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When were plastic bags available? I do not know the history of plastics, but I think economical extrusion products might have come later in the plastics era.

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https://www.plasticplace.com/blog/the-trash-bag-in-history-part-ii

Obviously pro-plastic, but the key takeaways are that trash incineration is illegal in many places (as well as bad for air quality) and lining the trash can with paper didn’t really solve anything.

Even in a state as relatively laissez-faire as Virginia, trash incineration is illegal at the state level only if you’re unable to get curbside trash pickup. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title9/agency5/chapter130/section40/

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Even in a state as relatively laissez-faire as Virginia, trash incineration is *legal at the state level only if you’re unable to get curbside trash pickup. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title9/agency5/chapter130/section40/

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If people would compost and stop using single-serve plastic and we could incentivize recycling, it would help. Loudoun is about to impose a bag fee. Charlottesville as well. Cville does single-stream recycling, which *goes in the landfill anyway* (so people stay in the habit of doing it?). Argh.

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