• California's Plastic Grocery Bag Ban

    From BTR1701@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 19:06:53 2026
    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You can only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a
    paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they
    took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest of the city into a gigantic trash pile.



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Ian J. Ball@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 11:09:49 2026
    On 1/21/26 11:06 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You can only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest of the city into a gigantic trash pile.

    Are you sure about this? I was in Sprouts the other day, and they said
    that paper bags were banned too!! I have no idea what they are using now
    ? they mumbled something about "reusable bags"...

    But, at Sprouts, at least, there is no option for paper or plastic!



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From BTR1701@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 19:18:38 2026
    On Jan 21, 2026 at 11:09:49 AM PST, ""Ian J. Ball"" <ijball@mac.invalid>
    wrote:

    On 1/21/26 11:06 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all >> plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You >> can
    only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of
    everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen
    vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a >> paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or >> something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they >> took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turn the rest of the >> city into a gigantic trash pile.

    Are you sure about this? I was in Sprouts the other day, and they said
    that paper bags were banned too!! I have no idea what they are using now
    ? they mumbled something about "reusable bags"...

    But, at Sprouts, at least, there is no option for paper or plastic!

    Sprouts sounds like some kind of hippie vegan communist kind of store. Maybe they've got a store policy that bans bags altogether and make you juggle your groceries to the car, but the Von's and Ralph's near me have both switched to paper bags.



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Adam H. Kerman@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 19:34:57 2026
    BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all >plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. .
    . .

    Hahaha

    Chicago and any number of suburbs tax "single-use bags", including paper
    bags. We're all supposed to use multi-use bags. Cloth-making, whether
    from natural or plastic fibers, has higher environmental costs versus
    plastic bags, according to a study that came out the very week my
    community voted to impose the tax.

    I refuse to pay the tax. I typically shop elsewhere that I'm not being
    nannied.

    Since you used to own a dog, you have personal experience that plastic
    bags are never single use. The legal definition is a lie.

    We're too far ahead of you in the race to the bottom on this nannying.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From BTR1701@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 19:47:16 2026
    On Jan 21, 2026 at 11:34:57 AM PST, ""Adam H. Kerman"" <ahk@chinet.com>
    wrote:

    BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all >> plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. .
    . .

    Hahaha

    Chicago and any number of suburbs tax "single-use bags", including paper bags. We're all supposed to use multi-use bags. Cloth-making, whether
    from natural or plastic fibers, has higher environmental costs versus
    plastic bags, according to a study that came out the very week my
    community voted to impose the tax.

    There's also documented health and safety dangers to reusing bags, where food can leak from, say, a package of chicken and end up with salmonella growing in the fibers of your bag, which you then use to transport food on the next trip, contaminating all your groceries.

    I refuse to pay the tax. I typically shop elsewhere that I'm not being nannied.

    Since you used to own a dog, you have personal experience that plastic
    bags are never single use. The legal definition is a lie.

    Yes, that point was brought up by a store that got dinged for not obeying the *last* plastic bag ban we had but it didn't fly. They were told that just because some or even many people use them more than once, the fact that some people only use them and then throw them away makes them single-use under the law.

    We're too far ahead of you in the race to the bottom on this nannying.

    Gavin Newsom: Hold my beer!



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Rhino@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 15:03:14 2026
    On 2026-01-21 2:06 p.m., BTR1701 wrote:
    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You can only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest of the city into a gigantic trash pile.


    I get a "broken image" icon when I try your link. Don't sweat it on *my* account - I can easily picture vast expanses of plastic trash - but it
    may mean the ibb.co has taken down the picture over copyright issues or something of that kind.

    --
    Rhino

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Rhino@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 15:05:54 2026
    On 2026-01-21 2:09 p.m., Ian J. Ball wrote:
    On 1/21/26 11:06 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law
    requiring all
    plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1.
    You can
    only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for
    90% of
    everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen
    vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a
    paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the
    environment. Or
    something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that
    they
    took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest
    of the
    city into a gigantic trash pile.

    Are you sure about this? I was in Sprouts the other day, and they said
    that paper bags were banned too!! I have no idea what they are using now
    ? they mumbled something about "reusable bags"...

    But, at Sprouts, at least, there is no option for paper or plastic!


    I haven't seen a paper bag in this country in years. Supermarkets expect
    you to use reusable bags - which they'll happily sell you if you don't
    have any with you - and it's the same for the dollar store. I'm not sure
    what Best Buy gives you; I bought a DVD burner in September but it was
    so small and light I didn't bother with a bag.

