24/03/2020 - 09:36
    +26

    Be careful, this is OCD territory.
    Using your logic, everyone should be naked when entering supermarket because the virus could be on your clothing, which could contaminate others, no matter how clean you look, like you said.
    You would have it from quarantined family members or catch it unknowingly on your way there.
    How would you know the items on the shelf are not contaminated with the virus because of the staff and delivery workers?
    Chill out, there’s no reported cases of someone catching the virus from reusable bags.

    The virus transfers via droplets, lingers in the air temporarily because of it’s density, but not 100% airborne.
    I wouldn’t worry unless you are licking every item you buy or toilet rolls mutate and start sneezing.

    • HighAndDry on 24/03/2020 - 11:05
      +4

      This isn't really about protecting the customer to me, it's about protecting the checkout staff.

      It's another way a sick person could potentially pass the virus onwards, and if you're dealing with hundreds of people a day, every little bit helps.

      • brokenglish on 24/03/2020 - 11:22
        +6

        I wish I have the power to bring back single use plastic bag :(

    • pjetson on 24/03/2020 - 11:48
      -1

      There’s no reported cases of someone catching the virus from reusable bags.

      I haven't been able to find any stats on how people caught the virus. However, it has been reported that there are a handful of cases in Australia where authorities have been unable to determine how they caught the virus.

      Therefore, it's not inconceivable that these people caught the virus from reusable bags.

      • GG57 on 24/03/2020 - 12:21
        +3

        Or they didn't wash their hands?

        • pjetson on 24/03/2020 - 19:09
          +2

          Washing your hands removes contaminants (including the virus) that you may have picked up from things that you've touched. Perhaps reusable bags :-)

    • Wystri Warrick on 24/03/2020 - 22:46

      Using your logic, everyone should be naked when entering supermarket….

      Insert Scab comment here….

    • Inzo on 27/03/2020 - 00:40

      can we focus on the naked shopping? I feel like this could eclipse pornhub premium for free tbh

  • GG57 on 24/03/2020 - 10:05

    My observations are that all checkouts have had hand-sanitiser available for the staff use; hopefully that allows them to work safely if used regularly.
    The checkout staff will touch all of your shopping; if they have used the sanitiser it should be fine. If they haven't, I'm assuming that we (shoppers) will be regularly washing hands or sanitising anyway.

    If someone is particularly concerned, they could use the self check-out, but you don't know who used that terminal before you and what their own cleanliness routines have been.

  • kolorijo on 24/03/2020 - 10:06
    +1

    It is possible and not limited to bags. It includes every touch surfaces.

  • Ocker on 24/03/2020 - 10:09
    +7

    Bring back the free "single use" bags - problem solved

  • Hithere on 24/03/2020 - 10:21
    +2

    Bring back the free "single use" bags - problem solved

    While I agree 100% it'll never happen.

  • netjock on 24/03/2020 - 10:26
    -3

    How about just sending in the police to make sure people wash their bags?

    Alternatively make them was their bags in disinfectant solution and spin dry it before being allowed to use it at the check outs - double win. You disinfect the bag, the check out and the droplets of moisture will also disinfect the air.

    Lets just admit coronavirus doesn't spread itself, it is people who spread it. People are irresponsible, thanks to the Bondi Bunch the government is shutting everything down a lot sooner. Small minority ruining it for everyone, yes I mean all those who scream for the borders to be closed to Chinese and Italians then bugger off to the US who is by far the biggest source of imported coronavirus in Australia right now. Look where those people are right now? Nowhere to be seen.

  • franco cozzo on 24/03/2020 - 10:59
    +5

    …id just be happy if people stopped touching & handling 40x pieces of (profanity) fruit & vegetables before they settle on just a few items of produce

    • Mad Max on 24/03/2020 - 18:57
      +2

      In Europe supermarkets have free plastic disposable gloves for people to touch fruit and vegetables. Thay have had them for at least 20 years, not just now for this virus. And they are compulsory. I have always wondered why they don't have them here in Australia.

      • Member 0230 on 25/03/2020 - 09:39
        +2

        Totally awesome for hygiene, but woefully tragic for plastic waste!

        Sigh.

