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Do you use reusable grocery bags? I like mine because they are deep and have long handles that make it easy to carry on my shoulder. But they are about 8 years old and are starting to get holes in them. I'd like to buy new ones, perhaps sturdier. Any suggestions?

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Do you use reusable grocery bags? I like mine because they are deep and have long handles that make it easy to carry on my shoulder. But they are about 8 years old and are starting to get holes in them. I'd like to buy new ones, perhaps sturdier. Any suggestions?

 

No.

 

I do have a Longaberger market basket, which I bought in 1997 (or earlier) because a friend was having a party and I wanted to help her out. :-) But otherwise, I don't feel the need to have my own shopping bags.

 

If I felt inclined to do so, however, these look good.

 

My market basket:

 

17818BSKT.jpg

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Most people in our town use them. Our city is one of several in Oregon that now have plastic bag bans--stores are not allowed to use the flimsy plastic bags that groceries typically use. And they have to charge their customers a nickel for every paper bag the customer uses. The 99 cent reusable bags the stores sell aren't the greatest quality. I have some canvas bags that are 25 years old that are great. Trader Joe's has some nice bags at a variety of price points--you could check there. If you have a natural foods store, they might have some for sale too. My old favorites are not as stiff as Lands End or llbean canvas bags (I like mine better for groceries), but I would consider those sources also.

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I love these Envirosax!

 

http://www.reuseit.com/shopping-bag-sets/envirosax-envirosax-set-of-5-bloom-pouch-reusable-shopping-bags.htm

 

They are a bit pricey, so I generally ask for them for Christmas presents.....but they have a long handle and easy to carry on the shoulder.   I like all the different colors and styles they have.  They are super easy to wash.  I like how to roll up into a teeny tiny ball, and then unroll and they are very large bags.  And, lastly, I have had mine for about 7-8 years and they look brand new still.

 

 

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I like them because they hold a lot more than the flimsy plastic bags. I just buy the ones from Publix because they're cute--seasonal designs--and only 99cents. And they come with that plastic piece in the bottom of the bag. I do throw mine in the wash every so often and air dry them; they've done fine. And they usually last at least a couple years. Even with using these bags as often as possible I still bring home plenty of the plastic bags which get used for trash can liners.

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We also have ones from Envirosax, but they fold up really small.  They're called Omnisax.  This is one where you can see the images of the bag all rolled up, but they have tons of colors and patterns:

http://www.envirosax.com/mai-tai-bag-3/

 

There's a bag tax both here and in the neighboring county, so it's really silly not to have reusable bags.  In a single grocery visit, you really save nearly a dollar by using them, so that pays for itself pretty fast.

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I love mine. I have several simple cotton bags that can go in the washing machine, but my favorites are two large plastic totes I received from the Audobon society for renewing my membership.

At Aldi, I use a simple cardboard box instead of bags: the box goes in the cart at the checkout, and the checker simply throws everything in after swiping.

 

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Yes.  When I do my bigger, weekly trip I actually use boxes ~ my food co-op has extras sitting where we can grab them ~ since that's the easiest.  Smaller trips, I use my Organic Valley tote bags.  

 

This sounds like a marketing promo, but I seriously love these bags!  OV used to have cloth totes that were roomy and attractive, but not color-fast when machine washed.  Meh.  These current totes are made from recycled plastic & laminate, so they can just be wiped off.  Nice!  They fold up well, but when unfolded, the shape is boxy (not falling over, like many totes) so they're super convenient to pack.  Wish I had some extra to send you, but you can order them if you're interested.

 

 

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I have some wonderful bags from Trader Joe's. They used to make a cylindrical bag with short but wide handles and these are my favorite, but I have rectangular ones from TJ, too. I also have 2 of their insulated bags.

 

I rarely remember to take these bags when shopping, however, and many of them are in constant use as swim totes and carrying other things. I usually end up with disposable bags that go to a local thrift store.

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I have all kinds of bags.  

$1 bags from various stores

a couple $2 insulated bags from a local grocery

some nice big ones from Sam's (2packs - long & short handles)

tall sturdy ones from tractor suppy

and several various bags I picked up at yard sales for 25c each - thought they would be good grocery bags

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I have some sturdy canvas book bags that the library was getting rid of for $2 each. They're similar in quality to my Land's End tote bag so they've held up well. I went through a lot of the cheap store ones before finding these.

