more articles like this

Bagless in Carpinteria
updated: Mar 29, 2011, 9:43 AM

By Edhat Subscriber

What does everyone think of the Albertsons in Carpenteria going "bagless." I saw an article in a local newspaper that headlined Albertsons as "fighting the plastic bag scourge."

Scourge? Really? We are declaring war on plastic bags now? How about addressing the "scourge" of people who litter and leave plastic bags and other trash about. Granted, plastic bags aren't the greatest thing for the environment but there are biodegradable plastic bags which I use every day walking my dog. I also re purpose those grocery bags around the house as waste basket liners and 50 other uses.

So I ask...WHY?

WHY am I being forced by the Albertsons in Carpenteria to purchase overpriced bags?

WHY do I have to stockpile bags in my vehicle in the event that I need to go to the grocery store?

WHY don't they lower their grocery prices now that they are not supplying bags?

WHY do I have to now wash these bags after transporting meats and raw chicken in them?

WHY do they not have the ability to be tied closed and spill their contents in my car?

WHY don't I just stop complaining and go shop and Vons then?

OK. The last WHY solved my dilemma. Thanks for listening.

Most recent Comments first | (reverse order)

BONNER	2011-03-31 03:32 PM
OMG, do people have too much time on their hands? The spoiled & entitled responses are pretty self-serving but I have to note that most of the responders are in support of this effort. maybe small now, but if it encourages other retailers to follow, then very worthwhile, you have to have the courage to start, good for Albertson's! And doggie-bags on our bicycle paths are all bio-degradeable, just use them as, like the other poster said, they will start breaking down if left for too long. Get a life! and be a part of the solution to repair some of the damage we've done.
COMMENT 159761	2011-03-31 09:45 AM
OP, last time I checked, there were LIFE, LIBERTY and the PURSUIT of HAPPINESS. Nothing about the 'right' to have someone give you a free piece of plastic (yes, petroleum product) that will eventually be trash, even if you reuse AND recycle it. As for the pursuit of happiness, I am very happy Albertson's has chosen our little town of Carp to pilot this program, and although I haven't shopped there a lot in the past, I will make more of an effort from now on, because this idea (banning plastic bags) makes me happy!
COMMENT 159707	2011-03-31 08:20 AM
@159602 No, it doesn't feel great at all to have to constantly lug around unsanitary reusable bags like a hobo.
COMMENT 159621P	2011-03-30 08:02 PM
Use a cart to get your groceries from the store to your car. Duh.
COMMENT 159602	2011-03-30 06:56 PM
Dear Kevin SB. RIGHT ON for posting that information. Why do people have to complain so much about such a small thing. Doesn't it feel great to be a part of the solution? Ist the trash and sea life problem. WHat about petroleum dependence? Most of these are made with Petroleum and that's obvously a huge problem. JUst stop complaining and support solutions!!!!
COMMENT 159578	2011-03-30 05:24 PM
ORIGINAL POSTER HERE. People it isn't about bags. Plastic or otherwise. Honestly I could care less. It's about the grocer making you purchase from them, or bring your own, an item that ALL grocers have traditionally supplied.....not for free but the cost has been worked into your purchase. Agreed. Plastic is bad. But give me the choice to decide when and where I use it. That's all. I will put canvas bags in my truck....I'll do the best to stick them under the seat or something. But Geez Louise....If I forget my bag just give me something to transport my groceries to and from the car. I'm good with paper bags. I can use them to start my fireplace using compressed recycled wood chips from cabinet manufacturing. At least I'm not using natural gas or other fossil fuels.
COMMENT 159546	2011-03-30 03:42 PM
WOW Santa Barbara - I am very, very saddened to see your response to Albertson's decision to do the right thing on behalf of the community at large. There are few coastal communities that enjoy their ocean parks and trees full of plastic shopping bags flapping in the wind. You don't deserve to live in such a beautiful place if you insist on exploiting it.
COMMENT 159477P	2011-03-30 12:14 PM
I approve of Albertson's BOLD move, and it became even more courageous in my eyes when I saw all these Edhat posts of people objecting to it. I was totally amazed! There's no, I repeat NO, downside to eliminating plastic shopping bags at supermarkets. Taking away your choice? -- give me a break! There never used to be plastic bags. It was a bad idea that is FINALLY going away. Our grandparents and great-grandparents always brought their own bags, usually string bags. And those of you who wonder about the hygiene of reusing bags, are you really that OCD throughout your daily life? As for poop bags, either MuttMitts, or even better and cheaper are Dogipot biodegradable poop bags. If you leave either brand in your car long enough before using, they WILL biodegrade in situ, I assure you from experience. Plastic grocery bags are a scourge and I applaud Albertson's. When I'm in the neighborhood, I'll make a point to shop there and thank them for their leadership.
COMMENT 159464	2011-03-30 11:52 AM
I am also a person who REUSES some plastic bags before throwing the then filled dirty ones into the trash. If stores don't GIVE out plastic bags, then I have to BUY some. Where's the environmental savings?
AQUAHOLIC	2011-03-30 11:02 AM
427P.... We were on the same wavelength! I also did a little research on Albertsons and found they are definitely doing their part and then some. I have to admit I haven't been an Albertsons shopper, but I will support them in the future.
KEVINSB	2011-03-30 10:59 AM
A google is worth 1,000 comments. Here is a google image search of sea animals eating plastic bags: link
AQUAHOLIC	2011-03-30 10:54 AM
If you don't think plastic is bad for the planet, try Googling "The great pacific garbage patch". This humongous gyre of plastic is beyond what most people can comprehend. If you want to see where an obscene number of plastic bags end up, take a drive through the Southwest.
COMMENT 159427P	2011-03-30 10:41 AM
This is a fantastic move by Albertsons. I'm surprised to see people knocking the idea. All one needs to do is google "Pacific Gyre." it's commendable that some here reuse plastic bags, but 95% are thrown away and it's hard to imagine being able to use them all, unless you have a dog, I suppose. (and I can tell I have seen dozens of poop filled bags left on the jesusita trail and at the Mesa lane staircase and on the beach, so alas, the bags still do damage after reuse.) And I've seen the plastic bags floating like jellyfish in the sea while paddle boarding here in our ocean. Luckily, they are easy to "catch" and dispose of but I'd love to never see one again. Sea turtles die from ingesting them as well. Anyway, seems like a nice marketing play by a store not thought of as "green" like whole foods to steal the throne. Plastic bags should have been banned. We have a family of 5 and do just fine with nylon bags that you can squish 10 into a tennis ball size in-between uses. All I'd ask anyone is to give non-disposable bags a try for a shopping trip or two and see if you can make it work.
