Countdown Removing Straws from shelf - more plastic targeting

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#2104138 9-Oct-2018 21:09

marej:

dafman:

Plastic has a many uses, but surely we should focus on trying to minimise single use disposable plastic.

Last weekend at the supermarket, I was behind a young guy in the queue: two lemons, in a plastic bag. Two carrots, in a plastic bag. Two capsicum - each one in a separate bag! A bunch of bananas, in a bag. Bananas, of all things, come individually packaged by nature, and are even then joined together for ease of carry - why would you need to place them in plastic as well?!

Err, just to keep this on topic, I'm sure he had some plastic straws as well.

I do this, because I wont put my fruit and veg in the basket as they dont seem clean especially with fruits where the skin will be consumed. That this is single use plastics is correct though opposed to the carry bags which is the only plastic that is not single use.

Surely you would wash any fruit before consuming so putting them in bags makes no sense.

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#2104178 10-Oct-2018 01:43

dafman:

Plastic has a many uses, but surely we should focus on trying to minimise single use disposable plastic.

Last weekend at the supermarket, I was behind a young guy in the queue: two lemons, in a plastic bag. Two carrots, in a plastic bag. Two capsicum - each one in a separate bag! A bunch of bananas, in a bag. Bananas, of all things, come individually packaged by nature, and are even then joined together for ease of carry - why would you need to place them in plastic as well?!

Err, just to keep this on topic, I'm sure he had some plastic straws as well.

The problem is that the supermarkets need you to put them in a bag when you weigh them, and then put a price sticker on the outside of the bag for scanning. In the old days, they went into paper bags, which will break down in the environment. I think the main problem is that supermarkets aren't using proper biodegradable bags, such as corn starch. Instead they are trying to stop providing the bags, or sell the bags. When infact they could be providing alternative technologies.

Honestly I think the chopping down of the rain-forests are a far bigger problem, and mankind face a bigger threat from that, as I think that has a significant amount to do with climate change. This plastic bag stuff is just tokenism. Look at all the stuff that gets delivered commercially that are wrapped in this plastic cling-wrap stuff. This seems a relatively new way to package stuff too, compared to using straps..

dafman

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#2105406 10-Oct-2018 11:13

marej:

dafman:

Plastic has a many uses, but surely we should focus on trying to minimise single use disposable plastic.

Last weekend at the supermarket, I was behind a young guy in the queue: two lemons, in a plastic bag. Two carrots, in a plastic bag. Two capsicum - each one in a separate bag! A bunch of bananas, in a bag. Bananas, of all things, come individually packaged by nature, and are even then joined together for ease of carry - why would you need to place them in plastic as well?!

Err, just to keep this on topic, I'm sure he had some plastic straws as well.

I do this, because I wont put my fruit and veg in the basket as they dont seem clean especially with fruits where the skin will be consumed. That this is single use plastics is correct though opposed to the carry bags which is the only plastic that is not single use.

On their journey to get to the supermarket, the fruit and veg you buy would have been through a variety of people's hands and many different containers, none of which are likely to be completely clean, so the final step of putting in a plastic bag at the supermarket is unlikely to make much of a difference. I never put fruit or veg in plastic, always wash them before use, never had any adverse reaction.

marej

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#2105733 10-Oct-2018 16:38

dafman:

marej:

dafman:

Plastic has a many uses, but surely we should focus on trying to minimise single use disposable plastic.

Last weekend at the supermarket, I was behind a young guy in the queue: two lemons, in a plastic bag. Two carrots, in a plastic bag. Two capsicum - each one in a separate bag! A bunch of bananas, in a bag. Bananas, of all things, come individually packaged by nature, and are even then joined together for ease of carry - why would you need to place them in plastic as well?!

Err, just to keep this on topic, I'm sure he had some plastic straws as well.

I do this, because I wont put my fruit and veg in the basket as they dont seem clean especially with fruits where the skin will be consumed. That this is single use plastics is correct though opposed to the carry bags which is the only plastic that is not single use.

On their journey to get to the supermarket, the fruit and veg you buy would have been through a variety of people's hands and many different containers, none of which are likely to be completely clean, so the final step of putting in a plastic bag at the supermarket is unlikely to make much of a difference. I never put fruit or veg in plastic, always wash them before use, never had any adverse reaction.

