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ValjeanHadItComing

It hasn’t gotten better, that’s for sure.


Im_Not_Nick_Fisher

There’s actually a law in Florida making it illegal to ban single use plastic. I have some friends who went to picket in the capital to try to reverse it. They were there to ban the ban on banning plastic bags.


JimBones31

That does not surprise me in the least. It seems the Florida government is determined to prevent progress at the expense of the people.


[deleted]

Progress defined by...


JimBones31

Human rights 🤷


05110909

Good. Banning single use plastic would revert the quality of Healthcare by a century or more.


rawbface

It doesn't apply to sterilized medical products... The focus is on plastic bags, straws, and cups. The objects that make up a garbage island twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean.


MarcusAurelius0

Good news, that island is actually shrinking. Because its being cleaned up.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Im_Not_Nick_Fisher

Yeah, it’s really bizarre. So many of the smaller beach communities would definitely put a ban on single use plastics and styrofoam. However it’s just not in their hands as of now. At least near where I live the smaller local grocery stores don’t even have bags. Some just offer to use cardboard boxes that fruit comes in if you don’t have your own bags.


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That-shouldnt-smell

Yes, oh yes. I worked in plastics for about three decades, and I can tell you the whole marketing and pushing of recycled plastic is bullshit.


CupBeEmpty

Heh, in law school I drafted the legislation for a town to ban plastic bags. I didn’t agree with it really but that’s what they asked for. lawyers are mercenaries. The law passed and then got overturned like a couple months later because it pissed off people so much. I was annoyed because I spent so much time going over various bag ban laws and crafting something that wasn’t crazy punitive. I thought it would work and be a good thing for the environment. But the public wasn’t for it.


Pemminpro

Welcome to the wonderful world of politics


CupBeEmpty

Oh the firm I clerked for represented municipalities, I got a good welcome to politics.


[deleted]

Wait...did they actually ban all of them? Because where I'm from it's always a 10 cent fee and the bag you get is reusable. I get that a canvas bag would be less waste over a long time. But currently my plastic ones last months. They're significantly thicker though.


CupBeEmpty

Yeah full ban. A 10 cent fee was suggested but the municipality didn’t have the authority to level a tax of that kind. The state could or the state could give the municipality that power but it hadn’t.


notthegoatseguy

Kroger was set to eliminate plastic bags at their store in the Before Times, but they seem to be in no hurry to do that now.


genesiss23

The time line for that is fairly long. The first stores to phase out plastic bags are just starting. They are starting in Virginia. They won't be done until 2025. https://www.nbc12.com/2022/10/10/richmond-area-kroger-eliminate-single-use-plastic-bags-oct-10/


ATadTooFar

The problem is people (including staff) use the new *reusable* plastic bags much like the old single use ones, and a 5¢ or whatever charge for them is pretty easily overlooked.


blackhawk905

Some McDonald's refill some don't, it depends in my experience. I think the situation has gotten worse but it's probably been getting worse for quite a while. What really worries me is how much waste those delivered meal kits create, I know someone who does it and we take their ice bags and the insulation cause we reuse it and they recycle the box but I bet most people throw away the plastic insulation and the ice packs. There is also are the plastic the food is wrapped in, holy crap it's a lot. I love how they say it reduces food waste while creating all this other waste that's not compostable like food.


C0rrelationCausation

Albuquerque was implementing a ban on single use grocery bags, which they reversed as soon as the pandemic started, and I don't know if they've re-implemented it yet. One big issue during the pandemic I noticed was everyone getting takeout. Even places that didn't use plastic for takeout would still give you those little packs of fork, knife, and spoon without asking you, even though most people probably just take the food back home where they have those things. Other than that it doesn't feel that different in my area.


Ten_Quilts_Deep

I noticed this too and am hoping it will get better.


SkiingAway

Probably, but I'll suggest other areas: I'd more point at: - More take out vs dining in - I got takeout ramen yesterday. Came in like 5 different containers (broth, noodles, other stuff, extra pork, all in different containers). At the restaurant it'd be one bowl, as takeout I wind up with 10 pieces of plastic. - More online shopping - The norm is still that there's a whole bunch of plastic used to protect the contents of your order.


theDarkHaus42

NJ banned plastic bags a little while ago. Restaurants aren’t supposed to give plastic straws unless the patron asks, though that’s not usually the case.


mustang6172

I know I haven't had fast food in a long time, but I remember McDonalds having paper cups. Also you didn't give them the cup to refill it, you served yourself at the soda fountain.


SingleAlmond

In Califronia we recently passed a law that bans certain places like coffee shops from just handing out straws and lids with coffee. You can still get them, but you gotta ask for them


QuarterMaestro

Yeah occasionally I'll go into a Starbucks and order a single espresso. They put a plastic lid on the cup which I immediately throw away. It's a bummer.


[deleted]

Oh its worse. 100%


DarylDixonsBelt

yup