so many plastic bags used??

[JR8]

Something I posted on another forum last year. Photo taken in Borneo last year...



caption - 'Your Eco Dream'
'A palm oil plantation. The trees have been harvested leaving a moonscape of mud and burnt off fronds as far as the eye can see. Once upon a time this land was covered in diverse primary jungle. I wish that when drivers in Europe fill up with biofuel, and get that warm eco-glow, that they could see the desolation it's production causes. ----- Looking back now... the real shock was... I was just a guy going somewhere in a taxi... this utter devastation went on for the whole 100 mile journey...'

[Eau2011]

I live in Germany, and I have never seen a paper bag! Last time I saw a paper bag was in NYC where at check out they routinely ask if you want 'paper or plastic?'. Dang, those Americans are so environmentally responsible

I know you can get them from Marktkauf for carrying (for free), Norma (for free), Ebl etc. In many supermarkets you can choose plastic or paper, for free or buying, but for plastic bags you always have to pay! Also can buy the paper bags in the supermarket. My neighbours and I always used them for orgnic waste. Americans are so environmentally responsible??? That must be the biggest joke. Talking about Kyoto Protocol!!! You must also read they are the energy guzzler, their cars, their way of living, the highest consume of energy per capita

Re-useable/textile shopping bags? Yes, in Singapore we were accumulating so many of them that we used them as rubbish bags to go down the chute. Ironic eh?

No, I haven't seen them yet.

Haha re: the UN. Yes we used to work there in NYC. I'm firmly with John Bolton, it is a pointless talking shop but jeez it paid us well. 'You could take a 1/3rd off the top of the UN tower and it would make no difference'. Did you see this week the Indian FM read out a speech intended for the Portugese FM, at the UN, and it took anybody 5 minutes to notice lol! They'd never employ me directly as I am not a communist.
That's the same with EU parlement.

Maybe they'd appoint you as the minister of 'pointless gestures that make you feel good inside despite costing you a lot of money'?
No, of cause you, you can really implement...

p.s. What is renewable energy?
You don't really need an answer, do you?

[nakatago]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arbpu1xKAow
George Carlin The Planet Is Fine

Enjoy

but we are f****!

About the plastic bags, one of the worst offenders is NTUC. Whereas I buy the same amount of groceries that I know would fit in one bag, NTUC would put them in five! Sometimes I told the nice lady to just put it all in one bag and she insisted that she put some of the stuff in a separate bag anyway.

And those canvass bags? Yeah, I already got so many of them, even after giving a lot of them away!

Coincidentally, back home, a big-chain department/supermarket chain started using biodegradable plastic bags...made from corn. I haven't bothered to see if they actually decompose or where the corn used to produced them are grown though.

EDIT: we have naughty words filter scripts now?!? Looks like the admins granted someone who's easily offended's wish. Not that I mind but it had to come to this? Really? How sheltered can one get?

[Eau2011]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arbpu1xKAow
George Carlin The Planet Is Fine

Enjoy

but we are f****!

About the plastic bags, one of the worst offenders is NTUC. Whereas I buy the same amount of groceries that I know would fit in one bag, NTUC would put them in five! Sometimes I told the nice lady to just put it all in one bag and she insisted that she put some of the stuff in a separate bag anyway.

And those canvass bags? Yeah, I already got so many of them, even after giving a lot of them away!

Coincidentally, back home, a big-chain department/supermarket chain started using biodegradable plastic bags...made from corn. I haven't bothered to see if they actually decompose or where the corn used to produced them are grown though.

EDIT: we have naughty words filter scripts now?!?

That's what I mean and what I did and what bothers me.

[Eau2011]

Read some articles about 5C's and etc...
Thought you'll get fined if you throw anything in a public places? So what is this scenario at 5am around HDB blocks?

Only if there is someone to catch you. Behaviour is moderated by fines. No risk of fines...? who cares? In fact the cynic in me suggests that some SGns probably enjoy the kiasuism of throwing trash knowing that they will not be caught.

Sure, behaviours are moderated by fines, crime is moderated by law, not much different.