    --
    Rhino

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Adam H. Kerman@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 20:29:25 2026
    BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:
    Jan 21, 2026 at 11:34:57 AM PST, Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote: >>BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all >>>plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. .
    . .

    Hahaha

    Chicago and any number of suburbs tax "single-use bags", including paper >>bags. We're all supposed to use multi-use bags. Cloth-making, whether
    from natural or plastic fibers, has higher environmental costs versus >>plastic bags, according to a study that came out the very week my
    community voted to impose the tax.

    There's also documented health and safety dangers to reusing bags, where food >can leak from, say, a package of chicken and end up with salmonella growing in >the fibers of your bag, which you then use to transport food on the next trip, >contaminating all your groceries.

    Exactly right. Health and safety exist to avoid illness and death. Now,
    washing re-usable bags is a thing. Sometimes, the best way to dispose of something is in the trash stream to be sent to the landfill because not
    reusing it has important benefits.

    Let's talk about post consumer plastic, which costs far more to
    transport and segregate for remanufacture than the final product is
    worth. It gets sent to third world countries who cannot work with it and
    they end up with pollutants added to plastics to get the to function.

    The people who forced post consumer plastic to be handled in this manner
    versus put into the waste stream are deluded and should be
    institutionalized.

    I refuse to pay the tax. I typically shop elsewhere that I'm not being >>nannied.

    Since you used to own a dog, you have personal experience that plastic
    bags are never single use. The legal definition is a lie.

    Yes, that point was brought up by a store that got dinged for not obeying the >*last* plastic bag ban we had but it didn't fly. They were told that just >because some or even many people use them more than once, the fact that some >people only use them and then throw them away makes them single-use under the >law.

    The law is specious. Facts are inconvenient, so it's best to ignore
    them.
    -- The Humpty Dumpty School of Statutory Construction

    We're too far ahead of you in the race to the bottom on this nannying.

    Gavin Newsom: Hold my beer!

    Only if it's in a post consumer waste recycled container.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From BTR1701@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 20:38:25 2026
    On Jan 21, 2026 at 12:03:14 PM PST, "Rhino" <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

    On 2026-01-21 2:06 p.m., BTR1701 wrote:
    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all >> plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You >> can
    only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of
    everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen
    vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a >> paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or >> something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they >> took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest of the
    city into a gigantic trash pile.


    I get a "broken image" icon when I try your link. Don't sweat it on *my* account - I can easily picture vast expanses of plastic trash - but it
    may mean the ibb.co has taken down the picture over copyright issues or something of that kind.

    Still works when I load it.



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From shawn@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 17:07:07 2026
    On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:06:53 -0000 (UTC), BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com>
    wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all >plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You can >only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of >everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen >vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a >paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or >something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they >took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest of the >city into a gigantic trash pile.

    Yeah, I saw a video about that, but it seems like you forgot
    something. Not only do you have to use paper bags if you don't bring
    your own but you have to pay 10 cents for each bag.

    Meanwhile I walked out of the grocery store with extra plastic bags
    yesterday because some were stuck together. All at the additional cost
    of $0.00.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From shawn@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 17:13:47 2026
    On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:18:38 -0000 (UTC), BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com>
    wrote:

    On Jan 21, 2026 at 11:09:49 AM PST, ""Ian J. Ball"" <ijball@mac.invalid> >wrote:

    On 1/21/26 11:06 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all
    plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You >>> can
    only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of
    everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen
    vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a >>> paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or >>> something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they >>> took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turn the rest of the >>> city into a gigantic trash pile.

    Are you sure about this? I was in Sprouts the other day, and they said
    that paper bags were banned too!! I have no idea what they are using now
    ? they mumbled something about "reusable bags"...

    But, at Sprouts, at least, there is no option for paper or plastic!

    Sprouts sounds like some kind of hippie vegan communist kind of store. Maybe >they've got a store policy that bans bags altogether and make you juggle your >groceries to the car, but the Von's and Ralph's near me have both switched to >paper bags.



