Hacker News Reader

Comment by nsizx | Hacker News Reader

And to think that the EU made it mandatory for plastic bags to cost money, gravely inconveniencing every shopper... And my country only amounts to 0.02% of plastic waste in the ocean.

View on HN

You can buy a bag for a few cents or bring a bag.

You’re living life on easy street if this is what you consider “gravely inconveniencing.”

Everything has to be read in context. This is gravely inconveniencing to the experience of shopping. Sorry I didn't get to work in the salt mines!

Still, it’s hard to imagine how one might ever consider such a small inconvenience “gravely inconveniencing” even in that very specific context. It’s such a small thing. I don’t think one has to have worked in the salt mines to think this.

A few cents? More like 10-20% of a dollar tax in california.

Its like CRV tax (california redemption value) but there has never been redemption on bags.

Gravely inconveniencing, really? Adding 40 cents to your bill if you forgot your shopping bag is a grave inconvenience?

Actually yes, since some shops now only have paper bags which are expensive and break just by looking at them. If you forget to bring a bag from home you're in trouble, especially if your groceries are heavy and you're far from home - the bags are guaranteed to break. (This is Europe, so you're walking back, obviously)

Paper bags are actually sturdier than plastic bags from my experience.

Handles are the culprit for paper bags I’ve used.

I'm glad your life is so easy that this is riling you up

> If you forget to bring a bag from home you're in trouble

If you forget your keys you're in bigger trouble, so I still don't see your point.

Have we really come to the point where people carry a little supercomputer in their pockets at all time, but are unable to bring a bag when going shopping?

How is this not obvious? Things you do all the time aren’t forgotten. Things you do rarely are.

That said, “grave inconvenience” is really something. Not having plastic bags is absolutely ruining my life. Kids are crying. Wife is mad at me. Boss thinks I’m slacking. Dentist says I don’t floss. If we could have plastic bags back my life would be so much better.

Here's how I solved this:

I keep a crate in the trunk of my car. After paying my groceries, I put them back in the shopping cart. I drive that to my car, put the groceries in the crate, and return the shopping cart.

No bags needed, and unloading at home is easier too.

If you forget to bring a bag from home, you'll just buy a new plastic bag and don't forget to bring it from home the next time. Problem solved.

Lidl bags are extremely sturdy. But honestly I have no sympathy for people who whines about lack of free plastic bags. Get over it.

Yeah, whoever thinks that adding 40 cents to your bill for forgetting your shopping bag is a "grave inconvenience" was raised a spoiled brat. Plain and simple. The bar for something to be a "grave inconvenience" isn't high if you've never known of real hardship, I guess.

I don’t know that I would consider not having a plastic bag a “grave” inconvenience.

Yeah, SUP bans don't do anything for the ocean. Investment in waste management solutions in low and middle income countries is far better for the environment, but most politicians are not terribly well informed.

The EU introduced that tax in 2002, the research in TFA is from 2021. Perhaps your country only amounts to 0.02%, at least in part, _because of_ the EU's plastic bag tax?

Gravely?? Are you joking?? Lying??

Yeah, let's just all sit back and carry on business as usual while pointing fingers at whoever is the worst offender at the moment. That sounds like a good idea.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com