FLICKA	2011-03-30 10:06 AM
Gracious, when I was growing up there was no such thing as plastic grocery bags. Albertsons choose 2 CA stores to try this "no bag" gig on. Why?: Because the communities they choose have shown a strong desire to preserve the enviornment. Yeah, in Carp. we're cool!! I have been taking my own bags for YEARS. Hard to remember at 1st, keep in car and it becomes a habit. Plastic is a petroleum product, save the oil for your car.
COMMENT 159386P	2011-03-30 09:50 AM
315, if you have to carry 50 lbs of groceries, you've got more problems than paper or plastic. Your post is all that's wrong with the thinking on this. Nobody is forcing you to do anything. Try going to live someplace where there are real issues. Where people are forced to do and abide by things much more unpleasant than access to plastic bags. As for the soap and water, you do wash towels and sheets right? Throw the bags in with them on high heat. No extra soap needed. Your arguments are all non-arguments and you wouldn't last long in the real world that goes on outside SB.
COMMENT 159373	2011-03-30 09:27 AM
Excuse my ignorance....but aren't they made from oil..... Anyway, awesome! A great step in "reduce, reuse, recycle! Countries in Europe have been charging for bags for years......and RARELY do you see people walk into a grocery store without their own........
COMMENT 159372	2011-03-30 09:23 AM
What did we do before plastic bags? We had paper bags that worked very well, folded up neatly when emptied and stored for other uses. Stores could assess a 10 cent deposit. We recycle 50 percent of our paper products now. Lumber companies have all but disappeared between recycling and lack of home construction. I never liked plastic bags that broke easily if they were'nt doubled up. If you miss the handle you often dumped contents. That's what should be done to cut back plastic bags finding their way into the environment (discounting gross exageration of do-gooder social engineers). Charge a deposit for paper bags, give credit or refund when they are returned to the store. They can be shredded, bailed up and recycled, or if clean and untorn, re-used. They could also be taken to a recycling center with other returnables deposit return and where they could more easily be counted than most other items being recycled and weighed now, etc!
DEE D	2011-03-30 09:18 AM
We have to stop using plastic bags, and aggressively collect and recycle (into something other than more plastic bags) those we have already produced. The cost is far too great relative to the convenience, and we have readily available alternatives, all it takes is a change of habit. I, too, have struggled with it. I forget to bring a reusable bag (for awhile I "punished" myself by making myself buy one, but very soon I had a lifetime supply of reusable bags!) or I go out not intending to shop, but end up buying something and find myself unprepared. It is a small pain, to be sure. So I bought an expandable purse that can take, at a moment's notice, an extra item or two, and that helps. But slowly, over time, I am getting much better - in a pinch I will use an offered plastic bag, feeling guilty all the while, and those pinches are fewer and fewer between. Please keep trying - I will too. I am sure our planet and all the many forms of life being adversely affected by plastic bags are well worth the effort. We have higher uses than burning and wasting the rapidly diminishing oil that we have.
DRBUD	2011-03-30 09:02 AM
Last I heard the Pacific Ocean is rapidly filling up with plastic bags which will be there forever. Does that mean we just keep doing the same ol', same ol'?
COMMENT 159346	2011-03-30 08:57 AM
it is a great idea! I applaud Albertson's for taking this step. Way overdue and they all should do it. The rest of the world has for years. but no... USA is special and we are allowed to pollute more than everyone else... because USA is the world.
COMMENT 159339	2011-03-30 08:47 AM
I think that it is great. Years ago I investigated where I could recycle plastic bags. I discovered that Albertsons was the only market doing it at the time. I talked to a very nice man who told me the bags were collected and sent to Colorado to make recycled products. This next step is even better and It is refreshing to see a corporation take the initiative. To those who must line their waste cans with plastic or pick up their dog poop with it. Think, you are engulfing material that could be composted, in plastic. Plastic does not break down, only up and it is entering our food chain and mimicking estrogen. It is messing with our reproduction and the reproduction of other creatures. Perhaps we will not wake up until "Men get boobs", to quote a David Lindley song.
COMMENT 159336P	2011-03-30 08:41 AM
I think it's great and I hope eventually ALL grocery stores go bagless. Just stock your car, bike, purse, briefcase, whatever you use with reuseable bags and you won't have a problem. Plastic bags are totally unnecessary for taking home your groceries. I don't hear anyone complaining that Costco doesn't have bags. I personally recycle my plastic bags but if they weren't around, I could adjust to bringing my own. I would still like to see paper bags made from recycled materials offered at grocery stores.
COMMENT 159335P	2011-03-30 08:40 AM
Kudos to Albertsons! 13 BILLION plastic bags a year are used in California and a HUGE number end up in our oceans, eaten by fish and birds. It's time for human beings to stop being so selfish! Hurrah for Albertsons for caring!!!!!!
COMMENT 159332	2011-03-30 08:35 AM
315... 1. Name calling. Really? 2. Trader Joe bags are laminated so you can just wipe them out with a cleaning solution of your choice. I prefer Green Disinfecting Wipes so I guess you can call me names too. 3. Throwing canvas bags in the wash once a week with your kitchen, bathroom towels etc. is barely going to make a ripple in your water and soap usage situation. 4. No one is forcing people to find alternative transportation. There is a difference in people encouraging others and leading by example to educate in the benefits of alternative choices. That is hardly forcing although you are VERY threatened by people having a different opinion or lifestyle as you. 5. The bags aren't heavy. You can easily loop them over your arm, put them in your car etc. It's not an arguable hardship. You won't need to make additional trips to accommodate your reusable bags. :-) 6. I hope you have a wonderful, sunny, happy day.
COMMENT 159330	2011-03-30 08:29 AM
