As if it weren't hot enough outside, I need to vent some steam from the inside...I don't know about you, but when I go grocery shopping, I bring my own bags, even the produce ones. (My goal is to eventually stop using those produce bags.) After buying items, I re-use the produce bags and only when they are used to hold meats/fish, do I throw them out filled with raw garbage.
So, I go to the store today and bring a produce bag. None of the items I bought needed a produce bag, so it was in my basket un-used. The girl at the register took my items from the basket and put them into another basket as she rung everything up....then throws away my un-used bag into the trash!
I was so mad! I told her I brought that bag to re-use. She didn't even apologize, she just gave me a new produce bag! which defeated the whole purpose of my recycling!
I think Japan is really two-faced when it comes to recycling. On one hand they are all about separating your trash and recycling this and that. On the other hand, you go to a department store and they wrap EVERYTHING in nice paper, which looks nice but is totally wasteful. And when you go to the bakery or bread shop, every item is separately put into its own plastic bag then stuffed into a plastic/paper shopping bag! Even when you buy a bento(boxed lunch), they don't ask if you need chopsticks, they automatically put them in the plastic shopping bag with your lunch.
I try to stay one step ahead of these cashiers by saying that I don't need a bag, or I'll take the item as is. And some stores have started giving little discounts for people who bring their own bags.
Still, Japan and I have a long way to go with recycling. Thanks for listening.
12 comments:
I totally agree with you.
How's the weather there? It's pouring here.
OMG Nate it was super humid today and sunny! Now, it is cloudy. I wonder if it will rain?
Are you packed up and ready to go?
Take care.
Kat
Nope! Flight showtime changed from 2;40 pm tomorrow afternoon to 4:40 am tomorrow morning. So am scrambling to prepare. And it might change again! All at the discretion of the mission. Gotta check back this evening.
Yipes 4:40am! Hope you can get everything together and be able to get on that flight home!
Take care.
Kat
Only ~15 minutes from my apartment to Kadena AB terminal.
Didn't get to do any shopping though today. Was planning on tomorrow morning. Won't be bearing gifts if I do get on the flight.
I'm sure everyone will understand. At least you will be able to go home :)
Take care.
Kat
Oh its not just Japan....here in my town I get the same too. Young teens who work in supermarkets don't know the value of recycling.
Sad! I guess it is everywhere, Jaden.
Thanks for stopping by and take care!
Kat
Hi Kat! Now that I read your post about the garbage system in Japan I do find it ironic that Japan is a country that does produce tons of waste! On our honeymoon there, I was overwhelmed (and at the time delighted) but just how much STUFF there was to buy in Japan. Stores are so crammed of just things, clothes, trinkets, keychains, all stuff to buy! But now that I think of it, all that "stuff" has to eventually go somewhere and that somewhere is probably into the trash.
And as you mentioned before, there is all the extra wrapping that they do. I was so frustrated when it was nearly impossible to find any trash cans to throw away our food wrappers after eating inside the department store! I mean they had eating areas with no trash cans. Of course we didn't want to leave it behind so we carried our garbage around until we got to the hotel!
Hi Kat!
The wastebaskets disappeared all over the place and especially in train stations after the 1995 cyanide subway incident.
I often have to carry my garbage until I find a bin or until I go home too. :(
Thanks for stopping by!
Take care.
Kat
Hi, I know exactly how you feel.
I used to live in Shanghai and when I go to the supermarket for grocery shopping and will bring my own fabric shopping bag. Besides recycling, to also stuff EVERYTHING into one bag so that it is easier to carry and walk home instead of 4 plastic bags dangling all over.
When I whip-out my shopping bag, the cashier will give me that “WTF is she doing” look.
I now live in Phuket, have a car and will buy a cartful each time, so it is not really possible to stuff everything into 2 ~ 3 fabric bags. However, I will still try to stuff as much as possible into one plastic bag till it’s full, but the cashier will place like 4 items into one bag … annoying!
This is my pet peeve: when you buy something from the chiller section (e.g. packet of konyakku), it will almost definitely be placed into a small bag, then in to the bigger bag with other produce items such as fruits and vegetables. Does it matter? No!
That sounds very frustrating, Chien!
Take care.
Kat
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