Eau dear You have moved from an essentially extremely formal and civic society to a wanton Chinese free-for-all. In time you will understand.


I will understand in quite short time because I speak Chinese and I'm Chinese too Chinese are the same all over the world except minor differences.
Yes, I will get used to the me me culture, though I don't really know what it means.

Oh dear, not trolling are you?
seriously


My point being you cannot 'get' something that you 'do not know what it means'!

I call it flexibility or ability to adapt , like many years ago when I moved to Germany, I have to get used to the moaning society.

--- But the landfill should not be used for the plastic bags, right?

What do you throw rubbish out in in Germany? > Plastic bags. Where do they go? > landfill.
I guess there is recycling, or am I wrong?

Do you think there are people at the rubbish depot who untie your plastic bags of rubbish and ensure the bags are recycled?

Even if there were, how does not giving you plastic shopping bags generate less plastic, at least for the majority who use them as trash bags?
Don't really know how it works, maybe you can tell me, Mr. Alleswisser?

[[/quote]

[JR8]

I live in Germany, and I have never seen a paper bag! Last time I saw a paper bag was in NYC where at check out they routinely ask if you want 'paper or plastic?'. Dang, those Americans are so environmentally responsible

I know you can get them from Marktkauf for carrying (for free), Norma (for free), Ebl etc. In many supermarkets you can choose plastic or paper, for free or buying, but for plastic bags you always have to pay! Also can buy the paper bags in the supermarket. My neighbours and I always used them for orgnic waste. Americans are so environmentally responsible??? That must be the biggest joke. Talking about Kyoto Protocol!!! You must also read they are the energy guzzler, their cars, their way of living, the highest consume of energy per capita

I have never heard of any of those stores, and I'll repeat that I have never seen a paper bag in Germany. Neither have I seen one in living memory in London or Singapore. However in NYC I was always offered 'paper or plastic' at the check-out.
So why your unfounded prejudice against the Americans? Shall we whisper this quietly and agree [... the Kyoto Protocol is a Marxist heist]. Anyway enough of the Michael Mooreish flailing and bleating...


Haha re: the UN. Yes we used to work there in NYC. I'm firmly with John Bolton, it is a pointless talking shop but jeez it paid us well. 'You could take a 1/3rd off the top of the UN tower and it would make no difference'. Did you see this week the Indian FM read out a speech intended for the Portugese FM, at the UN, and it took anybody 5 minutes to notice lol! They'd never employ me directly as I am not a communist.
That's the same with EU parlement.

Ah Sehr gut meine freunde, something we agree on!

Maybe they'd appoint you as the minister of 'pointless gestures that make you feel good inside despite costing you a lot of money'?
No, of cause you, you can really implement...

DNC

p.s. What is renewable energy?
You don't really need an answer, do you?

Er... windmills need 24/7/365 power station back-up. Electric cars get electricty from the same. Can you explain what is renewable please?

[Eau2011]

I live in Germany, and I have never seen a paper bag! Last time I saw a paper bag was in NYC where at check out they routinely ask if you want 'paper or plastic?'. Dang, those Americans are so environmentally responsible

I know you can get them from Marktkauf for carrying (for free), Norma (for free), Ebl etc. In many supermarkets you can choose plastic or paper, for free or buying, but for plastic bags you always have to pay! Also can buy the paper bags in the supermarket. My neighbours and I always used them for orgnic waste. Americans are so environmentally responsible??? That must be the biggest joke. Talking about Kyoto Protocol!!! You must also read they are the energy guzzler, their cars, their way of living, the highest consume of energy per capita

I have never heard of any of those stores, and I'll repeat that I have never seen a paper bag in Germany. Neither have I seen one in living memory in London or Singapore. However in NYC I was always offered 'paper or plastic' at the check-out.
So why your unfounded prejudice against the Americans? Shall we whisper this quietly and agree [... the Kyoto Protocol is a Marxist heist]. Anyway enough of the Michael Mooreish flailing and bleating...

Well, I give up if you even don't know the name of those supermarkt chains....! Are you SURE you have lived there?
I've stayed in NYC and Florida for a while, I saw their way of living...I saw how my friends lived.