I live in Carpinteria and shop at this store, and I support this action by Albertson's. I always carry 3 reusable bags (e.g. Chico bags), which is sufficient for when I'm on foot, and I have 10-15 bags in the car for larger shopping trips. (The bags all nest one inside the other, so it's not a lot of space taken up.) I try to see the other side in arguments, but I'm having trouble on this one. I agree with some who have said the complainers are just angry at having to pay for something that, until now, was provided to them for free. As for this not stopping littering, you're right. However, this is Capitalist territory; we accomplish almost everything through fiscal means, including incentives, penalties, taxes, subsidies, etc. I much prefer a system where I pay for things I support (e.g. EdHat) and have the option to not pay for or have to refuse things I don't support (plastic bags). ..and, finally, this is not a tax. If you pay $0.30 and in return you receive a bag, that is not a tax, it's a purchase. :)
COMMENT 159326	2011-03-30 08:27 AM
People still shop at places like Albertson's and Vons?
COMMENT 159315	2011-03-30 08:11 AM
I would'nt shop there and I won't shop at any store that thinks they can force me and my family to either bring half dozen or more (eventually dirty unsanitary) cloth bags to the store every time I go or to make far more trips to the store so I can carry the reusable bags needed. What about the additional soap and water needed to clean these bags? Aren't the greenies concerned about that? What happened to the rest of the greenies that want to force every one to walk, ride a bike or take a bus? Will these folks be able to carry half a dozen cloth "reusable bags" containing 50 lbs. of groceries? Nothing but social engineering with a specific unsupported agenda!
COMMENT 159307P	2011-03-30 08:00 AM
very good idea. vons should also step up and get rid of plastic bags.
COMMENT 159297P	2011-03-30 07:42 AM
This is just something you need to get used to and it will be fine. Calm down, people.
COMMENT 159290	2011-03-30 07:14 AM
Absolutely awesome! I'm tempted to drive from SB to support them.
COMMENT 159288	2011-03-30 07:10 AM
Hooray!!! Maybe I will go there!
RICHBUSYWOMAN	2011-03-30 07:06 AM
WHY, OP? Well, for one thing, because you're supposed to CARE about issues. Because you're supposed to want to address, even your own small way, problems that are caused by humans. Get out of your head and do some research on the plastic bag problem: it IS a scourge -- to the environment, to blamelss animals on land and sea. Sure, go shop at VONS; however, they will be next in giving up the bags.
COMMENT 159282	2011-03-30 06:38 AM
Banning the bags is just step one. I've heard that Walmart is considering forcing products to come in less packaging. They have the power to actually accomplish this and I hope they do. I've always though it was insane that I am forced to purchase all this excess packaging that I don't want then I have to pay again to throw it away. I also have to pay to see it all over the neighborhood and beaches and the birds, animals and creatures of the sea have to pay with their lives by mistaking it for food. We need a global ban on plastic. Teaching us to do something as mundane and boring as carrying around a small bag for our purchases is not a big deal.
COMMENT 159281P	2011-03-30 06:37 AM
A couple of commenters have mentioned the sad condition of the Carp Albertsons, and they're right - the current store sucks. However, after a long planning process with the City, and with Vons trying to sabotage the effort, Albertsons will expand into the next door space, effectively doubling the store size and adding many amenities. The new store will be the anchor of the shopping center that will also be upgraded with new store fronts, landscaping, parking and traffic flow, bike racks, etc. That work is supposed to start soon and take about a year to complete everything.
COMMENT 159280	2011-03-30 06:14 AM
Wow. I think I got carpal tunnel trying to leave a comment. I am so proud of our community for taking a stand. I'm definitely a fan of smaller government. Our constitution is set up this way. Wow, are we lucky. buBt once and a while our government needs to step in to do the right thing. (Smoking comes to mind.) I'm hoping this catches on. We are having a plastic pollution platform at Foothill School on Monday, April 11th at 11:30. Getting rid of the dreaded plastic spork. Please stop by to air your thoughts and make a statement.
COMMENT 159257	2011-03-29 07:32 PM
As much as I'd like to believe this was an environmental thing on the part of Albertson's Carp, I've shopped there enought times to be cynical - the store is filthy, with too narrow and poorly planned aisles, and the goods are WAY overpriced. There were a couple of times when the manager of the store stood chatting loudly with his employees - in the checkout lines - about Von's "conspiracy" to drive them out. Totally negative and unprofessional. I don't shop there at all, ever, anymore, and the whole "green" ruse won't lure me in. To all those saying that this will make them WANT to frequent the store, don't say I didn't warn you!
COMMENT 159244P	2011-03-29 06:43 PM
235, I think you misunderstood what 222 was saying. They are talking about when at home, not when out on a walk.
COMMENT 159237	2011-03-29 06:25 PM
Seventh Generation, Biobag, Ecosafe...these are just three of the brands that make biodegradable "plastic" trash bags. In pet stores there are plenty of brands of earth friendly poop bags. It's all in the effort as these options are readily available and have been for some time.
COMMENT 159235	2011-03-29 06:18 PM
159222, we WALK our dogs in the neighborhood because they like exercise and it's part of our neighborhood watch. If we want to be considerate neighbors, we need to take poo bags. Plastic bags are ideal. Kitty box gets cleaned out once a week, and again, goes into plastic bag. We don't really have suitable facilities for a crap can, as we live downtown.
COMMENT 159231	2011-03-29 06:10 PM
Perhaps a better choice would be to reformulate the bags from vegetables such as corn, which will biodegrade in the sun.
COMMENT 159222	2011-03-29 05:56 PM
I agree 199P. Buy your own bags. I see people taking bunches of them and stashing them. Glad they're using them to clean up poop but I don't know how good the parks and rec peeps are about replenishing. I don't know why people need crap bags at home for kitty litter and dog crap. My family always had an aluminum trashcan with one, but thick plastic bag and they would use a pooper scooper and dump it in the can. At the end of the week you pull the bag out of the can, toss it into your regular garbage can..done.. If the lid is closed and it your designated caca can...you're only using one bag a week. It's kind of like a poor man's diaper genie for dog crap.
COMMENT 159215	2011-03-29 05:45 PM
Banning bags feels good to those who are easily duped. It makes absolutely no material difference in this country whether we ban bags or not. Even if we double our current bag usage, the sun will still rise, we will all live to be 90 and counting, our forests will continue to flourish and our drinking water will remain perfectly drinkable. Again, it's just for "warm feelings", it doesn't actually DO anything to "save" the Earth from a problem in which it did not need to be saved from in the first place.
