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Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

theguardian.com

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Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#121

Post by piyush_soni »

icebraining wrote: post #113
godelmachine wrote: post #106

This is nothing. I was entering my workplace yesterday and as usual, the guard at the first checkpoint rummaged through my backpack. I was shocked when he said the plastic bag I was using to protect my notebooks from rain could not be taken inside. Upon asking for an explanation, he said plastic bags are outlawed and we cannot risk them in company premises. I had to keep that bag in my vehicle trunk and then was allo…

Wait, why do you have guards rummaging through your bags? Do you work in a high-security facility?

Some IT companies in India check your bags "for security purposes" while coming in/going out, or both. Yes, very disrespectful and insulting, but no one revolts so it's been going on (while their HRs will give powerpoint presentations on how trust is "one of the pillars" of their company). Most of them have a (probably made-up) story of how it was not the case before but someone broke their trust by stealing code in a hard disk etc., but no one has actually seen that happening in-person.

Our software product company (headquartered in US) had the same policy in its Indian offices, and I (being a relatively new employee) last year pointed out in our surveys how hypocritical it is of the company to expect trust from the employees but not do the same in return. Fortunately they stopped doing it after that.

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#122

Post by Already__Taken »

WalterBright wrote: post #45
andrewstuart wrote: post #25

Thank goodness somewhere is taking the obvious action of banning the packaging, which is really just pre-garbage. However, banning packaging only works if it is backed by a system for precisely standardised, refundable and washable containers that food and other products can be shipped in. You can't just say "no packaging". We need a MUCH better form of packaging than disposable/recyclable because recycling only work…

Better to use paper packaging. For food it can be waxed like in the olden days.

Waxed, wrapped in plastic for advertising and packaged in a plastic net. Progress. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babybel

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#123

Post by godelmachine »

icebraining wrote: post #113
godelmachine wrote: post #106

This is nothing. I was entering my workplace yesterday and as usual, the guard at the first checkpoint rummaged through my backpack. I was shocked when he said the plastic bag I was using to protect my notebooks from rain could not be taken inside. Upon asking for an explanation, he said plastic bags are outlawed and we cannot risk them in company premises. I had to keep that bag in my vehicle trunk and then was allo…

Wait, why do you have guards rummaging through your bags? Do you work in a high-security facility?

Nope. Nowhere close to "high-security facility". I work in a medium-sized IT services company.

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#124

Post by FactolSarin »

vishaltelangre wrote: post #105

Instead, government could've imposed ban on the consumer products which are wrapped using plastic material. Almost 50% plastic come directly from such consumer products sold by all FMCG companies. Such plastic material which is used as a wrapper (e.g. mineral bottles, wrappers of chocolates, biscuits, wafers, tobacco, etc.) is often useless and people tend to throw it right away. I agree that "we", the people need to…

Just because it doesn't completely solve everything, that doesn't mean it isn't a step in the right direction.

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#125

Post by woogiewonka »

weavie wrote: post #4
ohnoesmyscv wrote: post #2

When will US cities do the same? Most restaurants offer plastic togo containers, which ends up in the landfill. Some restaurants even use plastic bowls and plates for dine-in customers, arguably so they don’t have to invest in equipment and labor to wash dishes. With The China recycling ban, this becomes more of a pressing issue. I’m surprised cities aren’t outright banning or imposing a tax on the use of plastics at…

An American family I visited a while ago would use paper plates and plastic forks for every meal at home to save on dishes. I was shocked, but they seemed to think it was standard behaviour in the US. Is it?

I wouldn't say it's standard but it doesn't surprise me. People who work late, have too much on their plate (pun), would probably not shy away from using a single use plate. I know I've done it myself (shame on me) but hey, I'm trying now!

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#127

Post by GordonS »

icebraining wrote: post #113
godelmachine wrote: post #106

This is nothing. I was entering my workplace yesterday and as usual, the guard at the first checkpoint rummaged through my backpack. I was shocked when he said the plastic bag I was using to protect my notebooks from rain could not be taken inside. Upon asking for an explanation, he said plastic bags are outlawed and we cannot risk them in company premises. I had to keep that bag in my vehicle trunk and then was allo…

Wait, why do you have guards rummaging through your bags? Do you work in a high-security facility?

Most hotels in India, and also nearly every large company, x-rays and checks bags before you are permitted to enter.

Of course, It's pure security theatre.

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#128

Post by icebraining »

inertiatic wrote: post #32
mrob wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here in the UK a law was passed requiring shops to charge 0.05GBP for each plastic bag, and it successfully reduced the number of bags used: "Our data indicates that the 7 main retailers issued around 83% fewer bags (over 6 billion bags fewer) in 2016 to 2017 compared to the calendar year 2014" https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/carrier-bag-charg... The bags are called "single-use", but the shops also changed…

Exact same situation here in Greece. I very rarely see people asking for bags at the supermarket after a similar law was passed, although there are no official statistics yet.

Here in Portugal the bags at the supermarket dropped a lot after a similar law, but the black garbage bags increased by 40%, since the supermarket bags were typically re-used for garbage disposal.

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#129

Post by kumarvvr »

icebraining wrote: post #112
kumarvvr wrote: post #107

The offset in reduced plastic use by consumers will be more than compensated with the rapidly growing e-commerce market. I am terrified of the amount of plastic my Amazon purchases bring with their packing. It is a step in the right direction, but the govt. should invest and provide alternatives, perhaps use existing research institutions to come up with new, eco-friendly packing materials, and popularize them.

I don't buy from Amazon, but weren't they pushing for minimal and plastic-free packaging? Has the program been dropped?

Is it so? I haven't heard of it. I recently ordered a set of knives and they came wrapped in a plastic cover (black) and wrapped with a cardboard box. But the knives themselves are packed in plastic and cardboard boxes.

If I'd gone to a store, I could have picked them up by hand and avoided the plastic covering required for transport.

E-commerce generates additional non-biodegradable waste and that is a problem that has to be solved considering the rapid rise of online shopping.

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#130

Post by JoeAltmaier »

kumarvvr wrote: post #129
icebraining wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't buy from Amazon, but weren't they pushing for minimal and plastic-free packaging? Has the program been dropped?

Is it so? I haven't heard of it. I recently ordered a set of knives and they came wrapped in a plastic cover (black) and wrapped with a cardboard box. But the knives themselves are packed in plastic and cardboard boxes. If I'd gone to a store, I could have picked them up by hand and avoided the plastic covering required for transport. E-commerce generates additional non-biodegradable waste and that is a problem that…

At the store just the other day - shopkeeper ringing up the guy in front of me asked "Do you want a bag for that?" It was a product, in a box, wrapped in plastic. And the guy had his own canvas bag out already.

If he'd accepted, he'd have had the product in a box in a bag in a bag. My god. When does it all end?

What was the product? Plastic bags.

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