Haha re: the UN. Yes we used to work there in NYC. I'm firmly with John Bolton, it is a pointless talking shop but jeez it paid us well. 'You could take a 1/3rd off the top of the UN tower and it would make no difference'. Did you see this week the Indian FM read out a speech intended for the Portugese FM, at the UN, and it took anybody 5 minutes to notice lol! They'd never employ me directly as I am not a communist.
That's the same with EU parlement.

Ah Sehr gut meine freunde, something we agree on!
I'm female. you can say: sehr gut, Mädchen.

Maybe they'd appoint you as the minister of 'pointless gestures that make you feel good inside despite costing you a lot of money'?
No, of cause you, you can really implement...

DNC

p.s. What is renewable energy?
You don't really need an answer, do you?

Er... windmills need 24/7/365 power station back-up. Electric cars get electricty from the same. Can you explain what is renewable please?
Then tell me what's behind....intrigue. Or you want to say they are all stupid.

quote]

[Eau2011]

Sure, behaviours are moderated by fines, crime is moderated by law, not much different.

Eau dear You have moved from an essentially extremely formal and civic society to a wanton Chinese free-for-all. In time you will understand.

I come from a much more complicated society (China) than Germany, so I have seen more Huntun than you can imagine.

What I want to say is: essentially extremely formal and civic society is regulated by law.

Do you know the MNC will try to take advantage of those societies if law is incomplete there or there is law but it's not strictly followed? I know many of these. Without law restriction, will they really talk about ethic??

[paulzheng]

I came to Singapore two weeks ago from Germany. Yes a newbie.

Went to supermarket Giant a few times and saw they used so many plastic bags for carrying the goods. The same with bakery and other shops.

I can't keep thinking all the time how they do with the recycling. Will they do the waste seperation after they collect all the waste if they don't do it in the single household? Where will they dispose all those plastic bags? Singapore is such a small country. I'm not an eviromental freak, but this really bothers me much.

Can anyone give me clue? Thanks!

Then, could you introduce the situation in Germany? the people in Germany don't use plastic bag so often, right?

[Eau2011]

I came to Singapore two weeks ago from Germany. Yes a newbie.

Went to supermarket Giant a few times and saw they used so many plastic bags for carrying the goods. The same with bakery and other shops.

I can't keep thinking all the time how they do with the recycling. Will they do the waste seperation after they collect all the waste if they don't do it in the single household? Where will they dispose all those plastic bags? Singapore is such a small country. I'm not an eviromental freak, but this really bothers me much.

Can anyone give me clue? Thanks!

Then, could you introduce the situation in Germany? the people in Germany don't use plastic bag so often, right?

They do waste seperation in household. one for papers, one for waste, one for organic waste, one for plastic things (yellow bag).

In the supermarkets or other shops, you have to buy plastic bags for carrying. In some supermarkets they offer you paper bags for free, or you bring your own shopping bags, that's what Shanghai and Shenzhen are doing now, they have implemented this since 1 or 2 years.

We use those paper bags for organic waste, no plastic bags.

In the industry they introduced the green dot system. See wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Dot_(symbol)
Since its European introduction, the scheme has been rolled out to 23 European countries.

To be honest, I feel always guilty if I have to throw everything in one bag here in Singapore. Yes maybe like that guy said in Youtube, what's fuss about some plastic bags? But I try to live environmental friendly in my daily life.

As some guys already said: maybe Singapore govnt intended to do this, shopping plastic bags as rubbish bags for end users. Then I shut up my month cause I'm lack of joined up thinking..

But, as one guy said above:
"About the plastic bags, one of the worst offenders is NTUC. Whereas I buy the same amount of groceries that I know would fit in one bag, NTUC would put them in five! Sometimes I told the nice lady to just put it all in one bag and she insisted that she put some of the stuff in a separate bag anyway. "
I also have the same problem.

I'd prefer those biodegradable plastic bags...

[JR8]

Well, I give up if you even don't know the name of those supermarkt chains....! Are you SURE you have lived there?
I've stayed in NYC and Florida for a while, I saw their way of living...I saw how my friends lived.

