A Bunch of Garbage

posted February 19th, 2018 at 2:59 PM

Am I the only one who is annoyed that Vancouver is considering taxing or banning coffee cups, it now costs .10 cents a piece for a plastic bag at most grocery stores and people can be fined for putting recycling in their home garbage... ...YET... Anyone can go into any grocery/drug/big box store and buy a case of Pampers with no tax, ban or fine? Is is not just as obvious that they are going straight to the landfill? A breeder friend of mine recently told me her baby uses 200+ diapers a month. The most take-out coffees I'ver ever consumed in a month is probably 10-15. Am I missing something?! *** Full disclosure: I do not have kids and do not know if I ever will. Truth be told I would probably use disposable diapers if I did. I just don't really get how throw away coffee cups and plastic bags are such a problem but plastic throw diapers are not. Maybe I'm just feeling bitchy because I forgot my reusable bags at the grocery store the other day and got charged .40 cents extra.

14 Comments

I think the difference is

Feb 19, 2018 at 9:45pm

Diapers are a necessary item and coffee is a luxury item.

Anonymous

Feb 19, 2018 at 10:51pm

Meh. Being a parent is hard enough, I don't begrudge them for this. Parents are taxed enough with housing costs, daycare, maternity leaves, RESP's, etc. A tax on disposable diapers just seems mean. I agree with most you are saying but diapers are a necessity. And yes, I know there are cloth and reusable options, but those are pretty hard to maintain for two working parents. The "pampers" you speak of are a modern convenience that have basically become a necessity. Putting an extra tax on them isn't going to persuade people to not use them like it would for coffee cups. It just means parents will be stretched that much thinner.

The terrible #2

Feb 20, 2018 at 2:08am

There'a lot more people drinking coffee than having babies these days. Birth rates have been in decline for a couple of decades, while people consuming coffee's has never been higher.

Something that you're missing

Feb 20, 2018 at 5:52am

Bring a reusable cup and worry about yourself. I don't have kids either and I'm all for this. We as humans are causing a huge issue for our planet and any bit helps right night. Stop pointing at everyone else and yelling "But what about themmmm??!!" Grow up.

I get it

Feb 20, 2018 at 6:36am

Disposable diapers and sanitary pads, tampons...even toilet paper! We have much better alternatives.

Natty

Feb 20, 2018 at 7:28am

Carting around a reusable mug isn't hard. Plus your drink will stay warmer in ceramic than in paper.

Obviously because ...

Feb 20, 2018 at 8:23am

In the case of coffee cups and plastic shopping bags, one can easily replace them with reusable travel mugs, or canvas bags, and virtually everyone uses them every day. Whereas, with diapers, only babies and toddlers use them and they are not so easily replaced (most cloth diapers are not very absorbing and are inconvenient and at times unhygienic to use). Also, if you are using 10-15 paper coffee cups a month, that's a lot and you should buy a travel mug.

40 cents?

Feb 20, 2018 at 8:57am

You're upset because you were charged .40? If you noticed a .40 surcharge, maybe it's time to start making that coffee at home.

Anonymous

Feb 20, 2018 at 8:59am

Wait until you find out how much of your tax dollars go to paying for the running water that your neighbours use to go to the bathroom?
Also, before you had to pay, those of us who didn't use plastic bags were paying for your bags through higher food prices (same with that free parking spot you get at the grocery store).

Zoe

Feb 20, 2018 at 9:34am

I think you have a very good point, we need to look at more products and their impact & I think that's coming. Bags & cups are just the start! But ewww a "breeder friend"??? What ... is she a sow or something? That's a pretty demeaning way to speak / think about a friend.