tatami

Inuyama City, Aichi Ken, Chubu, Japan

Jul 2020

556 Views

1 Likes

Frugal times

On the aftermath of the Lehman shock in 2010, almost all supermarkets would require shoppers to bring their own shopping bags. Some yrs back, some supermarkets would provide plastic bags free of charge while there still a remaining few ones who wouldn't.So I thought the economy is perking up. In contrast, all convenience stores gave it for free. That was so until I shopped last Sunday. I just thought I was abreast with the news but I was wrong. Today when I bought a packed lunch and a couple of drinks, I was drawn to a notice near the cashier. ¥3 for every plastic shopping bag. My attention was all over covid, the anti terror bill in my home country and the recent murder of 4 military intelligence officer again in my home country. I am caught unaware of this eco and frugal law in my adopted country. I'm looking beyond what my eyes can't see that I forget the very struggle of the country where Iam now. From July 1, there'll be no more free plastic shopping bags. Frugal but eco times indeed!

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Comments (15)

kpthatsme●Chicago, Illinois USA

Jul 3, 2020●15 Blogs●304 Comments

Oh wow, in Chicago we've had to pay a "plastic bag tax" of .07 per bag since about 2014

jac_the_gripper●Tonyrefail, South Glamorgan, Wales UK

Jul 3, 2020●20 Blogs●2,986 Comments

Yup, we've had to pay for plastic bags for years.

It's 5 pence for a small, thin bag, 10 pence for a larger, sturdier one.

Some supermarkets have a 'bag for life' scheme. You buy a 10 pence sturdy bag which they'll replace when it breaks, or wears out from repeated use. They recycle the old ones and have a bank outside the supermarket where you can drop off any plastic bags you no longer want.

I use my own cloth bags.

Soon after the law was introduced I no longer saw plastic bags blowing about streets and the countryside. They used to be everywhere.

ashlander●In God's Hands, Oregon USA

Jul 3, 2020●3,804 Comments

murder of 4 military intelligence officer again in my home country.

Good to see you are fairing well Sis.

Amicablesmiles●Belize, Belize

Jul 3, 2020●5 Blogs●256 Comments

The cost of groceries are so expensive here that they give away the plastic bags.

Wait, they don't give it away, i bet the cost is somewhere in the cost of food.

tatamiOP●Inuyama City, Aichi Ken, Chubu Japan

Jul 3, 2020●241 Blogs●992 Comments

@Kp, some yrs back when some supermarkets started giving out free plastic shopping bags, I just thought the economy is picking up. Although there are supermarkets which sell fabric shopping bags and plastic baskets I didn't bother to buy one as I always repeatedly those plastic bags. In the early 90's, I came across one supermarket in Kanagawa Ken which charges plastic bags. But that was an extra isolated case since the rest do gave them out free. It was only in 2010 when some stores didn't and every bag was 3yen and that was the biggest bag.

tatamiOP●Inuyama City, Aichi Ken, Chubu Japan

Jul 3, 2020●241 Blogs●992 Comments

@Jac, I did research on the yen conversion of both UKpound and USdollars. Surprise(if my conversion isn't wrong), I and the rest of us shld never complain at all(unless the quality of plastic material and size of the bag is different from the ones here in Japan). .07USdollars is approximately ¥7 while 10UKpennies is around ¥13. The size and quality might differ perhaps but the ones here can be even be used for even more than 10times.

tatamiOP●Inuyama City, Aichi Ken, Chubu Japan

Jul 3, 2020●241 Blogs●992 Comments

@Ash, sad though that 4 Phil army intel officers were ambushed. That's the news I've been following through hence I'm oblivious on the latest on the Japan side though I'm residing here.

tatamiOP●Inuyama City, Aichi Ken, Chubu Japan

Jul 3, 2020●241 Blogs●992 Comments

@Amicable, so true. Everything is added up to the price list. But what can we do? We can't by ourselves produce everything we need. But I've heard in some areas in my home country that barter system is doing well. Not sure though if they're asked to bring their own bags.

tatamiOP●Inuyama City, Aichi Ken, Chubu Japan

Jul 3, 2020●241 Blogs●992 Comments

To @Kp, @Jac, @Ash, and @Amicable, thanks for sharing your side of the earth. Got a glimpse of your world and appreciated more my own world here. Thanks for your rare appearances.