COMMENT 159199P	2011-03-29 04:42 PM
I should have been clearer. I meant I didn't want people to start grabbing them up by the handful. I'm sure you do use them, but my point was that after 10 people take a small handful, there's none left. At least in my area.
AQUAHOLIC	2011-03-29 04:37 PM
@185P....I understand what you're saying, but in my defense, I use them on walks AT the Harbor area, NOT for my home use. I also don't take that many, a handful might constitute, say, a couple extra....which I use for pick up at the beach. I live semi-rural and can toss my dog's poop down the hill on my own property, that does not drain into a creek. OKAY?!!!
COMMENT 159192	2011-03-29 04:36 PM
People still use plastic? Sheesh! I can't believe that this is even a story. I agree that you have more room bringing your own bags and it really isn't a hassle.
COMMENT 159185P	2011-03-29 04:26 PM
I agree with everything Aquaholic said except the doggie bags. We have two parks in our neighborhood that are constantly out of bags because people grab handfuls of them. It seems innocent, but when there's a real need for them in an emergency and I need one, it sucks that other people have grabbed them all up. The city only replaces them once a month in my area and so there's a long wait for more if you need them. So then the poop piles up, so to speak. Buy the biodegradable ones instead and leave the ones in public spaces for those who need them!
AQUAHOLIC	2011-03-29 03:46 PM
I don't know if another poster mentioned this, but if you travel at all, particularly in poorer countries, or even in poorer parts of the U.S., the plastic bag has become as ubiquitous as a roadside mile marker. They are EVERYWHERE....stuck in bushes, trees, all over the damn place...it really is sad. NO TO THE PLASTIC BAG!!!
AQUAHOLIC	2011-03-29 03:40 PM
Okay, I didn't read all the posts so I apologize for any redundancy. My simple answer, 'just say NO to the bag'. I started bringing my own when T.J's had a contest...the first time I actually remembered to bring them, I won! $25 bucks AND, another bag! I was hooked, and now I'm a bag nazi...I never take a bag at any store and carry really cool ones in my purse at all times. It's probably the simplest and easiest thing you can do for the planet...so please, 'say NO to the bag'. Honestly, you won't miss them a bit. If you need doggie poop bags, do what I do and take a handful from one of the zillion poop bag dispensers down at the Harbor...the really good ones, with the extra hand protection!!
COMMENT 159157	2011-03-29 03:28 PM
@159153 I agree. How about the vast majority of small electronics? The over packaging is mind blowing. I know it’s to prevent theft but there has to be a better way. By the time you free your purchase from its plastic prison the package is so thrashed you could never use it for anything else. Taking on plastic bags and sticking it to shopper is not going to improve anything.
COMMENT 159153	2011-03-29 03:22 PM
I painted "I am not a spastic nag" on all my reusable bags. I am not imposing my choice on others. I do wish that packaging was a far higher priority on everyone's s#!t list, though. A couple of plastic bags at checkout that can be reused for kitty litter, dog poo, or trash can liners, is nothing on the other big trash generators. Ever notice how much trash lunch for 2 at McDonald's generates? The food is bad enough, the trash level is worse. Starbucks is a major trash generator. You have to beg for a real cup, but check in their trash cans - looks pretty awful. Cosmetics come in ridiculous amounts of packaging. Why can't manufacturers either minimize it, or make it biodegradable shortly after it's purchased? Plastic bags, ok you win one. But how about all these other major trash generators???
COMMENT 159141P	2011-03-29 03:04 PM
I take loose produce all the time at Farmer's market. I bring two bags. One for the delicate stuff and one for the heartier veggies so they don't get crunched. Is life really that hard, people?
LIZTISH340	2011-03-29 03:03 PM
Personally, I find my own bags much easier to carry and hold groceries etc. much better. The ones supplies by the stores are flimsy and easily tear.
COMMENT 159137	2011-03-29 03:02 PM
Solved. Just keep your stuff in the cart and tow it home behind your car. Or weave a sail from all the extra reuse plastic bags and home and wind power your cart home. Either of these and I bet Albertons would change their tune and give away 2 free bags to every customer for a week or bring back the plastic.
COMMENT 159132P	2011-03-29 02:55 PM
Are there plans to stop providing the 'produce bags' as well? It would be consistent but imagine taking a dozen loose roma tomatoes or a couple of pounds of brocolli florets through the checkout line. At least they would be weighed sans bag ... not much savings but I'm sure the price of bulk items has the store's cost of those bags already factored in. I stopped shopping at that particular Albertson's after three bouts of food poisoning. I always buy the manager's specials but that store would rewrap out of code and spoiled items as their 'specials'.
COMMENT 159131	2011-03-29 02:52 PM
I still say plastic bag CRV. I have no firm data but I'd be willing to bet that the amount of cans/bottles dumped per day per capita went down drastically once CRV was instituted.
COMMENT 159128P	2011-03-29 02:50 PM
121 you'd know it's a test program, a pilot. And they are only offering the bags to buy for a short period of time in order to phase them out without dropping them from circulation entirely. Yes, they are charging, but all plastic bags will be gone in six months. Only TWO Albertson's stores in CA are doing this. Carp and one in Alpine. Basic knowledge of the facts help in any argument. Its also nice to stick to the facts rather than bring unrelated inflammatory political digs into it.
COMMENT 159125P	2011-03-29 02:48 PM
@159121: Are you sure the money goes to Albertson's? If it's really environmentalism, the money charged for plastic bags should go toward some environmental cause outside of Albertson's. If it doesn't now, I bet legislation will mandate this eventually.
COMMENT 159121	2011-03-29 02:43 PM
Goodbye Albertsons. Charges for plastic bags is a new tax disguised as environmentalism. If you were really against them you would eliminate them entirely. Because you know everybody will opt for the convenience of plastic bags you found a new revenue source. You just raised prices for your customers while feeling smug about saving the world. Are you related to Das Williams?
COMMENT 159119P	2011-03-29 02:42 PM
I shop at Whole Foods where they give you 10c back for every time you use a bag. You get that back for each bag, btw. So by the time you've used them for a few months, they pay for themselves and every time after that you end up with some minor change back that you'd not have spent otherwise. And did I mention that their basics (eggs, milk, cheese and chicken) are actually LESS money than Albertson's in Carp? Or Vons. They are. Everyday prices, too. So you see naysayers, there is a way to get with the program even when you're pinching pennies.