Perhaps it is true that my rationale is not sound, but that doesnt change the fact that this plastic bag and straw ban is nothing but a scam by Countdown.

dafman

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#2105812 10-Oct-2018 18:02

mattwnz:

The problem is that the supermarkets need you to put them in a bag when you weigh them, and then put a price sticker on the outside of the bag for scanning.

I put fruit and veg on the scales loose and print out the sticker. I put the sticker on the side of the trolley and take it off at the checkout for the operator to scan. It's pretty easy once you get into the habit, and no plastic bags required.

nzkiwiman

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#2106201 11-Oct-2018 12:50

Its offtopic, but tell me more about print off a label for fruit/veg?

All supermarkets I have been too have scales at the checkout, put fruit/veg on scale, tell the system what it is and its priced - no bag required

Ge0rge

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#2106210 11-Oct-2018 13:19

I just take whatever fruit and vege we're buying straight to the checkout loose - no bag, no sticker, nothing. They weigh it on the scales built into the checkout and then it goes in our bag. Easy.

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MileHighKiwi

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#2106236 11-Oct-2018 13:47

mattwnz:

The problem is that the supermarkets need you to put them in a bag when you weigh them, and then put a price sticker on the outside of the bag for scanning.

I shop at Pak n Save Upper Hutt and always put the label directly onto the produce. Never had a problem at the checkout. Then it goes straight into my reusable bag.

da5id

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#2107137 13-Oct-2018 09:01

Well, well, well...

Supermarkets report that Kiwis are bulk-buying bin liners – replacing plastic with plastic – after the ‘single use’ plastic bag ban….

Kiwi shoppers concerned about the looming eradication of plastic supermarket bags are bulk-buying more plastic to line their rubbish bins.

Some supermarkets are reporting a spike in sales of packaged bin liners and are now trying to encourage more eco-friendly alternatives like newspapers so consumers are not simply replacing plastic with plastic.

[…]

While some alternatives – reusable bags and paper or aluminium straws – were straight forward, the phasing out of plastic bags left some consumers at a loss as to how to clean up after pets, or deal with rubbish.

A spokeswoman for Countdown, which came under the Woolworths New Zealand umbrella, said the company had seen a boost in sales of bin liners.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12137584&ref=rss

So, replacing a more environmentally-friendly bag (which many reuse as a bin liner) with one that is worse for the environment and only used once.

Rikkitic

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#2107140 13-Oct-2018 09:08

The satisfaction you take from that seems a little misplaced.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

nzkiwiman

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#2135800 28-Nov-2018 10:19

Semi on-topic; I was recently in London and had to try McDonalds over there just to see if it had any differences.

Difference #1 - I guess the UK has a sugar tax as all drinks were diet/zero branded, except for Classic Coke which cost 20p more than Diet Coke
Difference #2 - paper straws! I went to bash the straw on the table to get it out of the paper sleeve they come in, when that didn't work I had to un-wrap it manually which is when I noticed it was paper (and quite thick)

I also tried Five Guys (UK), Burger King (Switzerland), McDonalds (Venice, Italy) and McDonalds (Austria) - all had plastic straws

DarthKermit

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#2135821 28-Nov-2018 11:10

You know what's really crazy? Plastic straws individually wrapped in plastic to keep them hygienic.

We all have a hell of a lot of work to do to clean up our environment. Just look at all the bits of plastic waste blowing around damn near everywhere.

tdgeek

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#2136364 29-Nov-2018 06:36

Progress is being made, post straws and bags

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/108934657/the-other-plastics-retailers-and-manufacturers-pick-up-the-plastic-bag-baton

Rikkitic

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#2136434 29-Nov-2018 09:54

And this is what it is really all about. Some here keep going on about how banning thin supermarket bags won't really fix anything but it is just a first step. It sets an example and gets things rolling. I don't understand how people can't see that.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

dafman

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#2137066 30-Nov-2018 10:03

For those interested, here are a couple of really interesting podcasts on the plastic crisis.

Dianna Cohen of the Plastics Pollution Coalition reveals how our dependence on the material threatens the health of future generations - link here

The Guardian: The plastic backlash: what's behind our sudden rage – and will it make a difference? - link here

A couple of interesting facts from the podcasts:

Coke, Pespi and Nestle are the worst manufacturers for global plastic waste.
It is estimated that less than 4% of single-use plastic in the USA will end up being recycled since China stopped buying plastic waste to recycle. And single-use plastic production is increasing year on year.

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