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I love these Chico bags

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006WA9LRA/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1401747020&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

 

They fold into themselves and clip on my purse so I don't forget them.

 

I'm seriously considering taking my ikea bag on my next Costco trip :-/

We've used them for years for small shopping. I keep a couple bags in my purse and leave one in the car. They wash pretty well too.

 

Dh does the main grocery shopping and just uses the Publix bags...puts them in the car when he goes to the store.

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I have a couple of the insulated $2 from the grocery store that I use. And 2 nice canvas ones from a local grocery store that were maybe $5 each. My favorite one that I use for frozen and cold stuff is the Rachael Ray insulated tote: 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Ray-ChillOut-Thermal-Tote/dp/B006KD1S20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401760538&sr=8-1&keywords=rachael+ray+grocery+bags

 

And I have a couple of little ones that scrunch into a small bag that fits in my purse for unplanned shopping trips. 

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I use them almost always now. I detest plastic bags.

 

Are we exclusively talking about nice shopping bags, or is anyone talking about the cheaply re users they sell at the grocery store, at the checkout, say? I use those nearly any time I get groceries.

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Our city (Austin) also has a plastic bag ban so yes, I use reusable all the time. I just buy the cheap kind you get at the grocery store however, as they have several cute designs and are cheap enough that I don't fret about losing one.

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I collect bags from various places I travel - great souvenir that I actually have a use for.

 

I never wash them unless something disastrous occurs.

 

Anne

 

 

You'll want to read that article posted by Kathkath.  Reusable bags need to be washed weekly because of the germs they pick up at the store.

 

Our city is banning plastic bags as of July 1st.  I've made myself a few and need to make a few more before I'll have enough to carry all of our groceries each week. 

 

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I prefer to reuse plastic grocery sacks for other purposes. There are lots of other ways to be green without lining the pockets of corporations. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/06/reusable-grocery-bag-germs/4341739/

 

 

I couldn't possibly reuse the number of plastic grocery sacks I'd accumulate if I relied upon them.  I'd have at least a dozen a week.  What on earth would I do with 624 plastic bags each year?!

 

I grant that reusable bags are quite the industry now ~ and it's ironic how many of them are manufactured in China.  Still, it's very possible to avoid plastic grocery sacks without "lining the pockets of corporations".  Use boxes, as I mentioned above.  Use totes that are produced in a conscientious manner.  Keep in mind that each "business" is not necessarily a "corporation" (and for that matter, each "corporation" is not inherently evil).  

 

Beyond that, I have to smile at the insinuation that reusable totes are literally unhealthy, harboring bacteria and so on.  I sure as heck hope anyone suffering from that concern doesn't ever touch a public door handle. 

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I have a bunch of these ones from Flip and Tumble. The 24/7 bag:

 

http://www.flipandtumble.com/shop.html

 

They are excellent. Best bags I have ever had and I've been using reusable grocery sacks at the store for nearly 20 years.

 

I have to say that 8 years of use seems like you have had some durable, winning bags. ;)

I agree on both the Flip and Tumble rec and 8 years of hard use is a good stretch! :)

 

I also use the new Whole Foods insulated bags. They look like oversized messenger bags sort of... They've replaced TJs as my favorite insulated bag because the shoulder carrying strap is wide and comfy.

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I've been using black hemp bags from ReusableBags.com (now ReuseIt.com) for six or seven years now and they are still going strong. The hemp is so strong I can easily carry watermelon or a gallon of milk without trouble.

 

I also have some dual-handle cotton/canvas bags from Whole Foods that are my second favorite. The shoulder-strap option is really nice when you're walking with groceries.

 

Both are totally machine washable and incredibly durable. Both kinds of bags were pricey at the outset, but the cost per use must be into the fraction of a penny by now, given how much value I've gotten out of them over the years. I also have four or five other smaller canvas bags that fit my reusable bag requirements. They all live together in a bag of bags in my car or in a pile on the floor of my kitchen, waiting to go back out to the trunk so they can do their work at the supermarket. :)

 

When I get the "cheap" reusable bags, I hang onto them, but they hardly ever go to the grocery store with me. I mostly use them to collect stuff that's going to Goodwill or other moms or that needs to go live in the garage for a while. 

