Single use plastic bag ban by Government

[zipping]

Originally Posted by lucas2

I work for one of the big two. I find that many of the people that complain about the bags being gone just don't understand the actual scale of usage and waste. My store (an average sized store) would go through 100,000-120,000 grey bags per week or 5.2 million + per year. When I explain the figures to the most resilient customers they are often shocked by the magnitude of bags.

Woolworths and Coles have a combined 1,800 stores across the country. When you do the maths on it, the amounts of bags being consumed is staggering.

Like a lot of people, I would use the grey bags for garbage at home. However, a large amount of people don't and either litter the bags or send them to land fill. I found many people took the bags for granted and I have had many people request bags when they are purchasing a single chocolate bar or gum. People will often place one or two bananas into a fresh produce bag and then request another bag.

The positive so far is the consideration people are now taking as to whether or not they really need a bag. Instead of putting out 10+ boxes of grey bags (1000 in each box), we are now doing 4-5 boxes (500 in each box) of reusable bags per night.

Even though there are many other wasteful aspects within these businesses, I do think this is a step in the right direction to reducing waste. We just need to find an environmentally friendly plastic alternative.

Also, you don't have to purchase the bags from the supermarkets if you are concerned that they are purely profiting off of them. There are many charities or stores that you can support by purchasing their bags. Or you can always ask for a box instead.

Out of interest what do you say about the fact that since the ban, sales are down and check out staff is up?

Are you concerned that profitability is down?

It blows me away that sooo many people just assume plastic is bad.

Fair enough.

But just consider for 2 seconds all the products the store you work for wraps in plastic.

You dwarf plastic bags with packaging

The only reason I'm responding to this post is looking at it from a business point of view, you seem to be OK with the business you work for taking a financial hit (maybe short term).

Call me crazy but that's super weird.

[lucas2]

Originally Posted by zipping

Out of interest what do you say about the fact that since the ban, sales are down and check out staff is up?

Are you concerned that profitability is down?

It blows me away that sooo many people just assume plastic is bad.

Fair enough.

But just consider for 2 seconds all the products the store you work for wraps in plastic.

You dwarf plastic bags with packaging

The only reason I'm responding to this post is looking at it from a business point of view, you seem to be OK with the business you work for taking a financial hit (maybe short term).

Call me crazy but that's super weird.

Checkout staff were initially increased to cope with the reduction in packing speed and to help appease the customers who were upset with the change. It is definitely slower but staff seem to be increasing in speed and I don't think it impacts the overall sales too greatly (I could be wrong but it is still early). For the most part, my store's sales are ~12% higher than the same time last year when we did have the grey bags - My store continues to grow in sales despite the bag ban (the growth isn't attributed to sales of bags).

You're correct that a lot of the things in store are wrapped in plastic. I see it as a massive waste and a bigger problem than the shopping bags for sure. But there isn't a cost effective alternative for it that can be implemented on such a large scale. Customer bag change was the low hanging fruit the government and businesses could test the waters with - there are heaps of alternatives to plastic carry bags but not necessarily to food that must be sealed and sanitary.

People do assume plastic is bad. I can't see it as being good for the environment. It's only been around for a little over 100 years so the long term impacts are probably not well understood yet.

As much as I want the business to succeed and I work hard so that it does (as much as I can control it) I also don't value a short term cost to the company over what is going to be better for the community in the long term.

I'm by no means a "greeny", I just don't like unnecessary waste if it can be avoided. Ironic considering where I work, however at a store level we do pretty good at ensuring all of our plastic is recycled. Food wastage is probably the bigger issue.

[Fed]

I'm happy to buy my own bags for rubbish, the problem is figuring out what to get so I can be a greeny. Ideally they would be like coles greys but maybe degradable if they don't degrade too fast.

[EgoFG]

Honestly, if this were truly about the environment a paper bag option would have been taken.
It has in many other countries.
Farmed unbleached paper is good for the environment.

But guess what - it would cost the supermarkets more, rather than saving them money.
In fact, paper bags at 3 cents each would probably be the perfect option.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by EgoFG

Honestly, if this were truly about the environment a paper bag option would have been taken.
It has in many other countries.
Farmed unbleached paper is good for the environment.

But guess what - it would cost the supermarkets more, rather than saving them money.
In fact, paper bags at 3 cents each would probably be the perfect option.

You are more than welcome to take your own paper bag. This is the reason they put a cost on the new bags. To encourage people to choose an alternative.

[EgoFG]

Originally Posted by prydey

You are more than welcome to take your own paper bag. This is the reason they put a cost on the new bags. To encourage people to choose an alternative.