COMMENT 159117	2011-03-29 02:41 PM
I cant keep platic bags in the house because my cat eats them. I am fine with this.
EDHATBARBARA	2011-03-29 02:26 PM
Alrighty then.
COMMENT 159107	2011-03-29 02:24 PM
My husband has found away to braid these plastic bags into a rope. I laughed at first, but it's phenomenally strong, about an 1" diameter and now is quite long. He likes to mix up the store varieties to get evenly distributed texture and color . Personally I've found it hard to change my entitled ways and tote some bags, but incentives like Tri-Counties' ten cents/bag donation to a variety of local charities has been a motivator, and bit by bit, I've been bringing my own bags more often. Now, I've started keeping them in my car. That's how the change works: bit by bit. By a few, then the many, then by the millions.
COMMENT 159105	2011-03-29 02:20 PM
894: Go to Hollister, and you get a biodegradable straw. HA! 158911: Agreed! And as for all the people will still buy bags for dog poop, well, yeah, but those bags are usually biodegradable. Unlike shopping bags. EdhatBarb: Yes, it is. I LIKE THIS! Go Albertsons!
COMMENT 159092P	2011-03-29 01:55 PM
To commenter 954/OP, Albertsons isn't telling you that you can't use plastic bags just that they won't be supplying them. They have the right to do that but you have no right to expect a store to supply you with anything. It's a privilege that you've gotten used to, not a right.
CHERIDIANE	2011-03-29 01:52 PM
Great idea. We all need to transition to cloth. I heard Silvergreens recently started using biodegradable ones that last only a short while and do not gag animals.
COMMENT 159087P	2011-03-29 01:48 PM
Right on, KBOLD! Sadly there's not much time left after picketing and whatnot to get creative let alone have some fun.
COMMENT 159085	2011-03-29 01:45 PM
look at the bright side- it's pretty easy to make your own shopping bags! Great uses for old t-shirts, and it makes bringing your own bag kinda neat! http://tipnut.com/35-reusable-grocery-bags-totes-free-patterns/
EDHATBARBARA	2011-03-29 01:44 PM
62 posts (63 including this one of mine) and counting. No other topic on today's Edhat site is generating nearly as much. Really? Is it that big a deal to all of you?
COMMENT 159079P	2011-03-29 01:39 PM
Hi Auntie - I'd suggest you just use regular trash bags. I do for my 2 litter boxes. Actually I'd never trust the grocery store plastic bags, the ones I used to get (before I switched to reusable) usually had tears or small holes and wouldn't contain the litter! Cheers.
COMMENT 159073P	2011-03-29 01:33 PM
Sigh. What did people do before plastic bags? Complain about how their cloth and paper bags were too inconvenient for them? We're a nation of lazy, whiney children with too much time on their hands.
COMMENT 159068	2011-03-29 01:31 PM
It's a MUCH bigger problem than many of you realize! Here's examples of the world-wide efforts to reduce petroleum-based non-biodegradable shopping bag use. Plastic bags are either restricted or completely banned in more than 25 percent of the world. Belgium, Italy (total ban since January 1, 2011), Ireland and Hong Kong have legislation discouraging the use and encouraging the recycling of plastic bags by imposing a fixed or minimum levy for the supply of plastic bags or obliging retailers to recycle. In other jurisdictions, including three states and territories of Australia, Bangladesh, South Africa and Thailand, plastic bags are banned.
COMMENT 159067P	2011-03-29 01:29 PM
158910P for president. Awesome post. I agree 100%.
COMMENT 159066	2011-03-29 01:28 PM
I like my grocery shopping habit just fine. I really don't seem me using reusable bags soon though. I think they are great for those who one-at-a-time it and go to the grocery store frequently for only what they need for a day or so. I stock up, fill the fridge, freezer and pantry which goes for a couple of weeks. When things get eaten up I stock up again. So I use and re-use a larger quantity of bags less frequently. How many reusable bags to I need to buy and keep in my truck? A dozen? I don't have a trunk or any place in my truck to store reusable bags.
COMMENT 159060	2011-03-29 01:23 PM
@046 - picketing? over plastic bags? really, with the kind of free time you apparently have might i suggest you devote some of it to a much more urgent cause.
COMMENT 159053	2011-03-29 01:16 PM
@046 - I'm not sure if you're joking or not. It's not unsanitary to reuse bags. Get a couple of canvas bags. Most people have one or two laying around. Some stores give them away free during promotions and you can just wash them. They are probably more comfortable and easier to carry for most people than plastic bags which often break or can dig into your hand if you're walking a long distance. I don't think taking a canvas bag to the store with me is a status symbol, that's pretty ridiculous. As for rights? Well, come now. Do you really think people have "rights" to a type of bag offered by a for profit, private company?!
COMMENT 159048	2011-03-29 01:10 PM
Maybe we can talk about how the Carpinteria Von's paper bags don't have handles. A subtle push towards plastic from them has been going on for years since they took those handles off the paper bags. Its a very confusing time for grocery bagging, I guess!
COMMENT 159045P	2011-03-29 01:09 PM
040, wow. Complain much? At least people are trying to do something. Those bags are made from biodegradable materials most of the time.
COMMENT 159046	2011-03-29 01:09 PM
Along with fellow outraged Carp residents we will begin picketing outside this store. The shopping options in Carp are slim and to do away with plastic bags to put off that you are being green is a ridiculous and elitist move. I know it is convenient to some to carry reusable bags but it is not for others. For the elderly and low wage earners who may not drive, lugging around a reusable green status symbol is just not feasible or affordable. It is also very unsanitary to use reusable shopping bags. I think it’s great that some of you are into the reusable bag thing but to take away our rights and choices is scary. Albertsons, the backlash is coming.
COMMENT 159040	2011-03-29 01:04 PM
Wonder how many of those "reusable" bags will wind up in the landfill? Wonder what kind of material is in most of bags sold at grocery stores. Unlike, Trader Joe's bags, the ones in the grocery stores are too small and feel strange to the touch (as if made out of plastic fibers). Are those individuals who whine about plastic bags ready to give up their Toyota Prius's, they are made out of plastic and some of it will end up in the landfill. As with older cars, made out of metal, a material that can be melted down and used again. How about the material that the battery cells are made of, will it last a lifetime? If you should debate about something, know your facts and question what you do first... The Aamish live a true "Green" life, unlike most of the environmentalists that like to whine.
COMMENT 159038	2011-03-29 01:03 PM
