Supermarket/plastic bag rant

Closed Thread
Page 2 of 5 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 5 LastLast
  1. #11

    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    184

    I'm not being tight. I just don't buy this campaign, when the supermarket chains and corporate groups behind them show disdain for the environment on every other day of the week. If they want to have a "no plastic bag day", for me it will be a "no grocery shopping day".

    I still don't understand how this type of action will benefit the environment. I, and most other people are required to dispose of household rubbish in plastic bags. Are other people using slop buckets? If I didn't reuse bags from Wellcome and Park N' Shop, I would have to buy extra plastic bags.

    Last edited by c1000; 25-04-2007 at 10:01 PM.

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    14,414
    Quote Originally Posted by c1000:
    I'm not being tight. I just don't buy this campaign, when the supermarket chains and corporate groups behind them show disdain for the environment on every other day of the week. If they want to have a "no plastic bag day", for me it will be a "no grocery shopping day".

    I still don't understand how this type of action will benefit the environment. I, and most other people are required to dispose of household rubbish in plastic bags. Are other people using slop buckets? If I didn't reuse bags from Wellcome and Park N' Shop, I would have to buy extra plastic bags.
    Its educating people to get into the habit of providing their own bags thus cutting down on longer term wasteage of resources.

    Instead of buying plastic bags whats wrong with you paying a few dollars and getting yourself a canvas type bag etc for your shopping? Or is it again you resent having to pay a few cents/dollars more than you really have to?


  3. #13

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    5,044

    I do agree with the principles with the OP ..

    The one day is half arsed .. like the whole "lights out" thing and the whole lower the flag to half mast thing.

    Long term insignificant .. but short term great PR.


  4. #14

    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    1,002

    I try so hard to bring my own bags but I have never once remembered to bring one on no bag day.....

    My guess is, I own 25 of those neon orange/green/red Park N Shop bags !


  5. #15

    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    184
    Quote Originally Posted by jimbo:

    Instead of buying plastic bags whats wrong with you paying a few dollars and getting yourself a canvas type bag etc for your shopping? Or is it again you resent having to pay a few cents/dollars more than you really have to?

    No, again your psychoanalysis is off the mark. 1. I need the plastic bags to throw out my trash. 2. Sometimes I'm walking on the street and suddenly remember a few things I need to buy. I don't always have a canvas bag on my person. This isn't like the US or Europe, where people typically drive to the supermarket and can leave a load of canvas bags in their trunk.

    If I resented paying more than I have to, I wouldn't shop at the supermarket chains in the first place. How is it that even with their economies of scale, Hong Kong supermarkets still manage to charge HIGHER prices for many items than the neighborhood mom & pop stores?
    Last edited by c1000; 26-04-2007 at 01:16 AM.

  6. #16

    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    in a little hole
    Posts
    1,229

    he he he...

    it is a bit of a hypocrisy. have doors wide open, A/C on full tilt, open fridge compartments... ya de dah...

    i like the "no plastic bags" discount wellcome offers.. like 50c if you spend $100 or something as trivial as that. What incentive is that?!

    i used to live with people who bought garbage bags that were biodegradable, but used their "free" shopping bags to bag the rubbish anyway...

    i think the whole issue is as previously stated, aiming at raising social awareness. YES, there could be more warnings for you. but i guess if you really were concerned about the environment you could source some biodegradable plastic bags for your garbage and then carry a citysuper bag in your backpack/bag to work. they take up less room than a softdrink can.

    and now you know about the no bags days, be prepared for them! it's not that hard, really.

    i do hear your point, but there's a way around it. (yeah, don't shop on those days, as you said!!)

    Last edited by dropdedfwed; 26-04-2007 at 01:26 AM.

  7. #17

    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    184
    Quote Originally Posted by dropdedfwed:
    he he he...

    i think the whole issue is as previously stated, aiming at raising social awareness. YES, there could be more warnings for you. but i guess if you really were concerned about the environment you could source some biodegradable plastic bags for your garbage and then carry a citysuper bag in your backpack/bag to work. they take up less room than a softdrink can.
    Good point. I will check if they sell biodegradable plastic bags at Park N' Shop or Wellcome. Those of us who have lived in HK long enough may recall that at one time, Park N' Shop made a fuss about offering partially recycled or biodegradable bags, but apparently reverted to plain old plastic. I'm not against being charged for plastic bags, as long as it's a consistent practice rather than a PR gimmick by the same great corporate citizens that sold oilfish as cod, sold dog meat, gouge consumers on a daily basis and go overboard bagging groceries every other day of the month.
    Last edited by c1000; 26-04-2007 at 01:43 AM.

  8. #18

    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    118

    They gotta start somewhere

    Also, if you live in an apartment unit, do check with the management if you get plastic bags. My apartment complex gives us a roll every so often.

    Food for thought, imagine when everyone in China can shop at a Wellcome/Park'n'Shop. 1.3 billion people with first world waste output. Now that's something that keeps you up at night.


  9. #19

    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Fo Tan
    Posts
    2,389

    After encountering our first "no plastic bag day" we purchased some reusable ones and now (almost never) use a grocery store plastic bag. And, if the item being purchased will fit in the diaper bag, we don't use plastic bags at other stores.
    So, for us anyway, it isn't a once-a-week thing, it is an all the time thing. We are cutting down on our personal plastic bag waste because of this campaign. When we were in the USA we accumulated tons of plastic bags from Wal-Mart, Target, etc....
    And we still have enough plastic bags to use as bin liners from our purchases.


  10. #20

    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    14,414
    Quote Originally Posted by Sleuth:
    After encountering our first "no plastic bag day" we purchased some reusable ones and now (almost never) use a grocery store plastic bag. And, if the item being purchased will fit in the diaper bag, we don't use plastic bags at other stores.
    So, for us anyway, it isn't a once-a-week thing, it is an all the time thing. We are cutting down on our personal plastic bag waste because of this campaign. When we were in the USA we accumulated tons of plastic bags from Wal-Mart, Target, etc....
    And we still have enough plastic bags to use as bin liners from our purchases.
    Ooh finally somebody with a bit of sense that finds a solution to the problem rather than moan about it all the time.