Do you opt for paper sacks, plastic bags, or ____ ?

How about "all of the above." We ask for paper when we need more of them at home for use around there (our grocery store still offers paper bags.) We reuse most of our plastic bags around the house, but what doesn't get used we take to our kids' school. The school puts them in a collection bag and then takes them to Walmart. Walmart gives the school $5 per collection bag.

I have large totes but seem to forget them at least half the time I go shopping. If I get paper, I use it for newspapers and other papers that need to be kept together in the recycling bins. If there are any left over paper bags, they can be cut apart and can be used much the same as newspaper when creating a new flower bed. If I get plastic, we use it to pick up doggie do do. You put one hand in a bag and use it to pick up poops and just stuff them all in the plastic baggie that can be tied off and tossed in the garbage or used to dump the poops in the composter. I don't particularly care for the plastic bags but some store don't offer a choice and then there is this problem of me forgetting my shoulder totes.

It sounds like Walmart (et Target?) is under the gun. I think I saw canvas bags being offered at the checkstands last week, but people buy so much stuff there, who can fit it in those little bags? Also, people aren't "hip" to the concept yet.

I remember, back in the 60's, my mom used to ask for cardboard boxes to put groceries in (a la Costco/BJ's today). They fit more groceries and we used them for storage.

I think it just takes more of us to strut into the "all plastic" big boxes w/ our own bags to influence others to do the same! Besides, Walmart plastic bags are poor quality.

(P. S.- a Walmart plastic bag story: I recently purchased a package of two 8 lb plastic dumbbells at WM. The checker put them into a plastic bag. As I said, "I don't think the bags are going to hold those!" the dumbells dropped through the bag- so the checker put them in second bag- ditto. She got a 3rd bag- they dropped through again. No doubt she would still be putting the 16 lbs into bags had I not stepped in and just put the dumbbells into my cart!)

Here's your sign!

Love it!

Sam's Club has bins with empty boxes to use for your things, no bags at all there. I have 2 of the hot/cold bags from there. I just keep them in my van & put things in them when I get to the van.

Bernie

Canvas bags for shopping. I 've had them for years. Good sturdy bags, and washable. I will ask for paper bags if I need an extra bag. The bag gets re-used three or four times, before I shred it for mulch. I hate plastic bags, but will use them sometimes for messy trash. I have a small bin in my trunk that I use for storing the canvas bags so I always have them for shopping. I have two canvas bags I bought from Earth Watch five years ago. The handles are just beginning to fray, so I have gotten my money's from these totes.

I have several re-usable cloth bags and from one grocery store, I have plastic bins. Just have to ensure that young male cashiers don't load them up too heavy.

I do occasionally accept plastic bags at another grocery store and bring them home to reuse either at home or at a local food bank which I used to run.

If you have plastic bags, check out your local emergency food program. If they are like ours, most likely they depend heavily on donations of used plastic grocery bags so that clients can get home. We have a lot of clients who come by bus and would find boxes of food difficult even if we had enough boxes for everyone.

Ann

Thank you very much for those comments ViolaAnn. We have a few food pantries around here and although we donate to them, I never thought of how people who use the food pantries get it home.

Years ago when I got my first apartment (with a refrigerator!) I figured I'd go to the grocery store and fill it up. When I got up to the cashier, she asked me,"paper or plastic?" I was kind of lost... I handed her a few twenties and said,"I don't have a credit card." Everbody in line behind me had a good laugh. One of them told me she meant the bags, not cash or credit. Duh.

We're all of the above, kitty poo, waste basket liners etc. (BTW, for the waste baskets, I smooth out the bags, fold them into small sections, and store them in the basket under the one used for lining. No searching for another bag when it's time to replace.)

I take the heavy plastic bags from one market with me, and get a credit of ten cents for reusing them. I use paper bags for recycling newspapers, and other household uses, i.e. wrapping pkgs for mailing, potting,plants, spray painting, occasional kitty toys ( they do love a paper bag)

Some stores here have a bin in their entryway for plastic bags to recycle. We were sorting for recycling before everybody hopped on the Green wagon, and got cash for our aluminum cans, and paper. Now the cash payback would be eaten up by the cost of gas to get to that recycling location.

Most of our local stores offer incentives like a few cents a bag of entries into a drawing for a gift basket if you bring your own bags. When we do end up with plastic bags they get used for litterbox cleanup and other things around the house. If I ride my bike to the store it's easier to just put everything in my bike bags anyway. Most of our produce comes from our subscription farm in a wooden box or out of our garden in a bucket, so we save a few bags that way too.