Well what can I say but that I haven’t. I know Lidl, Aldi, Kaisers, Netto, Metro... .... DM, Rossman, Schlecher and so on...

Ah Sehr gut meine freunde, something we agree on! [/color]
I'm female. you can say: sehr gut, Mädchen.

Angenehm

Er... windmills need 24/7/365 power station back-up. Electric cars get electricty from the same. Can you explain what is renewable please?
Then tell me what's behind....intrigue. Or you want to say they are all stupid.

You mean what is behind ‘climate change’ and all of that? Well, they call them watermelons don’t they? Green on the outside, red inside. Anyone you meet that supports it is either making a living from it, or stupid (sheeple (refer seperate complex side discussion re: false religions and Western self-hatred)). It is down to taking money from the successful.

Sure, behaviours are moderated by fines, crime is moderated by law, not much different.

Eau dear You have moved from an essentially extremely formal and civic society to a wanton Chinese free-for-all. In time you will understand.


I come from a much more complicated society (China) than Germany, so I have seen more Huntun than you can imagine.

Gosh SGns must seem civilised to you! lol

What I want to say is: essentially extremely formal and civic society is regulated by law.

But Germany does not need to fine people for not flushing a public toilet. Consider why

Do you know the MNC will try to take advantage of those societies if law is incomplete there or there is law but it's not strictly followed? I know many of these. Without law restriction, will they really talk about ethic??

Is it just MNCs or all companies? In fact is it all companies, or individual/sole traders as well? In fact in your eyes are people parasites on society? Do these parasites need to elect other parasite-controllers in order to control their parasitical tendencies?

[breedmon]

I came to Singapore two weeks ago from Germany. Yes a newbie.

Went to supermarket Giant a few times and saw they used so many plastic bags for carrying the goods. The same with bakery and other shops.

I can't keep thinking all the time how they do with the recycling. Will they do the waste seperation after they collect all the waste if they don't do it in the single household? Where will they dispose all those plastic bags? Singapore is such a small country. I'm not an eviromental freak, but this really bothers me much.

Can anyone give me clue? Thanks!

Singapore is just a country of 5 million. We can burn plastic bags all day long and it still wouldn't make a difference to global warming.

What do they do? They take the plastic bags back to their houses, take their groceries out, throw these bags into the bins, the garbage man collects it, burns it, and release lots of happy co2 into the air.

Nothing makes us Singaporeans happier than collecting as many plastic bags as possible and throwing them away brand new! You should try it sometime.

Hope that helps.

[x9200]

I came to Singapore two weeks ago from Germany. Yes a newbie.

Went to supermarket Giant a few times and saw they used so many plastic bags for carrying the goods. The same with bakery and other shops.

I can't keep thinking all the time how they do with the recycling. Will they do the waste seperation after they collect all the waste if they don't do it in the single household? Where will they dispose all those plastic bags? Singapore is such a small country. I'm not an eviromental freak, but this really bothers me much.

Can anyone give me clue? Thanks!

Certainly they've got incineration plants so at the end of the day it may go with the smoke and the ashes will be used for land reclamation but I expect some automatic process may be in place for partial recycling of this sort of plastics.

[JR8]

Flattering Eau that you have personalised the thread title

But could you explain where or what in this discussion your issue with 'joined up thinking' is?

[happigal]

Eau - Recycling does happen, even if it's on a very small scale. Some estates do have recycling bins and they come around every 2 weeks to take all your recyclables. This includes PET, paper, glass and alu.

Actually, I really dislike reusable bags. A study has shown that most of reusable shopping bags harbour an enormous amount of bacteria. Have you ever washed yours??

But Singapore does do it's small part. Do some research about Pulau Semakau. It's actually a landfill area, but done in a special way. All incinerated items are sealed in these special containers which are used to increase the land mass of the island. And special care has been taken to ensure that intertidal marine life, mangrove swamps, etc... are not upset in anyway. It has been there for sometime and so far it has been thriving.

If you are upset about plastic bags, don't take them! But I think there are worse things out there! Think of all the aircons in use in Singapore. Think of your carbon footprint each time you drive or worse, FLY!