Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday August 29 2017, @03:32PM   Printer-friendly
from the costly-takeout dept.

In an effort to reduce plastic bag pollution, Kenya has introduced tough laws that will result in a prison term of up to 4 years or a maximum of $40,000 for any Kenyan producing, selling or even using plastic bags, although initial enforcement will target manufacturers and suppliers.

"The East African nation joins more than 40 other countries that have banned, partly banned or taxed single use plastic bags, including China, France, Rwanda and Italy."

Bags can take 500-1000 years to decompose, in the mean time killing or harming wildlife and entering the human food chain.
What is being done about plastic bag pollution where you live?


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 1, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @03:37PM (28 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @03:37PM (#560850)

    My reusable paper bag was so worn out and torn from overuse, the clerk took it away and gave me a new bag. If you're not reusing your bags until they literally tear apart, you're murdering the planet.

    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   +1  
       Interesting=1, Disagree=2, Total=3
    Extra 'Disagree' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   1  
  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @03:59PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @03:59PM (#560867)

    Get lost, hippie. SN is news for millionaire boomers whose life goal is to rape and pillage and whoever dies with the most money wins.

    • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:04PM (5 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:04PM (#560871)

      TMB stop posting AC we know it is you.

      • (Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:46PM (4 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:46PM (#560910)

        Lol, tmb & co. got twiggahd.

        • (Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:57PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:57PM (#560922)

          Lol! AC got spammodded for Lol.

        • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:01PM (2 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:01PM (#560927)

          Ok it isn't TMB, he doesn't have the attention span for this sustained level of downmodding. It must be the kmorrollow faction. Teeny tiny snowflakes melting in the hot Kenyan sun, afraid for their lives as they get surrounded by dark skinned people.

          • (Score: -1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:07PM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:07PM (#560934)

            Suck an olive-skinned Elon cock. Anythung darker is too darkie.

            • (Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:11PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:11PM (#560940)

              Too late, this one is a puddle. Looks like a piss snowflake too, all yellow and homophobic.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:06PM (9 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:06PM (#560874)

    I can't tell if this is serious or joking. If serious, buy a $2 durable and reusable bag, then you can plea down from murder to planetslaughter.

    • (Score: 2) by Pino P on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:59PM (8 children)

      by Pino P (4721) on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:59PM (#560926) Journal

      If serious, buy a $2 durable and reusable bag

      How many natural resources are used and how much emissions are created in the production of the $2 bag compared to that of the recently prohibited bag? And how many natural resources are used and how much emissions are created when a $2 bag is washed after every use [ctvnews.ca]?

      And if a dog owner can no longer reuse one-way carrier bags to dispose of dog waste, what should a dog owner use instead?

      • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:08PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:08PM (#560935)

        Poop bags are a problem, I don't see an easy solution there.

        For grocery shopping, a decent reusable bag should last decades. If you are a responsible person and manage to use that bag the majority of the time then in a single year you will already have saved on the physical material side. Each reusable bag load is 2-5X the capacity of the crappy plastic bags, and often those crappy bags are doubled up anyway to prevent them from breaking. So in some cases 4-10 shitty plastic bags are saved per use of the reusable. Over the lifetime of the reusable bag (which can also be used in other situations) I can't imagine this argument as being even slightly plausible.

        • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:03PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:03PM (#560971)

          Poop bags are a problem, I don't see an easy solution there.

          The solution is simple: don't own a dog, especially in an urban setting.

        • (Score: 2) by urza9814 on Wednesday August 30 2017, @03:46PM

          by urza9814 (3954) on Wednesday August 30 2017, @03:46PM (#561538) Journal

          Poop bags are a problem, I don't see an easy solution there.

          My girlfriend uses biodegradable bags for her dog. I mean I guess they're still plastic of some form, but if the point is to prevent environmental impact those should work.

          Each reusable bag load is 2-5X the capacity of the crappy plastic bags, and often those crappy bags are doubled up anyway to prevent them from breaking. So in some cases 4-10 shitty plastic bags are saved per use of the reusable.

          People have no faith in the strength of modern plastics. I pile those disposable bags full until literally nothing else will fit, and I've never had one break. And I never double-bag. I'll throw three 64oz juice bottles in one bag, and toss a six-pack of small glass bottles on top of them, and carry it up three flights of stairs. Those bags are a hell of a lot stronger than you think.

          Over the lifetime of the reusable bag (which can also be used in other situations) I can't imagine this argument as being even slightly plausible.

          The reusable bags use as many resources to produce and supply as a couple hundred disposable ones. I'd have to use that thing every time I go shopping for several decades (I got shopping about once a month) before it would break even. I'd almost certainly lose or break the bag before then. A better approach is to reuse the disposable plastic bags, although you *might* want to start double-bagging them after a couple uses if you use them the way I do... ;)

          http://www.opb.org/news/blog/ecotrope/reusable-bags-only-superior-to-plastic-if-you-reuse-them-a-lot/ [opb.org]

      • (Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:23PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:23PM (#560948)

        > And if a dog owner can no longer reuse one-way carrier bags to dispose of dog waste, what should a dog owner use instead?

        I carry a 7-iron along with on walks.

        • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 30 2017, @12:13AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 30 2017, @12:13AM (#561235)

          This is Kenya. That is not a "dog owner". That is a restauranteur.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:07PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:07PM (#560975)

        The people who scream the most about the alleged environmental impact of plastic bags are always the kind of people who own at least a couple of vanity dogs.