My solution is to not buy more than I can carry

[INJECTED_250]

Originally Posted by EgoFG

My solution is to not buy more than I can carry

It’s amazing how much you can fit into your pockets and hold under your arms
Ban plastic bags one week the next week giving away plastic mini foods that will all end up in land fill any way .
Selling apples wrapped up in so much plastic..
Could go on and on forever.

If serious about plastic being issue don’t offer any plastic bags for sale at counter at all ... see these things littered everywhere already.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by EgoFG

My solution is to not buy more than I can carry

I wear cargo pants - bulk pockets!!!!

[whitelion65]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

I wear cargo pants - bulk pockets!!!!

But do you empty them at the checkout? ;-)

[Interceptor]

Discovered today that "single use" shopping bags are still allowed if theyre over a certain thickness....

So a bag that takes 5 years to break down is bad, but the thicker bag that takes 10 years to break down isn't..... go figure....

Also, noticed last night walking out of woollies that someone had chucked one of the 15c bags into a rubbish bin literally a stones throw from the checkouts....

Stupid, isn't it?

[lucas2]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

So a bag that takes 5 years to break down is bad, but the thicker bag that takes 10 years to break down isn't..... go figure....

The reduction in the amount of bags being used may outweigh the difference in break down times. As a supermarket we are using far less bags than we used to. Previously we would go through 7,000-10,000 bags per day - now we go through 1,000-1,500 per day. Our in-store waste from plastic shopping bags is largely reduced too.

[Interceptor]

Charging for bags will slow usage down..... One of my suppliers is still using the bags they used 5 years ago, and theyre still free....

[Ben73]

The value of my pantry bottom shelf is increasing every week.

[Franco Cozzo]

Men are avoiding reusable shopping bags so they won't look gay

“People may avoid certain behaviors because they are managing the gendered impression they anticipate others will have of them."

New research conducted at Penn State University in the US has found that traditional gender roles are causing some men to ignore their responsibilities to the environment.

According to Penn State professor of psychology Janet K. Swim, men can be unwilling to perform environmentally friendly tasks if they perceive them as 'gendered', such as using reusable shopping bags.

“There may be subtle, gender-related consequences when we engage in various pro-environmental behaviors,” Swim said.

“People may avoid certain behaviors because they are managing the gendered impression they anticipate others will have of them. Or they may be avoided if the behaviors they choose do not match their gender.”

https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/sexual...-wont-look-gay

No, I just buy new ones every time because its just a BS money grab under environmentalism - they've just made you pay for thicker more robust plastic bags, its not like they've completely stopped distributing them.

I'm not taking bags to the shops - thats their job to provide the bags and pack my goods for me

[Mont5.0]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/sexual...-wont-look-gay

No, I just buy new ones every time because its just a BS money grab under environmentalism - they've just made you pay for thicker more robust plastic bags, its not like they've completely stopped distributing them.

I'm not taking bags to the shops - thats their job to provide the bags and pack my goods for me

same, If they put one of the products i buy up by 15c each time i shopped, i wouldn't notice- so whats the difference paying 15c for a bag each time? say i bought that much crap i required 45c worth of bags (3) whats the difference if you throw in a $2 "impulse" buy etc. I generally get Woolies home delivered each week, so no real impulse buys to talk of. when i do have to go for the odd thing, i get a bag. (unless its a single item). Its 15c FFS. fuel prices goes up and down by that much each hour...

[prydey]

Geez Damo, you need to spend less time in the crapper. Not satisfied with your grey nomad rile up, you have to resurrect this one as well.

[smoo]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/sexual...-wont-look-gay

No, I just buy new ones every time because its just a BS money grab under environmentalism - they've just made you pay for thicker more robust plastic bags, its not like they've completely stopped distributing them.

I'm not taking bags to the shops - thats their job to provide the bags and pack my goods for me

Just more guilt tripping from media directed towards anyone who doesn’t buy into this BS.
But who pays for them...
bag them free on the self check out along with loose avocados and capsicums etc as brown onions or potatoes, while larger items get left in the trolley.
****ed if I’m doing their job for nothing because they are too tight to have a minimum wage school kid or retiree on the checkout.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by prydey

Geez Damo, you need to spend less time in the crapper. Not satisfied with your grey nomad rile up, you have to resurrect this one as well.

[stefcio007]

I couldn’t tell if people were taking the urine (the 4 letter word for the same thing is censored?) at first and then I realised people were serious.

Can’t remember the last time I bought a plastic bag, I’ve always got a re-usable one in the boot. Costco doesn’t even sell them so it’s from the trolley to the boot to the home.

[PG2]

Originally Posted by prydey

Geez Damo, you need to spend less time in the crapper. Not satisfied with your grey nomad rile up, you have to resurrect this one as well.

Yep, I agree.

Thread closed.