Anti Plastic law passed. Everybody help

[ComputerGuy]

I don't think we'll ever be without a need for plastic bags. I see many videos and news items, especially in Mexico, from creative minds making degradable plastic bags  (and other items) out of all kinds of interesting plantlife. Choosing the right ones, that won't cause even more damage to the environment through the use of water and energy, is going to be the challenge. Lirio (water hyacinth) from the lake has been used to make bamboo-type furniture, and that's practically an endless source.

It's unrealistic to think that we can all dispose all of our garbage in (yet again, plastic) containers... yes, glass, paper, metal... but grease and such? That doesn't go well in a compost pile (and we might require actual laws to force people to compost). Picking up dog and cat poop is similarly difficult. What, use paper instead of plastic bags (paper being a wood byproduct, of course), and then throw that paper into the recycle paper bin? And where does kitty litter fit into this?

I'm glad I don't have to be the one to figure this out.

[johanson]

Me too. But the kitty poop is organic and if we had organic disposable bags that worked well, we could throw all of it in the organic waste for the compost pile  (I think)  

[Susy Wilson]

Single use anything is bad for the environment whether it is plastic or paper or cloth or anything. The more times we can re-use something the better and that is only a tiny drop in the bucket for saving our environment. It however is not at all convenient for most people and human beings seem to love convenience:/ Almost every single item that we purchase has packaging of some kind and most of it is horrible stuff and lasts for a very long time.  Saving this planet will not be convenient I fear but personally I believe it is quite necessary nonetheless. We all can do our part and at least do what we can!

I am not in Mexico yet but it does make me happy that the attempt is at least being put forward. 

[Bisbee Gal]

14 hours ago, johanson said:

Me too. But the kitty poop is organic and if we had organic disposable bags that worked well, we could throw all of it in the organic waste for the compost pile  (I think)  

There are also flushable pet poop bags available at Amazon.

[RVGRINGO]

When I was young, our dogs & cats ran free, and we never knew where they made their deposits. Their food came from the butcher; horse meat, in a paper container. Hamburger came that way, and we kids often confused the two. Both were delicious.

The horses, on the other hand, spent a lot of time inside during the winter months, and that required shoveling. It made a big pile, which composted and also received the kitchen scraps. It was all very useful in the garden, and helped develop very rich soil in an otherwise sandy area.

Groceries came home in paper bags, which were used for many purposes; carefully folded and saved, as that kraft paper was quite nice for wrapping and mailing, etc.

There were no plastic bags, straws, spoons, plates, or much of anything else. Bakelite was as close as it came, until after WWII, when plastic suddenly appeared everywhere. Soon, our sturdy iron and tin toys, tools and utensils were replaced by .....well, you know the rest of the story.

[Mainecoons]

Amazing isn't it?  We lived very well without all this packaging and grossly overdone plastic crap.  

And we could do so again.  

We used to make book covers out of the kraft paper bags.  Very durable

[johanson]

I voted sad above, not because of the post but because how addicted I used to be using plastics for everything.

[La-de-di]

On 11/21/2018 at 5:25 AM, Bisbee Gal said:

There are also flushable pet poop bags available at Amazon.

I always flush the contents of my plastic poop bag in the toilet .... I still don't know how I would pick it up and get it to a toilet without plastic but I suppose I should try using those wax paper bags. If they are making flushable ones, it's wonderful news but would our sewer systems be able to  handle them  - we can't even flush toilet paper.   Further to this - it appals me to see poop wrapped in plastic rotting in garbage cans - a recipe for all sorts of diseases.  I have a compost pile but I don't think you can compost anything but vegetarian animal excrement? I don't know but it's important to be thinking about the garbage we are making  -  including the stuff that sewers, not garbage dumps,  were meant to dispose of.  

[camillenparadise]

Please, NO poop in a compost heap!!!!

[La-de-di]

On 11/21/2018 at 9:38 AM, RVGRINGO said:

The horses, on the other hand, spent a lot of time inside during the winter months, and that required shoveling. It made a big pile, which composted and also received the kitchen scraps. It was all very useful in the garden, and helped develop very rich soil in an otherwise sandy area.

 

 

3 hours ago, camillenparadise said:

Please, NO poop in a compost heap!!!!

I think horse or cow manure is good composted - just not a good way to deal with dog poo 

 

[camillenparadise]

Right you are!

[mudgirl]

Here's one that's always jumped out at me- all these super outdoorsy environmentally aware people who probably send off their annual donation to Sierra Club or Greenpeace every year, yet they are all decked out in spandex and fleece, which are plastics.

[ezpz]

The other part of this is putting your recycling on the street.  Many of us have already been doing that for some time but they are discouraging use of plastic bags to put your recycling in and suggesting other containers in place of that.  Some time ago when I put my recycling in an old empty paint bucket, the bucket promptly got stolen.  If you don't use a large trash bin, the smaller ones get ripped off.  But those of us in small households don't or can't use big trash cans either.  What to do?

I've explained recycling about 5 times to my maid who had trouble comprehending.  The word needs to get out in Spanish to the people here and I don't know how well they are accomplishing that.  Not everyone is on social media, they would have to put out paper flyers in the neighborhoods.  Here is a blurb that was on Ajijic Juanra Flores FB page, please show this to your maids and gardeners and Mexican friends in case they don't already know.

 

[Sandrita]

I have a few questions: I put the dog poop in a plastic bag that I have gotten at Superlake or Walmart.  The toilet trash is also in a plastic bag.  The kitchen bin is lined with a plastic bag and I put all the above in there.  Glass & plastic bottles are just put on the top of the large pin that goes outside.  Any styro is cut up and placed inside the plastic bag.

How do I resolve these items?

Muchas gracias.

 

 

[sm1mex]

 I see more and more expats at Walmart carrying  their own reusable bags but not so much the Mexicans. Hopefully they will catch on.