 

We've had a plastic-bag ban here since the beginning of the calendar year, and it's amazing how many plastic bags we still have even if they aren't coming from the supermarket!

 

My bag caddy currently has plastic bags from the hardware store, restaurant take-out, drugstores, office-supply stores, toy stores and preschool, plus I've been hanging on to bread bags and produce bags and washing out oversize Ziplocs. My husband brings home paper grocery bags when he goes to the market, because most of the time he doesn't think about reusable bags. I also forget to bring bags when going to Target and discount stores, so we have a few from those as well.

 

Even though we are devoted reusable bag users at the supermarket, it seems that we still have SOOO many plastic bags. (Paper grocery bags are usually deconstructed within the week and used for mailing.) I'm trying to change the continuing plastic surplus a little by taking paper lunchbags to the market to use for the bulk bins, and I'd also like to get reusable sandwich/snack bags for lunches and such.

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Our county has a plastic bag ban, and paper bags are 10 cents each, so we're well versed in reusable bags! It's not uncommon to see shoppers who've forgotten their bags leave a store with their purchases in their cart, unbagged, to bag at the car. I've done it a few times myself. 

 

We lucked into some great canvas bags from a relative who distributes textbooks. They're all branded with Pearson and USA Today, but the can hold a TON.

 

Our local Goodwill warehouse has a giant bin of free bags of the cheap supermarket variety. If I ever run out, I'd go there to stock up again.

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You can check SakSaum. Their bags are sewn by victims of human trafficking so the money you pay supports their long road back to an independent life.

http://saksaum.com/store/

 

Around here, Trader Joe's and a few other grocery stores sell reusable bags for $2.99 - 5.99 depending on size. Then there is Lehman's. They offer a variety of bags and smaller sacks for veggies:

http://non-electric.lehmans.com/search#w=Reusable%20grocery%20bag

 

These are great: http://www.chicobag.com/category/shopping

They fold up into a tiny pouch that is sewn on the side of the bag. Material is washable.

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I love Trader Joes bags, so much that even when I don't need one I often find myself buying one. I have a few with long handles that go over my shoulder, which allows me to carry more at once. I like to have a variety of sizes and shapes because I shop for a household of 9. It has taken me about a year to regularly remember to take my bags but it is now second nature.

 

An aside: Our city has a plastic bag ban and when it was first introduced I had a bad run in with a clerk who made me feel like an idiot for not having a bag with me. I realized what a stubborn non-conformist I am when after a few months I would happily take bags with me when I shopped in the neighboring city where plastic bags are free but I would not take bags when shopping my my city and would almost dare someone to say something to me about it. Then, I realized my stubbornness was costing me about 50 cents a week and wasting a bunch of paper bags. Darnit, now I conform.

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I have a bunch of these ones from Flip and Tumble. The 24/7 bag:

 

http://www.flipandtumble.com/shop.html

 

They are excellent. Best bags I have ever had and I've been using reusable grocery sacks at the store for nearly 20 years.

 

I have to say that 8 years of use seems like you have had some durable, winning bags. ;)

 

It would appear so. They are the same quality as the ones you get for .99 in the grocery stores I think. I ordered them online. They've served me well, but they are starting to show wear and tear. I'd like some new colors too. I can't grocery shop without them. I don't like the thin plastic grocery bags. We end up with way too many of them. I can carry so much more in one of my reusable bags.

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I love these Envirosax!

 

http://www.reuseit.com/shopping-bag-sets/envirosax-envirosax-set-of-5-bloom-pouch-reusable-shopping-bags.htm

 

They are a bit pricey, so I generally ask for them for Christmas presents.....but they have a long handle and easy to carry on the shoulder. I like all the different colors and styles they have. They are super easy to wash. I like how to roll up into a teeny tiny ball, and then unroll and they are very large bags. And, lastly, I have had mine for about 7-8 years and they look brand new still.

I have those also. They are perfect. They roll up very small so I can keep several in my purse. I don't always think of bringing bags into stores other than grocery stores so it is nice to have the bags always with me. I have been using them for years and they still look new.

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I love these Envirosax!