I remember reading an article in which the author addressed his frustration at all that was going wrong in the world. Rather than kvetch endlessly about it, he decided to change one bad habit that was hurting the environment. I took that to heart. Three years ago I 100% stopped using paper or plastic bags. I have a small but useful supply of reuseable shopping bags in my car. I use them for everything. It was a simple change and I'm glad I did it.
AUNTIE S.	2011-03-29 01:02 PM
I use reusable bags at TJ's and other places, but always ask for plastic at Von's because like many other posters I re-use them in many ways at home - specifically for cleaning out litter boxes! If I can't get 'em at the grocery store I'll have to BUY them, so somebody will still have to manufacture them and they'll still fill up the landfills. What's the solution to that problem?
COMMENT 159034P	2011-03-29 12:58 PM
First, it is Carpinteria. I don't have a problem with it. I think people need to start bringing their own bags more often to the store and if this helps, so be it. That store, btw, is a trashy, dirty poor excuse of an Albertson's so I never shop there. The food is usually spoiled and the floor is sticky and there are flies on the produce. The bag issue is the least of their worries.
COMMENT 159031	2011-03-29 12:46 PM
it's not even just about litter. "Plastic bags are made from oil: it takes about 430,000 gallons of oil to produce 100 million plastic bags, and the U.S. goes through 380 billion of them a year." [fooddemocracy.wordpress] just sayin'...
COMMENT 159024	2011-03-29 12:36 PM
So maybe if Santa Barbarans can adapt to this, it is possible that they can adapt to other things such as leaf blowers, homeless people, neighbors cars parked in front of your house, etc. It just may be a starting point for SB locals to lighten up a bit and quit acting like movie stars....... but I doubt it.
TAZ	2011-03-29 12:29 PM
We had to pay for plastic bags in Ireland in 2003. I was almost insulted, and thought it mean of them because it wasn't a service to me and I had no bag. Now i think it's a great and obvious idea. I just had to get used to the thought of it. I saw it as being deprived because I was used to the convenience of it. Trader Joe's sign "Your bags are in your car" was a great way to acclimate me. It didn't say I had to bring my bags, but it reminded me I did indeed intend to bring bags in. Now I take them in to Costco where they rarely gave bags - and yes even to Albertson's at 5 Points where it seems to surprise them. My bags are stronger and I find them easy and actually better to use. And it feels good to keep the little suckers off the landfill.
COMMENT 159016	2011-03-29 12:24 PM
Of all the inconveniences I've ever had to suffer, bringing my own bags to a grocery store ranks pretty low. Go without a car for 1 week and then talk about inconvenience. As for meat, butchers can wrap that in paper for you. I've never had leaky meat as a result. I get that part of being a conservative is to become outraged by every attempt at progress, but I'm unsympathetic to the histrionic outrage in the original post.
COMMENT 159005	2011-03-29 12:08 PM
It's one thing to encourage people to bring their own bag for their groceries, but completely different when they force it on you. Let's be honest, Albertson's primary motive is for them to stop having to buy bags and not helping the environment. I give them a month before they switch back after having lost so much business to Vons.
COMMENT 159003	2011-03-29 12:05 PM
Kudos to Albertsons, I will shop there more now that they have taken this position. Just say no to one use plastic bags !!!!
COMMENT 159002	2011-03-29 12:03 PM
Many years ago I saw an interview with a young woman who was working in an impoverished area in Africa and she was asked if she ever got discouraged because all of her efforts amounted to only "a drop in the bucket" given the dire situation where she was. She responded, "No, because a drop in the bucket is what I can do." I think about her any time I think my individual actions don't matter.
COMMENT 158999	2011-03-29 12:01 PM
What about the fact that Albertson's baggers place one item per bag instead of loading as much as possible into ONE bag? Albertson's is refusing to take responsibility for its own contribution to the problem, as are most grocery stores. Blame the general public - most of whom, as is evident from these comments, are conscious of not littering and re-using bags. No, Albertson's isnt at fault for failure to supervise their employees and/or train them properly to not place one item per bag b/c they are too lazy to figure out how to fit more in one bag. I can't tell you how many times I've said "please put as much in one bag as possible" only to leave with a quart of milk in its own bag. Ridiculous.
EDHATBARBARA	2011-03-29 12:00 PM
Costco, Food4Less and other places offer no bags at all -- we collectively agree that's okay because we want low prices. It's a matter of what we are used to.
COMMENT 158993	2011-03-29 11:55 AM
It's about "freedom to choose"? Really? If so, it seems like there are plenty of choices....to shop there or not, bring one's own bags or not, buy one's own plastic bags or not. Just like the store's management has a choice whether to supply all their customers with free plastic bags or not.
COMMENT 158991P	2011-03-29 11:51 AM
i like what albertson's is doing. all you complainers amaze me. when someone i know makes a huge deal out of something trivial, because that "something" happens to "hurt" them, i tell the complainer that he or she has a "montecito" problem - meaning it's not a spinal cord injury or a cancer diagnosis or the loss of a loved one, etc., etc. in this case we seem to have a "carpinteria" problem. like another poster pointed out, it's not that the medicine tastes bitter, it's just that some people want to dig their heels in and resist anything that isn't their idea. get over it, wankers, and take your own damn bags with you when you go to the store. maybe you'll even start buying less. less consumption would be a good by-broduct of this change.
COMMENT 158990	2011-03-29 11:48 AM
Bags will be banned eventually it is just a matter of time...if anyone wants to bet on it, let me know.
COMMENT 158984P	2011-03-29 11:39 AM
@969, look for reusable plastic containers for your sandwich and other food items. It's all a matter of learning new habits. I've been thankful that my daughter's preschool required "trashless lunches". It's a habit I've continued and feel good about too. Reuse is always better than recycle.
JOJOFLYS	2011-03-29 11:37 AM
How is this your freedom to choose? It's the store/business' freedom to decide what to provide (at no cost) to its customers. You don't even have freedom to choose what to purchase. You can only purchase what the retailer offers. So this decision is made for you by someone else. I just don't understand the use of the term 'freedom to choose' in this context.
COMMENT 158980	2011-03-29 11:36 AM
