Australia reduced plastic bag use by 80% in just 3 months
Hi there my Steemit friends and followers!
Just a few days after informing you about the hopeful prospects of the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise, I am coming with another exciting piece of news that eco-friendly Steemians (and not just them of course) will surely appreciate.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons)
There was a lot of commotion when Australia´s two largest supermarket chains Woolworths and Coles decided to stop handing out plastic bags in their stores in summer 2018.
However, it was later found out that just three months after the adoption of this policy, the overall use of plastic bags in the whole country dropped by staggering 80%.
While this fact itself is amazing, I can see a huge potential there to motivate other countries, companies, nations and governments to come up with similar initiatives because it obviously works and what might seem like an insignificant change at first can actually make a gigantic difference towards a better and healthier environment in the end.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons)
How is the situation with plastic bags in supermarkets in your country, my fellows Steemians? In my Czech homeland, they are still available in the stores but they are not free anymore - you have to buy them - which has led to a considerable decrease in their use. But here in Mexico where I am currently based, there are these "baggers" in all local supermarkets who automatically put your purchased grocery into plastic bags (and some of them are actually quite pissed when you ask them not to do that for you).
I found in Central America and Mexico, it was the plastic bag. They pretended they didn't understand me when I asked them not to.
In Europe, the bags are charged for almost everywhere or people bring their own, something I learned living there. It was a truly valuable lesson in environmentalism. They truly have a grasp on it and their American friends haven't quite caught on. When it has a more direct effect, I imagine they will ramp it up, but, why wait?
Don't we subscribe to preventative measures? I thought.
Well, there are some stores that charge for bags and I note that the younger generation and the older have gone the way of bringing their own reusable bags... now we need to squeeze the middle age into submission. Charge them. I notice that hurts and drives people to bring their own - to save the 3 cents. :))
Thank you for the important reminder and the good news! I hope we can all be a part of the solution. Have a most wonderful day! Apologies for the low voting power. I am hoping by not using it, it will get back up there. :))
If you have any posts that center around a market or any paid service in your travels, I host a tag called #MarketFriday which is tomorrow. Just drop a link in my comment section if you do it. We love to see markets from all over the world!
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Hey Denise! Thanks for your valuable contribution to the discussion. Yeah, to me, it also felt like Europe is generally ahead of the US in this area. While in the US only certain states (like California and Colorado I think) are known for their progressive environmental policies, the concept of recycling and reusing things is much more common and widespread in Europe.
Thanks for letting me know about the MarketFriday tag, I will keep that in mind next time I will post about something along these lines ;)
Thank you! I know you visit some pretty awesome places and I am sure that you would be an asset to the tag and maybe even drive more traffic your way.
That is never a bad thing.
In my country, the Netherlands they charge you 10or 25 cents for a plastic bag in the supermarket. It sure helps, but I think we need more ideas.
Yeah, I guess 10 cents extra is nothing for most Dutch so the motivating factor is not really working here. We just need to ban the bags by law ;) Thanks for your contribution to this topic!
More good news!
In Canada, there is a movement to reduce the plastic bags but it seems to have stalled at the supermarkets just charging you $.10 for a bag. So, while it does restrict the free distribution of them a little, it is not enough for most people as adding 1$ to a $200 grocery trip is not painful enough for bringing bags. That and the supermarkets are just pocketing the money.
On the encouraging side, my daughter has started remembering the reusable bags when we go so I am working on myself and the next generation.
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Awesome! Happy to hear about your daughter´s initiative. There is a revival of reusable bags called "síťovky" in my country too :) They used to be very popular in the communist era but I don´t care - as long as they help reduce the use of plastic bags, I am fine with it :)
Yes same thing India
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Same like where?
In panama it’s the same, they bag it in double plastic bags ... only on our island we got them banned and hopefully the rest of the country will follow soon. I’m on my way to mainland, and I already know I will get bombarded with plastic and will have to say NO
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I know - way to go Bocas! :)) Btw how come your local authorities are so progressive? I would bet you are somehow involved in that, aren´t you? :)
There are many ways to avoid plastic bags, for example there are also bags that will dissolve when they come in contact with water. Technology can do miracles, the point it the will, it depends on how willing we are to find a solution for this kind of problem.
That´s good point Anna, thanks for your contribution.
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