    Apparently this is a real thing with Sprouts. The picture shows an
    announcement that starting Dec 15 they will no longer offer paper or
    plastic bags so you need to bring your reusable bags or buy a sprout
    tote. Guess they wouldn't let you use a plastic or paper bag that you
    brought in.
    Hmm, what if you purchase one of those boxes of plastic garbage bags
    and then proceeded to package the rest of your groceries in those
    plastic bags? I expect some heads would explode.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/InstacartShoppers/comments/1pj8xlk/sprouts_no_bag_policy_in_california/

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From shawn@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 17:17:58 2026
    On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:05:54 -0500, Rhino
    <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

    On 2026-01-21 2:09 p.m., Ian J. Ball wrote:
    On 1/21/26 11:06 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law
    requiring all
    plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1.
    You can
    only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for
    90% of
    everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen
    vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a >>> paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the
    environment. Or
    something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that
    they
    took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest
    of the
    city into a gigantic trash pile.

    Are you sure about this? I was in Sprouts the other day, and they said
    that paper bags were banned too!! I have no idea what they are using now
    ? they mumbled something about "reusable bags"...

    But, at Sprouts, at least, there is no option for paper or plastic!


    I haven't seen a paper bag in this country in years. Supermarkets expect
    you to use reusable bags - which they'll happily sell you if you don't
    have any with you - and it's the same for the dollar store. I'm not sure >what Best Buy gives you; I bought a DVD burner in September but it was
    so small and light I didn't bother with a bag.

    At Publix (big chain in the Southern USA) they use plastic bags, but
    they do have paper bags available if you request them. They also gave
    out totes a year ago (but I never remember to bring it) and have
    others available for purchase. Though most people just go with the
    plastic bags.

    There is a video over on Twitter that I just saw of a woman
    complaining about the paper bags they are using in California.
    Apparently to replace plastic bags which have the bit you use to
    easily carry them, the paper bags have straps attached to them. Her
    complaint was that the straps break and let the food fall on the
    ground leaving you with a mess and just a regular paper bag to put the
    food in.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Rhino@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 19:41:56 2026
    On 2026-01-21 3:38 p.m., BTR1701 wrote:
    On Jan 21, 2026 at 12:03:14 PM PST, "Rhino" <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

    On 2026-01-21 2:06 p.m., BTR1701 wrote:
    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all
    plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You >>> can
    only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of
    everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen
    vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a >>> paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or
    something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they
    took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest of the
    city into a gigantic trash pile.


    I get a "broken image" icon when I try your link. Don't sweat it on *my*
    account - I can easily picture vast expanses of plastic trash - but it
    may mean the ibb.co has taken down the picture over copyright issues or
    something of that kind.

    Still works when I load it.


    It's working for me too now.

    --
    Rhino

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From suzeeq@3:633/10 to All on Wed Jan 21 17:33:52 2026
    On 1/21/2026 2:07 PM, shawn wrote:
    On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:06:53 -0000 (UTC), BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com>
    wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all >> plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You can
    only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of >> everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen
    vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a
    paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or >> something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they >> took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest of the >> city into a gigantic trash pile.

    Yeah, I saw a video about that, but it seems like you forgot
    something. Not only do you have to use paper bags if you don't bring
    your own but you have to pay 10 cents for each bag.

    Meanwhile I walked out of the grocery store with extra plastic bags
    yesterday because some were stuck together. All at the additional cost
    of $0.00.

    Heh, I've made several market bags over the last 15 years, either with
    cotton or acrylic and use them over and over. The a acyrlic actually
    lasts longer, the cotton breaks down eventually due to heat and sun.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Your Name@3:633/10 to All on Thu Jan 22 17:47:32 2026
    On 2026-01-21 22:13:47 +0000, shawn said:
    On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:18:38 -0000 (UTC), BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com>
    wrote:
    On Jan 21, 2026 at 11:09:49 AM PST, ""Ian J. Ball"" <ijball@mac.invalid>
    wrote:
    On 1/21/26 11:06 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring >>>> all plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan >>>> 1. You can only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic
    packaging for 90% of everything in the store-- from diced onions to
    potato chips to frozen vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in >>>> plastic has to be put in a paper bag to carry it to the car. Because
    we're saving the environment. Or something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they >>>> took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turn the rest of the >>>> city into a gigantic trash pile.

    Are you sure about this? I was in Sprouts the other day, and they said
    that paper bags were banned too!! I have no idea what they are using now >>> ? they mumbled something about "reusable bags"...

    But, at Sprouts, at least, there is no option for paper or plastic!

    Sprouts sounds like some kind of hippie vegan communist kind of store. Maybe >> they've got a store policy that bans bags altogether and make you juggle your
    groceries to the car, but the Von's and Ralph's near me have both switched to
    paper bags.

