# Restaurants and Reducing Plastic **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 7, 2020, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446 "2020-10-07T20:22:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2020, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446/41 "2020-10-12T20:41:32Z")
The Whole Foods on Halsted will allow you to bring bags now, but they won’t touch them. Kinda silly, in my opinion, if Covid was that spreadable. 98% of the world would have it. They haven’t been charging for bags and since I reuse them as garbage bags. I don’t feel guilty Yes, I did see the 28 days money and phone story. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446/42 "2020-10-12T21:01:08Z")
A lot of the “hygiene theatre” choices made by business are to make the worried well feel safer. This has led to aisle arrows, decisions not to charge for bags or carts requiring coins (not sure if this is a thing in the US?), people employed to clean plexiglass shields and dispense sanitizer, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2020, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446/43 "2020-10-12T22:19:26Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > carts requiring coins If I’m understanding correctly, there’s only one chain in our area that does this, and they’ve done it forever, advertising it as a cost-saving measure. “You insert a quarter, you get your cart. Put it back, you get your quarter back. That way, we don’t have to pay someone to get the carts from the parking lot.” ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2020, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446/44 "2020-10-12T22:25:09Z")
It’s common in Canada and more so as the neighbourhood becomes more downmarket. I have not seen it used outside of Canada, though. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446/45 "2020-10-14T13:23:33Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > In some areas, the use of reusable grocery bags brought in by the customers was banned, so stores were providing paper bags, reusable plastic one or the old, thin t-shirt bags. The local Trader Joes stopped letting people bring in their own bags into the store when the lockdown began last spring. They still don’t, but now they have a table outside where you can bag them if you brought your own bags. Personally, I bicycle to TJs and put everything in my backpack to take home. At first they wouldn’t even let me bring the backpack into the store, but now don’t care. I still have to bag them outside rather than at the counter. This isn’t a hardship for me since I always loaded my backpack myself anyway. Didn’t trust them to do it right. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446/46 "2020-10-14T14:09:37Z")
I’ll always use a straw when a drink has ice in it or it’s something in a plastic cup bought from a fast food type place with a lid on it. If I’m just drinking at home I never use a straw, I don’t think I even have any in my apt. ---
**Author:** ![ElDeLuxo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@ElDeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElDeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446/47 "2020-10-14T14:42:49Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Paper straws work fine, probably double as swizzlers. Oh, no, they don’t. ---
**Author:** ![ElDeLuxo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@ElDeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElDeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446/48 "2020-10-14T14:48:38Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Why does everyone need a straw They work a lot better for sipping your cold drink with, reducing the likelihood of spillage. Plus, straws are _fun_. ---
**Author:** ![ElDeLuxo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@ElDeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElDeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446/49 "2020-10-14T14:55:30Z")
I have often drank a coffee-to-go with a straw while strolling down the street. because that way i don’t have to stop in my tracks in order to take a sip. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446/50 "2020-10-14T15:45:15Z")
Only when they are all squiggly. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@Earl\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Grey)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446/51 "2020-10-15T01:35:32Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > If I’m understanding correctly, there’s only one chain in our area that does this, and they’ve done it forever, advertising it as a cost-saving measure. “You insert a quarter, you get your cart. Put it back, you get your quarter back. That way, we don’t have to pay someone to get the carts from the parking lot.” Aldi is probably it. I love grocery shopping there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-and-reducing-plastic/922446.md?page=2)