I can't believe most Edhatters are for plastic bags. I seriously thought most of them had some form of education. The person in the string that said stopping plastic bags will not stop littering... NO SH_T! Talk about missing the point. You can not recycle these bags and most humans just toss them. They are all over the place as trash. At some point there needs to be intervention because most people are not pro-active enough for this. Most shoppers that are younger use their own bags. Get with the program!
COMMENT 158979P	2011-03-29 11:35 AM
Ditto to 920. Just because it does not solve the whole problem is not a good reason not to try to solve a little bit at a time. This is a great start. I take my reusable bags to all stores that I shop in, not just grocery stores. Not a big deal. I just keep them in my car at all times. As for dog waste, I buy BioBags that are made from corn starch and are fully compostable.
EDHATBARBARA	2011-03-29 11:32 AM
An old man walked up a shore littered with thousands of starfish, beached and dying after a storm. A young man was picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean. "Why do you bother?" the old man scoffed. "You're not saving enough to make a difference." The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back to the water. "Made a difference to that one," he said.
COMMENT 158976	2011-03-29 11:32 AM
Well done, Albertsons. Plastic bags are disgusting.
COMMENT 158969	2011-03-29 11:24 AM
I think that ending the use of plastic bags is an excellent idea. I applaud Albertson's Carpinteria store for doing this. Now if I could only figure out how to do without those handy little sandwich bags, large garbage bags, plastic wrap, etc., etc. Well, it's a good start!
COMMENT 158965	2011-03-29 11:21 AM
954...these are not the freedoms that our soldiers, our 4 Fathers and others have fought and are fighting for. Don't take your "freedoms" so seriously. It's a friggin' bag not your right to marry your life partner, etc. It's not enforced or initiated to strip you of your freedom. Do you not see the greater good here? Did you not read COMMENT 916?
COMMENT 158962P	2011-03-29 11:14 AM
I'm still not sure how I stand on this issue of no plastic grocery bags. I save most of them (folded neated in a box per my grandmother's example) and reuse. I have a "wire basket" trash receptable designed to hang plastic grocery bags under my kitchen sink and I will have to change this if these bags are no longer available. But I can adapt, and like many of us, I won't likely change until I have to. While it would be preferable to have a choice, most of us would take the lazy way and continue to use disposable (wastefull) bags. p.s. For dog owners, buy MuttMitts online in a big box - much better than grocery bags anyway.
COMMENT 158963	2011-03-29 11:14 AM
I am no hard-core environmentalist, but I am willing to give it this idea a try-- as a matter of fact it will draw me to Albertson's Carp. Each month I carry hundreds of these plastic flim-flam wafers back to the store recycle bin, and I will be glad to see less of a collection. I will still have plenty to line my trash can tho', as Von's seems geared to pack one item in each sack!
COMMENT 158961	2011-03-29 11:13 AM
We tried to let you choose. You chose poorly, so now the choices will be made for you.
COMMENT 158954	2011-03-29 11:05 AM
OP here. People, the WHY’s were completely cynical and meant to be mildly humorous to spark a conversation. The argument isn't if plastic bags are good or bad for the environment. In fact it isn’t about plastic bags at all. Look at the reason for the WHYs and not the content of them and you will see it's about someone taking away your freedom to choose and not about plastic bags. Period. Use your own bag, plastic bags, paper, cardboard box, just the cart or your hands……..or whatever else. Just don’t tell me what I can and can’t use because you think it’s best for us all.
COMMENT 158951	2011-03-29 11:04 AM
i am truly amazed at the lack of responsibility for the environment shown in this community. Where does this come from? I don't know anyone who feels the way these people do but yet here they are in force. i guess it is the infamous SB entitlement coming to life. your parents might have told you that you were special but you are not. they just had enough money to fool you into thinking that you are better than everyone else. it is disgusting. i hope the Albertsons in SB follows suit. I will patronize them exclusively if they do.
COMMENT 158948	2011-03-29 10:59 AM
Why? Because left to make decisions on their own, most people choose the easier rather than benefit others. Because individuals behave as though they're have no effect upon those around them. Because you'd clearly rather complain than make a choice to waste less.
COMMENT 158946	2011-03-29 10:58 AM
Silliest thing I've ever heard. People will just buy bags to line wastebaskets, pick up dog poo, etc. Not going to solve the problem. Glad I have a huge stockpile of bags so when Albie's on the Mesa turns too, I won't have to worry - oh wait, then I'll just go somewhere else! LOL. Maybe the "greenies" should let everyone know they don't need to pick up their dog poo anymore b/c the greenies don't want them using plastic bags anymore, so just leave it there. It's natural anyway! Better that than picking it up w/ a plastic bag and then throwing it and the bag out. Hypocrites.
EDHATBARBARA	2011-03-29 10:52 AM
It's been an adjustment, and sometimes I forget. I forgive myself when that happens. I'm a work in progress. I like the idea, however, and support it.
COMMENT 158930	2011-03-29 10:44 AM
So, what is the Health Department’s position on this? If anyone is allowed to “share a bag” for others to use, how do we know they were cleaned beforehand? [Quote: “As part of the Take-a-Bag/Leave-a-Bag program, people will be able to donate reusable bags for other customers’ use.”]
COMMENT 158928	2011-03-29 10:43 AM
Just do as we do, reuse your Vons bag to shop at Albertsons and your Albertsons bag to shop at Vons. It's great to see the look on the cashiers and boxpersons face when you pull them out and ask them to put the groceries from their store into a competitors bag.
COMMENT 158924	2011-03-29 10:36 AM
Easy. Plastic bag CRV. Penny a bag. Recycle the bags. Gives the homeless one more thing to collect out of the trash so they can eat (ok...or buy beer). Kills two birds with one stone.
COMMENT 158922	2011-03-29 10:35 AM
FYI, you can buy 1000 plastic grocery bags online for about $30. They literally use so little material, it comes in a reasonably sized roll you can hold in one hand. You get more packaging in one box of cereal than in all of the bags in your trip. This is more greenwashed nonsense.
COMMENT 158923	2011-03-29 10:35 AM
OP: People like you are the reason WHY we have such a bad problem with waste and over populated landfills. We SHOULD be discouraging the use of plastic bags and instead be encouraging the use of reusable bags. I think it's great that a big chain like albertsons is going bagless. Get off your high horse. "WHY do I have to stockpile bags in my vehicle in the event that I need to go to the grocery store?" oh come on. is it really that hard? every little bit counts. the less plastic bags we use the better. yeah, you may enjoy your luxuries such as being able to tie the top of a plastic bag so it doesn't spill over in your car, but people being so attached to luxuries like this is how we got to be such huge consumers of plastic bags in the first place! you need a reality check. our environment and it's resources aren't going to last forever unless we start to make these changes.