JimNastics●Kingston, New Jersey USA

Jul 3, 2020●1,965 Blogs●11,843 Comments

I know law passed last year to eliminate plastic bags here in New Jersey, USA.
But, either it doesn't go into effect yet, or everyone forgot about it with all the other issues that we are
currently challenged with.

It's a good thing, when it does. There's far too much plastic in the environment.

tatamiOP●Inuyama City, Aichi Ken, Chubu Japan

Jul 27, 2020●241 Blogs●992 Comments

@Orzz, not sure if trees or grass is being used in paper bags. Either way is eco friendly as they are recyclable. But if trees are the ones being used up, we'll be denuding our forests and we abhor the outcome. And if paper bags are used, it won't be as strong. Some people are using the grocery tote bags and not sure if they wash it right after every use. Covid cases here in Japan isn't as severe as your side of the earth. Fabric bags are still allowed. Judging from the number of train commuters this week, seems everything is back to normal here. I was asked to be back at work since last week. Hopefully everything will be alright with extra precaution. At work , we are still asked to write down our body temp and there is still a shield dividing one side of the dining table in the cafeteria. Hope everything would turn out better on your side too and not forgetting my home country. We'll get over this as better human beings.

Orzzz●Portage, Wisconsin USA

Jul 27, 2020●98 Blogs●342 Comments

You have a problem due to being an island. The pulp industry in the US is not so bad. The forests that are cut down are for lumber and that is denuding the forests. Paper comes from trees planted just for the paper industry or waste from the lumber companies. And can be recycled again and again. Paper sacks are way stronger than the thin plastic bags they now order us to use.
A tree must grow for 20 years to make lumber. Fast growing trees for pulp can be cut in ten and some even less.
The government has wised up here to the fact that hemp is NOT pot. During the war, Wisconsin grew massive acres of hemp. It was made into clothes, rope and all kinds of things. We are just just re-starting the industry. I think since papyrus can be made into paper, so can hemp?

LaFonda●Irving, Texas USA

Jul 27, 2020●1 Blogs●931 Comments

This covid virus is hanging around too long.

Some people are still spending a lot.

That keeps the economy from not collapsing.

tatamiOP●Inuyama City, Aichi Ken, Chubu Japan

Jul 28, 2020●241 Blogs●992 Comments

@Orz, hemp in the Phils isn't pot at all too. It's made into ropes and maybe some other things I don't know of. With paper sacks, so true. Iam amazed how strong paper sacks are here in Japan but not in my home country. The biggest paper sack I saw here holds 30 kilos of rice. So strong you can actually lift it up without breaking unless of course it's wet. I just think plastic products isn't the problem at all. It's the way people disposes them improperly.
Thanks for commenting in an otherwise dead post.

tatamiOP●Inuyama City, Aichi Ken, Chubu Japan

Jul 28, 2020●241 Blogs●992 Comments

@La Fonda, no matter how late, your presence is greatly appreciated. Thanks for dropping by.

That's a positive news from your side of the earth. That I can't say about my home country. Poor Philippines!! It seems with a couple of months or so of extreme lockdown where some violators who just missed wearing masks were sometimes mauled or shot, my country is floating because of loans and donations. Thanks to some benevolent countries and people. But it perhaps would be better if those money were given straight to agencies or organizations. With trillions of pesos in loans with no accountability yet it seems to be gone with the wind. Or those loans were not given at all. There are so many rich Filipinos who could just be hoarding their money for the presidential elections come 2022. Many are grieving for their dead, informed and jailed family members. Just extremely sad.

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tatami

tatami

Inuyama City, Aichi Ken, Chubu, Japan

A simple lady who until now keeps on finding the real meaning of life, its wonders and magic. And by the way, I'm a Filipina who's been living in Japan for around 25 yrs. Been receiving mails insinuating I'm Japanese. Iam not a poser. I'm a Filipino. [read more]

About this Blog

created Jul 2020

in Opinionated Blogs

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Last Viewed: Apr 25

Last Commented: Jul 2020

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Last Liked: Jul 2020

tatami has 241 other Blogs

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