    Apparently this is a real thing with Sprouts. The picture shows an announcement that starting Dec 15 they will no longer offer paper or
    plastic bags so you need to bring your reusable bags or buy a sprout
    tote. Guess they wouldn't let you use a plastic or paper bag that you
    brought in.
    Hmm, what if you purchase one of those boxes of plastic garbage bags
    and then proceeded to package the rest of your groceries in those
    plastic bags? I expect some heads would explode.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/InstacartShoppers/comments/1pj8xlk/sprouts_no_bag_policy_in_california/


    The other thing you can do is to buy one of the branded tote bags from
    a competitior store and then use that to pack your Sprouts' shopping
    into. :-)




    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Your Name@3:633/10 to All on Thu Jan 22 17:52:01 2026
    On 1/21/26 11:06 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You can only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest of the city into a gigantic trash pile.

    They started with this kind of stupidity here in New Zealand a little
    while ago. The reality is that it has almost nothing at all to do with
    the environment, and is simply a money-grab by the supermarket wanting
    to sell you a "reusable" bag ... every time you forget to bring your
    already purchased one with you. X-(

    Most shops used to give you a free plastic or paper bag. As another money-grab, they now they charge you extra if you want a bag and don't
    give a discount if you don't get a bag.


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Your Name@3:633/10 to All on Thu Jan 22 17:57:55 2026
    On 2026-01-21 22:07:07 +0000, shawn said:
    On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:06:53 -0000 (UTC), BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com>
    wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all >> plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You can
    only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of >> everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen
    vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a
    paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or >> something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they >> took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest of the >> city into a gigantic trash pile.

    Yeah, I saw a video about that, but it seems like you forgot
    something. Not only do you have to use paper bags if you don't bring
    your own but you have to pay 10 cents for each bag.

    Meanwhile I walked out of the grocery store with extra plastic bags
    yesterday because some were stuck together. All at the additional cost
    of $0.00.

    My mother often does that on purpose. When they had rolls of plastic
    bags to put your loose fruit and veges in, she would pull off a few and
    use the spares as rubbish bags or storage bags at home, or as dog-poo collection bags if we have run out. Now the shops have paper bags
    instead, but she still grabs a few, although they rarely get used for
    anything at home. (Sometimes if the fruit / veges are a bit wet, you do
    need to use multiple paper bags, otherwise they simply fall apart and
    dump the food on the ground.)



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From NoBody@3:633/10 to All on Thu Jan 22 07:40:39 2026
    On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:06:53 -0000 (UTC), BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com>
    wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all >plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You can >only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of >everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen >vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a >paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or >something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they >took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest of the >city into a gigantic trash pile.


    Saving the Titantic by getting the water out with a spoon.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From NoBody@3:633/10 to All on Thu Jan 22 07:41:29 2026
    On Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:09:49 -0800, "Ian J. Ball" <ijball@mac.invalid>
    wrote:

    On 1/21/26 11:06 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    Just got back from the grocery store and realized our new law requiring all >> plastic bags must be carried in paper bags went into effect on Jan 1. You can
    only get paper bags at grocery checkout despite plastic packaging for 90% of >> everything in the store-- from diced onions to potato chips to frozen
    vegetables. So all the stuff that?s wrapped in plastic has to be put in a
    paper bag to carry it to the car. Because we're saving the environment. Or >> something.

    Meanwhile, vast swaths of L.A. look like this:

    https://ibb.co/VWyGx95Z

    It sure is great that they're so concerned about the environment that they >> took my plastic grocery bag away but let the vagrants turned the rest of the >> city into a gigantic trash pile.

    Are you sure about this? I was in Sprouts the other day, and they said
    that paper bags were banned too!! I have no idea what they are using now
    ? they mumbled something about "reusable bags"...

    But, at Sprouts, at least, there is no option for paper or plastic!



    This is because they are hoping to sell you the bags at ridicuous
    prices.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Adam H. Kerman@3:633/10 to All on Thu Jan 22 19:31:18 2026
    Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> wrote:

    The other thing you can do is to buy one of the branded tote bags from
    a competitior store and then use that to pack your Sprouts' shopping
    into. :-)

    That's what I do. I bring two bags with a different grocery store's logo
    into the grocery store. I line those bags with paper bags, and I do not
    allow them to put raw meat into the bags.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)