We went to the store once and the bagger was new. We handed her our reused paper bags and she set them at the end of the counter and asked "Paper or plastic?" We were a little baffled but realized she had never seen anyone bring their own bags before.

This message was edited Nov 13, 2007 9:21 AM

A couple of months ago our local Publix Supermarket was selling "Green Bags" .... a canvas type tote for $1.49 each. I bought six and LOVE them! I am amazed at how much they hold. I was just in the store yesterday and they told me they are now selling canvas bags with their store logo on them for 99 cents each! I saw on the news where some Wal-Marts are beginning to promote and sell the canvas type bags too. I think its wonderful! Plastic takes so long to break down and our landfills are overflowing with PLASTIC! I have also heard and read stories of plastic bags getting into the oceans and streams and fish are ingesting it and it's killing them. So .... in my opinion we should all be going "Green". I have no kids to leave this planet to but have nieces and nephews and friends children and their children who will have to live here when I'm long gone. I think back to even 25 years ago and there was no where near the plastic that we have nowadays. I am a big recycler .... breaks my heart to think of the areas of the country that do not have a recycling program. I think recycling should be mandatory everywhere! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle as the saying goes. It makes me mad when I see large cities that do not have recycling programs! I have a sister who lives in a large city in Florida and there is a recycling program in place but she and her family do not recycle ... says when they bought their house about 7 years ago they weren't given a bin! I keep yelling at her to call .... they will give you as many bins as you want, but I guess they just don't want to take the time.

Ok ... I will get off my soapbox now.

meezersfive posted -- "...... (BTW, for the waste baskets, I smooth out the bags, fold them into small sections, and store them in the basket under the one used for lining. No searching for another bag when it's time to replace.)"

What a cool tip! Thank you!! :))

I bring my own bags, but I f I have forgotten them ( which is a problem for me , remembering to put them back in the car after I have unpacked the groceries!) I get paper
laura

Don't get off your soapbox, plantlady! You're doing good!

Accolades to you plantladylin! Very well said.

When we were in Italy recently, the grocery store charged for bags and boxes to carry groceries. I love that!! It encourages people to re-use the box or plastic bag, or to bring their own bags (which I do). Also the large canvas tote I use holds about 4 times as much as the plastic bags, and twice as much as paper, and is easier to carry.

I also spent a year in Europe in 1976-77 and while stores provided plastic bags, they also encouraged you to use your own. They also expect you to pack your own groceries instead of just standing there. LOL

I find the plastic bags are much easier to reuse than the paper ones; so if I forget my own bags or bins, I'll take the plastic. Food banks don't have much use for paper bags - they are nearly as difficult to manage as boxes if you are going on the bus. Picture a young mom with a couple of kids trying to get home w/o a car.

Ann

We don't get offered paper at my local Pathmark. We use plastic because they give it to us, and re-use it (sometimes multiple times if it didn't destroy or yuck the bag for first use) in various ways.

Final re-use is always cleaning up ferret poo from the cage. The ferrets think it's hilarious to try to get into the bag our hand is in, when we're using it like a glove to scoop poo out.

-Sev

we shop a lot at lehmans non electric
they currently have supermarket bags and a large
insulated supermarket bag for sale.

here is their web address www.Lehmans.com

why would anyone want to use the plastic bags that take 1000 years
to decompose and also our stores take off 5cents per your own bag
that you bring and use, local store is called Felpausch.

search g diapers also, we give them as gifts.
sheri

I use both, dry goods in paper, frozen and cold foods in plastic

I am truly surprised that more people do not bring their own bags. There is a huge campaign here in Seattle to encourage people to bring their own bags. Plastic is terrible. One ad here suggests that an average family uses 400 bags a year. San Francisco has banned them from stores.

WAY TO GO SAN FRANCISCO!!! Hope every other state in this country follows suit! We lived for many, many years without those awful plastic bags. At least the brown paper sacks break down and are more biodegradable than plastic.

I don't think plastic ever brakes down if it is buried in a landfill. but will if left in the sun. But who wants to see that mess blowing all over and getting caught in trees and such. But again We reuse them for other things. such as taking some garden produce to some shut ins. but mostly take them to good will industries. or take them to stores that recycle them. however now our local recyclers will now pick them up once again. For a while they wouldn't.