        These people are incapable of realizing that their dogs are far more harmful to the environment than a few plastic bags are.

        • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:14PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:14PM (#560983)

          The people who get hysterical and make fales accusations are always the kind of assholes you hope are living a few states away. Stereotypes, while often containing some validity, are bad mmkay? They encourage you to shut off your brain and make false equivalencies that make you feel good / righteous / whatever.

      • (Score: 2) by krishnoid on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:43PM

        by krishnoid (1156) on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:43PM (#561005)

        It seems like you have a couple [flushdoggy.com] choices [amazon.com] in degradable/flushable dog poop bags, with some caveats.

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by Grishnakh on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:14PM (2 children)

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:14PM (#560878)

    Reusable paper bags are crap, for that very reason. They're not durable; paper cannot be. Paper falls apart as soon as it gets wet. That's why we have reusable plastic shopping bags now: they're made from recycled plastic, they're cheap, but they last a really long time because they're plastic, and they can handle a lot of weight too.

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by edIII on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:00PM (1 child)

      by edIII (791) on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:00PM (#560969)

      You're wrong about paper bags. I reuse them constantly when I forget to have the extremely durable reusable bags with me. For that matter, some are canvas and a lot tougher. Trader Joe's sells some pretty damn tough bags.

      The paper bags are useful in all kinds of ways, and are more reusable then you think. I fold mine after use and keep a collection of folded paper bags. Anytime I need to go somewhere I find myself often grabbing one and putting my stuff in it. Probably have 50-60 by now. If you have kids or projects, you can find use for them too. Not to mention kindling for starting fires, and probably a ton of other stuff I'm forgetting like covering school books.

      Paper bags come in 100% recycled materials too, so we aren't chopping down forests getting the things anymore. I'd be interested to see the numbers crunched, but I disagree that paper bags are clearly that inferior. Although, on a rainy day, I would spend the effort to find the Trader Joe's bag.

      --
      Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
      • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Grishnakh on Tuesday August 29 2017, @07:22PM

        by Grishnakh (2831) on Tuesday August 29 2017, @07:22PM (#561037)

        For that matter, some are canvas and a lot tougher.

        Um, no. Canvas is not a type of paper, it's a type of cloth. It's not a paper bag at all. Canvas makes a pretty good bag I'll admit, but it's no more closely related to paper than reusable plastic bags are.

        The paper bags are useful in all kinds of ways, and are more reusable then you think. I fold mine after use and keep a collection of folded paper bags. Anytime I need to go somewhere I find myself often grabbing one and putting my stuff in it

        Yeah, I do the exact same thing with my reusable plastic shopping bags. And unlike your crappy paper bags, when mine get wet (either because of rain or because something spilled in the bag), it's no big deal since plastic is impervious to water. They sell the things for less than a dollar, so I have a bunch of them.

        Not to mention kindling for starting fires

        If I want to start a fire, I've got plenty of waste paper for that; I certainly don't need a paper bag.

        If you have kids or projects, you can find use for them too. ... like covering school books.

        No kids here, and no school books. I never really saw the point of covering books when I was in school either; they stay in good shape just find as long as you don't abuse them.

        I'd be interested to see the numbers crunched, but I disagree that paper bags are clearly that inferior. Although, on a rainy day, I would spend the effort to find the Trader Joe's bag.

        Or you can just keep waterproof bags around instead, and not have to check the weather report before you decide which bags to bring with you. (I keep my plastic bags folded in my car trunk.) I'm sorry, I just don't see any advantage to paper bags at all, once you've spent a few dollars and gotten a decent collection of the plastic ones.

  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:02PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:02PM (#560929)

    Ugh single use paper bags are better for combating climate change as they sequester carbon, especially if they are dump in a landfill and covered over with garbage so they don't decompose. New trees are grown to make the next batch of bags.

    You are an idiot for thinking complex environmental things are simple.

    • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:10PM (5 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:10PM (#560979)

      Grocery stores and other shops used to use paper bags. Often they were made out of recycled paper, too. But then lefty environmentalist sorts threw a shit fit about this, so that's why plastic bags started to be used instead. "Save the trees!" and all that.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @08:11PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @08:11PM (#561087)

        The parent comment isn't trolling.

        Paper bags were eliminated from supermarkets after protests from environmentalists who objected to the consumption of trees to produce these bags.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @09:36PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @09:36PM (#561161)

          The environmentalists caused the whole plastic bag crisis by complaining about trees. Environmental Idiots.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @09:51PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @09:51PM (#561174)

            This is actually pretty typical for them. They often completely fail to understand economics. This causes them to completely misunderstand the costs and benefits associated with various courses of action. It doesn't matter who you are, you can't make good decisions when you don't understand the costs and the benefits involved.

      • (Score: 2) by requerdanos on Wednesday August 30 2017, @01:24AM (1 child)

        by requerdanos (5997) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday August 30 2017, @01:24AM (#561255) Journal

        "Save the trees!"

        "Save the trees" is one of the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Trees grow back. They literally grow on trees.

        Plastic, on the other hand, is mostly made from petroleum, which does not grow on trees.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 30 2017, @06:48AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 30 2017, @06:48AM (#561361)

          the "trees grow on trees" bit is funny, thank you. very fractal.

  • (Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Tuesday August 29 2017, @07:31PM

    by maxwell demon (1608) on Tuesday August 29 2017, @07:31PM (#561045) Journal

    A good plastic bad is quite durable and reusable. Indeed, I'd say even more so than a paper bag. It's only after disposal that paper is better.

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.