san francisco looks to tax grocery bags

[Hammer]

pretty soon california taxes will rival europe's.

Link

 

[FoBoT]

the hippies want to force people to bring an earth friendly canvas bag with them

after all, 79% of landfill volume is from grocery bags

 

[Francodman]

Why should you care what San Francisco does? Are you a resident? Do you vote there? There are a lotta people there that *gasp* concern more about the environment than some measely pennies.

 

[Anonemous]

I think at wholefoods/Bread and Circus they give you a .05 discount for each bag you save by bringing in your own bags.

 

[Hammer]

Originally posted by: Francodman
Why should you care what San Francisco does? Are you a resident? Do you vote there? There are a lotta people there that *gasp* concern more about the environment than some measely pennies.

trends have to start somewhere. this is not a good trend.

 

[rahvin]

Actually in this case I think it can be justified, the bags cost landfill space and sanfran like most of cali exports their garbage to other states at a huge premium. Garbage fees go up for everyone or they put a tax in place to cover the excess garbage and hit the people causing it.

 

[OutHouse]

Grocery bags (paper and plastic) are a huge waste of resources.

 

[daniel1113]

Eh... I'll just make sure I double bag all my groceries here in PA to make up for the new tax in CA.

What's next? Toilet paper?

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Citrix
Grocery bags (paper and plastic) are a huge waste of resources.

Then you'll make a fortune when you create a viable alternative without putting on an extra tax.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Good to see someone is concerned over the environment.

There is no issue with paper bags, its the plastic bage which cause all the problems. They are spreading the tax 50-50. 50% goes to the markets to make recycling bags more aware. 50% goes to the city for the increased cost of recycling these plastic treasure holders.


I'm all for it:thumbsup:

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: Queasy
Then you'll make a fortune when you create a viable alternative without putting on an extra tax.

Frivolous legislation is merely a substitute for innovation.

 

[Hammer]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Good to see someone is concerned over the environment.

There is no issue with paper bags, its the plastic bage which cause all the problems. They are spreading the tax 50-50. 50% goes to the markets to make recycling bags more aware. 50% goes to the city for the increased cost of recycling these plastic treasure holders.


I'm all for it:thumbsup:

paper bags are being taxed too.

 

[jjones]

Originally posted by: Citrix
Grocery bags (paper and plastic) are a huge waste of resources.

Not for me, I use them as garbage bags around the house.

 

[DnetMHZ]

Originally posted by: jjones

Originally posted by: Citrix
Grocery bags (paper and plastic) are a huge waste of resources.

Not for me, I use them as garbage bags around the house.

Garbage bags, lunch bags, many other uses.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: Citrix
Grocery bags (paper and plastic) are a huge waste of resources.

Then you'll make a fortune when you create a viable alternative without putting on an extra tax.

there is one. its called reuseable canvas bags. Or maybe even the german method. they dont use bags at all, you just put the stuff in your vehicle unbagged.

 

[FlyLice]

Originally posted by: rahvin
Actually in this case I think it can be justified, the bags cost landfill space and sanfran like most of cali exports their garbage to other states at a huge premium. Garbage fees go up for everyone or they put a tax in place to cover the excess garbage and hit the people causing it.

So you mean the garbage fees to maintain landfills are now shifted to the grocery bag tax? Sounds like zero sum to me...

 

[FlyLice]

Someone will invent a non-paper and non-plastic bag that is just as cheap and make the legislation irrelevant.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: FlyLice
So you mean the garbage fees to maintain landfills are now shifted to the grocery bag tax? Sounds like zero sum to me...

It's actually worse... a tax will result in a dead weight loss - aka, economic activity that no longer exists.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: jjones

Originally posted by: Citrix
Grocery bags (paper and plastic) are a huge waste of resources.

Not for me, I use them as garbage bags around the house.

We use them as "dog poo containment and disposal devices" when taking the dog for a walk in the neighborhood.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: Citrix
Grocery bags (paper and plastic) are a huge waste of resources.

Then you'll make a fortune when you create a viable alternative without putting on an extra tax.

there is one. its called reuseable canvas bags. Or maybe even the german method. they dont use bags at all, you just put the stuff in your vehicle unbagged.

I've seen the canvas bags at only a couple of stores and the clerks never make any mention of them. I think I've seen maybe one or two people in the last couple of years using a canvas bag.

You don't use bags at Sam's or Costco either. Maybe they should encourage supermarkets to stop offering bags instead of taxing already over-taxed consumers.

 

[FlyLice]

Originally posted by: daniel1113

Originally posted by: FlyLice
So you mean the garbage fees to maintain landfills are now shifted to the grocery bag tax? Sounds like zero sum to me...

It's actually worse... a tax will result in a dead weight loss - aka, economic activity that no longer exists.

Ah, yes. But of course the enviro-crazies will say that loss is more than made up by the benefit in "cleaning the environment."

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: FlyLice
Ah, yes. But of course the enviro-crazies will say that loss is more than made up by the benefit in "cleaning the environment."

Of course. However, they don't know anything about basic economics, either

 

[FlyLice]

How many canvas bags would a mother need to bring to fill her groceries for a family of 4-5?

 

[Electric Amish]

People just need to recycle them more and quit littering.

 

[vi edit]

I remember years ago a lot of grocery stores would charge you a per-bag fee anyway. You saved money bringing in your own boxes.

Laundry baskets work great for groceries.