        • Mad Max on 25/03/2020 - 15:53
          +1

          Agree, but no more than the millions of plastic bags currently used for fruit and vegetables in supermarkets.
          Also you only really need one plastc glove on the hand that touches the produce while you are picking all your fruit and vegies.

  • Wystri Warrick on 24/03/2020 - 22:45
    +1

    Don't forget the cash too, and anything and everything that we touch and come into contact with, can't be too careful with cross contamination….
    While we're at it we should also take a bath in some disinfectant….

  • bobwokeup on 24/03/2020 - 23:20
    +3

    The people with the virus increase contamination not the bag.

  • Boogerman on 25/03/2020 - 07:31
    -4

    The coronavirus has actually been beneficial for the health of society because airborne carcinogenic pollution has plummeted due to less fossil fuel vehicles on the road.. You know the cars you drive cause you couldn’t care less about others & you vote for governments who do nothing about the problem.
    So spare me the faux care over Covid

  • figjamone on 25/03/2020 - 08:07
    +1

    How do us little people get any needy items so we can buy. Monday to Friday are for health care , aged and police to buy what they want with opening hr only for them so every day I go to the shops everything is now gone. How do I get things I need but because of I not working in health and police I am not old enough to get any help what next.

    • GG57 on 25/03/2020 - 09:23
      +3

      Some groups of people are provided with priority for one hour / day.
      All supermarkets have imposed limits on certain items.

      If your preferred shop is sold out of 'everything' after only one hour of that, you should look for another shop.

      • voteoften on 29/03/2020 - 14:49

        I think you will find they didn't get those items either

  • rogerm22 on 25/03/2020 - 11:36
    +1

    Would you suggest doing the same for the flu, considering that the flu kills far more people than the coronavirus?

  • OzHunterNSW on 25/03/2020 - 12:20
    +1

    what?

    The bag you have is the bag you can pack yourself… no need for anybody else to touch.

    What next…. new cash registers for each individual customer.

  • smux on 25/03/2020 - 12:50

    At the very least Coles could have the self-checkout monitoring staff frequently disinfect the terminals that people are touching with their potentially infected fingers.

    • GG57 on 25/03/2020 - 13:08

      This is in place at my local IGA.
      But, I'm not worried using self-checkout terminals as I sanitise afterwards, and avoid touching my face.

      Why should we have to rely on others; take some personal responsibility.

      • smux on 25/03/2020 - 13:23

        Relying on personal responsibility is not going to slow down the spread of the virus. You might have noticed there are a lot of idiots out there?

        • GG57 on 25/03/2020 - 13:31

          They make their choices, they take their chances

  • tyme on 25/03/2020 - 23:48
    +2

    Personally I bring in my reusable bag to avoid using the trolleys and baskets at the supermarket.
    Just use one to carry items and then move them into the other while paying at self serve.
    Also bring a disposable glove just for the self-serve touch screen.

    • Member 0230 on 26/03/2020 - 08:04

      You've obviously thought this through! I think that's reasonably workable.

      When I made a quick visit to the supermarket two nights ago, I did the BYO reusable bag but brought only one… which made life interesting at the checkout. I ended up trying to hold several items against my chest with one hand, while clumsily trying to scan/put in the bag.

  • mixo on 04/04/2020 - 17:42

    Isn't it time all plastic bags are banned. Consumers conned into buying bags…

    I refuse to pay 15 cents so I can pack my own goods.Yes I know I don't have to buy them(and I don't)

    Let's see what happens after the virus.

    Keep safe out there

    mixo

    • Hybroid on 04/04/2020 - 17:49

      15c supermarket bags are made from mostly recyclable material, help you get goods home, are still reusable and cheaper than buying bin bags. So it works out fine.

      • mixo on 04/04/2020 - 18:01

        the issue was plastic clogging up waterways killing animals and the such.

        So they replaced plastic with another plastic and charge your for it.

        So in 10 years time when these bags enter the ecosystem and dont degrade as fast as the "free" ones then what.

        I get we need to pack our goods we buy, but lets no con ourselves.

        I nearly always get strange looks from checkout people telling them to chuck everything back into the trolley.

        You don't NEED plastic bags.Dam I sound like and eco fascist.Hehehe..

        mixo

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