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You know, grocery stores in some European countries require customers to insert a coin (1 or 2 Euros) into a lock attached to the shopping cart. Once the cart is returned and connected to the other shopping carts, the coin is returned to the customer.
Yep, My local ALDI's hasthis as well. Personaly I never understood it. People leave their carts floating in the parking lot any other time, but ooooooohh when theres a quarter at stake, we gotta get it back { ITS ONLY A QUARTER!!!!! } But hey, whatever woks I guess.
Quote:
Originally Posted by smartalx
Just think about how many plastic or paper bags you use in a lifetime. THAT is why I bring my own reusable bag (or more often ask them to load the groceries back into the basket naked and I load them into my car without a bag.)
(You know frankly I'm really surprised that Whole Foods uses paper bags. I'm POSITIVE that they (decision makers at Whole Foods) have been informed/educated that plastic is better than paper for the environment. It goes to show how they care more about image than environment. Plastic (especially biodegradable plastic) is much more environmentally friendly than paper. You can measure a product's environmental impact by calculating how much energy is consumed in its manufacture, transport, use, and disposal (all of which is called the product's "embodied energy"). And each paper bag has the embodied energy equivalent to 100 plastic bags. Furthermore, paper manufacture is very caustic to the environment. That isn't to say plastic manufacture is clean. But paper is just as dirty, plus it wastes energy.)
I'm no expert and you likely know more about it than me, but I don't see how plastic could be more envirmentaly freindly than paper. Yes, it may take more energy to produce, but paper will rot into the ground much quicker than plastic would. Doesn't it take several years forplastic to break down?
I'm no expert and you likely know more about it than me, but I don't see how plastic could be more envirmentaly freindly than paper. Yes, it may take more energy to produce, but paper will rot into the ground much quicker than plastic would. Doesn't it take several years forplastic to break down?
I did say biodegradable. But even so, most bags go to the landfill. Not that it offsets the damage entirely but still. Anyway, the energy usage is more severe. Plus the embodied energy can be measured, which makes it convenient.
It's some kind of mass delusion/insanity if people buy sometimes hundreds of grocery items individually packaged in the non recyclable paper/plastic/glass/metal containers and all they worry is if it's "paper or plastic" for their grocery bags? The disposable/non recyclable plastic in the packaging of that Frankenstein food stuff you buy is at least 1000 times heavier than the weight of the plastic grocery bags that you worry so much about. Are environmentally conscious "paper or plastic" types this much challenged not to see this "inconvenient truth"? Even if you use 100% reusable bags it does NOT make a tiny dent in the ocean of the plastic waste. The whole concept of the global food & grocery chain network is suicidal and wasteful. Moderator cut: Inflammatory
Last edited by MissingAll4Seasons; 10-25-2011 at 06:56 PM..
Reason: Name calling
It's some kind of mass delusion/insanity if people buy sometimes hundreds of grocery items individually packaged in the non recyclable paper/plastic/glass/metal containers and all they worry is if it's "paper or plastic" for their grocery bags? The disposable/non recyclable plastic in the packaging of that Frankenstein food stuff you buy is at least 1000 times heavier than the weight of the plastic grocery bags that you worry so much about. Are environmentally conscious "paper or plastic" types this much challenged not to see this "inconvenient truth"? Even if you use 100% reusable bags it does NOT make a tiny dent in the ocean of the plastic waste. The whole concept of the global food & grocery chain network is suicidal and wasteful. Moderator cut: Inflammatory
Wow! Good point!
However, which type of grocery bags you choose to use is something people have control over, what the items they purchase are packaged in? Not so much.
Last edited by MissingAll4Seasons; 10-25-2011 at 06:56 PM..
Reason: referenced quote moderated
Absolutely you can choose what your food is packaged in. You can also choose to produce as much of your own food as you can, make your own grocery bags from reused fabric or make your own fabric, etc. It's not that hard folks! The less you spend, the less you have to earn so you'll have time to make stuff, too. If you really want to live green, plant edible landscaping. If you are getting your food from your yard, there won't even be anyone asking you if you want paper or plastic.
You know, grocery stores in some European countries require customers to insert a coin (1 or 2 Euros) into a lock attached to the shopping cart. Once the cart is returned and connected to the other shopping carts, the coin is returned to the customer.
Yes, Aldi does use the coin system for their carts. (Aldi is a division of Trader Joe's). There is also a Shop-Rite in Manahawkin NJ that uses the coin system. It's such a pleasure not to have to dodge carts or have wind blow one into the side of your vehicle.
And since ALDI doesn't bag your groceries, you don't have to answer "Paper or plastic?"
Yes, Aldi does use the coin system for their carts. (Aldi is a division of Trader Joe's). There is also a Shop-Rite in Manahawkin NJ that uses the coin system. It's such a pleasure not to have to dodge carts or have wind blow one into the side of your vehicle.
And since ALDI doesn't bag your groceries, you don't have to answer "Paper or plastic?"
I don't like Aldi's products but I love the cart rental/self-bagging aspect of it and I wish ALL supermarkets here would adopt that model. I used to live in Europe and I miss that.
I used to be one of those people who bought into the whole idea that simple changes such as using a paper sack at the grocery store or even buying a reusable bag could make even a small difference........ let me be the first to tell you, it's a complete fraud! Recently, I started a new Job at a trash bag factory { glamorous I know but with this economy we can't afford to be picky. } It wasn't until I started there that I realized just how much plastic is actually used, every hour of every day. I run two lines for 8 hours a day where I am required to take the freshly minted bags or rolls off the belt, record the weight of the case, and pack them into boxes for shipping. In that 8 hours, just one line uses anywhere from 3000 to 5000 pounds of plastic. Mind you there are a total of 9 lines in the shop I work for that run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Imagine if you calculated the poundage for an entire YEAR!!!!
This experience has really opened my eyes to the whole "paper or plastic" thing and let me tell you, it's really not going to make a bit of difference WHAT type of bag you use in the grocery store.
Example of one line that runs continuously
imagine how many people who work for a paper company that replants tree's on their own land employ.
the guy that starts the new tree
the one who cares for the watering and maintenance
the one who moves the saplings to a shipping area
the trucker who hauls the saplings
the crews who plant the sapling
the crews who cut down the tree when it is grown
the one who pulls the cut tree to a loading area
the trucker who hauls the cut tree to an area to age the wood
the ones who keep the wood wet down as it ages
the one who takes the tree in to be cut and mulched
to those who process the mulch into a by product which is turned into paper.
which is packed on to pallets of bulk paper
which is shipped to paper processing plants where it's made into everything from cardboard to toilet paper to writing paper to ...
which is then shipped out for use and/or sales in wholesale and retail applications
which some of the used paper is collected for recycling.
which starts the recycling industries process in employing people
... and that is a vague list of the work created ... much of which is good healthy hard work for those who love to do physical work.
... anyone recall when the industry was attacked for filling landfills and how we can recycle and save money buying recycled paper?
Have you noticed? Recycled paper for students is MORE EXPENSIVE!
... AND ... we pay our local government to collect
the recyclable stuff which they make money selling
.... and a side note:
America's third world mentality not only screwed up a lot of employment opportunities
but carrying bags to the grocery store so you can bring the stuff home ...
It was that way in Communist Hungary over 30 years ago
... doesn't that third world mentality make you feel PROUD?
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