COMMENT 158920	2011-03-29 10:34 AM
Imagine a world before plastic bags, as it once was. Imagine a world free of complaining about not having a plastic bag (most of them tear and are no good after one use) to line your trash can, or take your lunch in, or pick up dog poop. Imagine a world where people were adaptable, to the good the bad and the ugly. My Mother is in her mid-80's and takes her reusable bags to the store, she hates the plastic bags. She also saves her dead batteries and disposes of them properly. So some people are adaptable to change, even older people. Regardless of your stance on the issue...is such complaining about it really productive?? Yes, go shop elsewhere if you don't like..but just do it and don't complain about. I probably shouldn't read these messages because, it is usually someone ranting about something...Edhat should propose One Day Free of Complaining! Peace
COMMENT 158919	2011-03-29 10:33 AM
Here's a second to COMMENT 158911. Eloquently put.
COMMENT 158916	2011-03-29 10:30 AM
500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used every year, worldwide. About 1 million plastic bags are used every minute. A single plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to degrade. More than 3.5 million tons of plastic bags, sacks and wraps were discarded in 2008. Only 1 in 200 plastic bags in the UK are recycled (BBC). The U.S. goes through 100 billion single-use plastic bags. This costs retailers about $4 billion a year. Plastic bags are the second-most common type of ocean refuse, after cigarette butts (2008) Plastic bags remain toxic even after they break down. Every square mile of ocean has about 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in it.
COMMENT 158910P	2011-03-29 10:18 AM
I live in downtown Carp and will support Albertsons in this effort. BTW, they are not eliminating the light clear plastic bags used to wrap meat and produce, just the grocery sacks, so if you're concerned about leaky raw chicken, put it in a clear plastic bag available at the meat cooler! If you want to get to the root cause of litter, it's stupid people breeding more stupid people. We're not going to solve that problem here, but that doesn't mean we can't take a few less meaningful steps like this one to help.
COMMENT 158911	2011-03-29 10:18 AM
Just because you're not littering with the plastic bags doesn't mean you're not contributing to the problem. The idea is to NOT use or reuse the plastic bags. They don't biodegrade and lets face it...there are too many of them. Over your lifetime can you even imagine how many plastic bags you have used much less that have been produced? Is it that hard of a concept to understand that they are bad for the environment? Hardly a difficult concept to comprehend but VERY difficult to dispute. It's not a cure-all but it is one thing we can do.
COMMENT 158909	2011-03-29 10:17 AM
If they want to eliminate the plastic bags then they should still offer paper bags. They can also offer a discount to those that remember to bring in their reusable bags like other grocery stores currently do (typically 5 or 10 cents per trip).
COMMENT 158907	2011-03-29 10:15 AM
The gnat on the elephant's backside. Won't matter a whit in the universal scheme of things. Makes the "greenies" feel a little better, though. That's fine. I'm willing to use either paper or plastic provided at the store which I then use at home for other purposes; not willing to shuttle re-usables back and forth.
COMMENT 158905	2011-03-29 10:14 AM
It's not a very good idea. I like having options and not being dictated on how I have to shop. This going green stuff is a bunch of bull. The green campaign is a marketing genius on opportunities to make a $$$ profit from. It has nothing to do with saving mother earth. I must admit that I have done well for myself on this nonsense.
COMMENT 158902	2011-03-29 10:09 AM
Thanks, Albertsons, for turning more customers to Vons. I re-use my plastic bags as small trash can liners, lunch bags for myself, and to pick up pet waste. I never litter and can assure you that the plastic bags always end up in my trash can. Punishing everyone for a few morons who litter is a great idea.
COMMENT 158894	2011-03-29 10:01 AM
885P - Eliminating ALL platic bags will not stop littering. You must stop the people who cause it. Your arguement doesn't stand up. As if, next, you won't be able to get a drinking straw when you order an iced tea with lunch because people will throw those on the ground also. This announcement is nothing more than an empty vessel of PR flexing to attract more "greenies" to Albertsons and nothing more. While the focus on the environment and less waste may be their public focus it is nothing more than a marketing byproduct.
COMMENT 158887	2011-03-29 09:56 AM
30 cents is not asking a lot. They're giving people 30+ days to get in the habit of bringing reusable bags. There is so much unnecessary waste and you're asked to simply use reusable bags. is it really a gigantic nuisance? Throwing a canvas bag in the washing machine is a huge deal? You can always buy the laminated ones at Trader Joes and simply wipe them clean with a lysol wipe. I don't understand how one can complain about litter at the beaches etc. and then wank about using reusable bags. Wow. I'm no hippy, but I don't think it's asking much. I work full time, have a toddler and a baby on the way and I am a busy, multitasking woman. I don't find it hard to empty my bags and just walk out to my car and throw them back in. Be part of the solution!
COMMENT 158884	2011-03-29 09:54 AM
Funny thing is, I'm old enough to remember the whinging everyone did back in the early eighties when the stores went TO the plastic bags! I think its more of an issue of someone forcing us to change our habits against our will rather than whether its a good or bad thing.
COMMENT 158885P	2011-03-29 09:54 AM
As you say, don't like it, shop elsewhere when this goes into effect on April 27th. I'll take your place there, supporting their brave stand against littering. In the meantime, relax.....
COMMENT 158882	2011-03-29 09:53 AM
Meanwhile they continue to sell over packaged goods. This is sticking it to the customer and does little to green Carp or the planet. Nonsense
COMMENT 158880	2011-03-29 09:50 AM
Agreed. Shop at Vons and pray they don't do the same. I re-use my plastic grocery bags for dog yard cleanup. Three times a day. While the bags technically go to "waste" they never go to waste.

39% of comments on this page were made by Edhat Community Members.

*** 3 comments were deleted from this thread by the Edhat Board Nanny for violating Edhat Comments Board policy. Click Here to see them.

Comments on this thread are only open to Community Members.

# # # #