Under the measure to take effect in 2026, shoppers will still be able to purchase bags made of thicker plastic that purportedly makes them reusable and recyclable
We did this in Austin, and I hate it. It’s probably fine if you go to the store and use your own totes, but my situation requires that I have to get my groceries delivered, so that isn’t an option for me. And instead of plastic bags which I could crumple up to take up near-zero space and actually reuse, my house is filled with enormous paper bags that have already ripped before I got the groceries up the stairs in the first place and take up tons of space and have basically zero reuse value and go straight into the trash after one use. I used to reuse plastic shopping bags all the time; waste basket liners, collecting random odds and ends to throw away together, organizing and storing dozens of random cables and chargers, etc.
I wish there was a better way to dispose of plastic bags. Because while I understand the reasonings for the ban, the result is majorly inconvenient and ironically results in more single-use products in my life.
I use a single plastic bag for few months, it fits in a back pocket if you fold it nicely, and it’s rainproof. All the fabric ones make a bulge in the pocket or don’t fit at all.
We did this in Austin, and I hate it. It’s probably fine if you go to the store and use your own totes, but my situation requires that I have to get my groceries delivered, so that isn’t an option for me. And instead of plastic bags which I could crumple up to take up near-zero space and actually reuse, my house is filled with enormous paper bags that have already ripped before I got the groceries up the stairs in the first place and take up tons of space and have basically zero reuse value and go straight into the trash after one use. I used to reuse plastic shopping bags all the time; waste basket liners, collecting random odds and ends to throw away together, organizing and storing dozens of random cables and chargers, etc.
I wish there was a better way to dispose of plastic bags. Because while I understand the reasonings for the ban, the result is majorly inconvenient and ironically results in more single-use products in my life.
One possible suggestion, is it possible for you to get a reusable collapsing basket to keep downstairs for carrying groceries?
While single-use packaging isn’t always ideal, we aren’t exactly fighting a battle with micro-paper pollution. It biodegrades comparatively simply.
I use a single plastic bag for few months, it fits in a back pocket if you fold it nicely, and it’s rainproof. All the fabric ones make a bulge in the pocket or don’t fit at all.