We got along just fine years ago before they came out with plastic bags. They are sturdier than brown paper bags ... but not good for the environment! Sometimes I think we should go back to the bygone days when milk and other things were in glass containers. Nowadays, everything comes packaged in plastic.


We are a two car family ... but don't get me started on that issue! LOL. I think there is so much pollution from all the cars on the roads nowadays! I grew up in a family of mom, dad, six kids and only one car. Nowadays I know people who have four kids - and mom, dad and each of the four kids has their own vehicles. I know it's more convenient but generations to come aren't going to have much of a planet with all the pollution we are leaving behind. I have an image of everyone walking around with oxygen tanks strapped to their backs because there won't be any clean air to breathe.

I bag my own groceries and use whatever I need most around the house at the time.

I must admit that I waste more than I should ... old habits are so hard to break, aren't they? But, I am trying to be better and more aware.

They always say,--"paper or plastic??" when I go grocery shopping and I always say. --'"Which ever you give -I'll take!" I re-use both of them for different purposes and like to have a stack of each.

I use the plastic bags cut into strips and use as ties in the garden for staking.To bag used cat litter. I made 2 door mats from strips and braided them together and wound them around in an oval,and to join the rows just tied short strips randomly between the rows.
I has ALOT of plastic bags at one time!

You should see my kitchen closet right now, BAGS BAGS BAGS and more plastic BAGS! The stores around here don't offer paper anymore and it's a shame. They have recycling bins in the front of the stores, but who wants to carry a wad of bags into the store with them? Don't let one of those suckers come off the road and get sucked onto your radiator either, you'll be overheated in more ways than one. And then the bag tells you to "have a nice day" :)

You know, the best way, IMHO, to encourage people to bring their own bags is to offer a discount to everyone who does! I bet you'd see tons of people bringing their own bags then. Say, something like a 5% discount off your purchases if you've brought your own bag. To make it work even better, charge a 5% surcharge to everyone who requires that the store provide them bags. And, give kids a penny a bag to bring back the plastic bags for recycling. What do you think?

My wife likes bags with handles
And brings her own for toting.
No ecowarrior scandals,
A greener earth promoting.
But when it's my turn shopping
I usually forget 'em.
If clerks use plastic stropping
I generally let 'em.
But then our closets clutter
With flimsy excess baggings,
And comes expected mutter
Of angry spousal naggings.
So when I'm asked to choose it
On my next grocery caper,
Limp plastic I'll refuse it
And importune for paper.

ViolaAnn said:

When I worked at a Super Market (?) in 1960 the boys bagged & also carried to the cars.
Large amounts of fruit were in wooden crates. Talk about recycle, we are using some of those crates to store Glad bulbs in.

When you shop at Aldi, you can buy paper or plastic. They don't 'give' the bags away. If you don't buy them, then it's up to you to get your purchases to the car however you want.

I have a couple of their paper sacks in the car, and when I can remember, I use them again at Aldi's.

I actually prefer to bag my own groceries (see my dumbbell incident above). If ONE MORE bagger puts two milks in one plastic bag again, I'm going to scream!!! Then they put all the cans in one bag, too! I always get one bag with just the roll of paper towels. Doesn't it occur to them to put a few cans in w/ the paper towels? How about one bag per one milk carton??? Huff, puff... a very heated issue for me!!!

LOL Don, I LOVE the poem! You're a genius. I would like to have it printed on my canvas grocery bags!

When I go to the regular store I use plastic,I walk my dog every day and use a couple then. I also go to a store that is a bag or box your own groceries. Prices are cheaper but the selection is not as good. I use the boxes they offer(when I get there early enough to get them)then I put one on the floor for my Amazon(Larita)to chew up. She can go through one a week and I scoop up all the shredded cardboard and dump it in my trash to go to the landfill. I also give her my trash mail.........who needs a paper shredder when you have a bird that loves to do the job! This works for me!

Judy

CountryGardens, I worked at "Super Market", too! When I was 16, I worked at the old A&P in Gloucester, MA. Is A&P still around?? We only had paper bags back then, and a stack of cardboard cartons to use, too.
Anyone remember the steel conveyor belt leading outdoors? The groceries rode out in a wooden box. There was always a boy there to put the groceries from the conveyor into your car.

I perfer brown paper for my lil ones cause the love playing with them and there good storage bags too
-Unicorn