 

http://www.reuseit.com/shopping-bag-sets/envirosax-envirosax-set-of-5-bloom-pouch-reusable-shopping-bags.htm

 

They are a bit pricey, so I generally ask for them for Christmas presents.....but they have a long handle and easy to carry on the shoulder.   I like all the different colors and styles they have.  They are super easy to wash.  I like how to roll up into a teeny tiny ball, and then unroll and they are very large bags.  And, lastly, I have had mine for about 7-8 years and they look brand new still.

 

Oh they have Sesame Street character kid prints too. I wish my kids were still young. Those look awesome!

 

I must admit I'm not a fan of floral prints. I prefer solids.

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You'll want to read that article posted by Kathkath.  Reusable bags need to be washed weekly because of the germs they pick up at the store.

 

Well THAT'S not going to happen. I seriously doubt that the regular bag washers are getting sick less than the more negligent among us. I can't even think of what I bring home that isn't in a package, or washed or peeled before eating. I'm certainly not sanitizing bags and boxes before I crack them open. If we were getting sick, it would be a problem worth solving, but if it ain't broke . . .

 

I also think the "I re-use the plastic bags" argument is a but of an overreaction to bag bans. Even if you have to buy bin liners, they're cheap and last forever. I have a box of small trash bags from a dollar store that has lasted me for years. They're thinner, have less plastic, and seem less prone to breakage than plastic grocery bags. The way they put two items in each bag and send you home with a gazillion bags is just too much. I don't see how anyone could possibly reuse all of those bags.

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I have mostly the standard $0.99 grocery- checkout line bags, but I recently got a set of these from Wegmans (one in each size): http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=744905

 

The large is almost ridiculously big, but good for bulk purchases!

 

I've owned these for about six years (discussed/debated here once, I remember): http://www.reuseit.com/totes-and-market-baskets/pack-n-tote-pack-n-tote-grocery-cart-helper-bag-blue.htm. I mostly use them for loading up at BJ's nowadays (sending a new theme in my shopping patterns? :-p).

 

I recently saw these too, and I'm intrigued! Anyone have them? http://ec2-54-209-209-255.compute-1.amazonaws.com/landing/100days/

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I'm the least germophobic person I know, but the thought that I can't ever wash a bag doesn't make the bag useful to me at all. Especially not one that I'll put food in.

 

I don't insist on washing them weekly, but yeah once in awhile I should be able to wash the damn thing. Making reusable bags that aren't washable is stupid.

 

The shopping bags around here are insanely thin. I'm lucky if I get them home in one piece at all to be reused. I do reuse those bags for stuff like garbage.

This is so strange to me. I'm with Kung Fu. I have the reusables you can buy at grocery check-out. I don't wash them as laundry. If I did think it was important to clean them, I would just spray a little neutral cleaner in there and wipe it out with a cloth. But I seriously don't see what would be so germy about a grocery bag that held a bag of carrots, some deodorant, a bag of Dove chocolates (just keepin' it real, here), and a box of crackers.

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What about a chicken, some packs of meat, some more packs of meat...etc.

 

I buy meat and veg. That's 90% of my purchases.

 

They do get dirty like anything else. People put their hands all over products, etc.

 

Again, I don't feel the need to wash them even regularly, but I've tried washing many different types of those bags and they are never the same even after one wash. I don't get that. Would it kill them to make bags that can be washed?

Well, for chicken, I buy flash frozen chicken in a giant bag at Costco. Or sealed packages of boneless thighs. All my beef comes from the butcher frozen, because we buy a half-steer. If it's fish or something in a butcher pack, the cashier usually puts those in a plastic bag separately.

 

Vegetables: do you have loose vegs rolling around in the shopping bag? I'm not understanding this. I might have a bag of apples, a bag of lettuce, a bag of peppers.

 

I don't know...I just think there's an over-reaction to germ fears anymore. I just read that if the pillow on your bed is six years old, a quarter of it's weight is mites, skin cells and dirt. Most people who carry a purse, backpack or gym bag don't wash them often or ever, but they get set down in the germiest spots.

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I'm the least germophobic person I know, but the thought that I can't ever wash a bag doesn't make the bag useful to me at all. Especially not one that I'll put food in.

 

I don't insist on washing them weekly, but yeah once in awhile I should be able to wash the damn thing. Making reusable bags that aren't washable is stupid.

 

The shopping bags around here are insanely thin. I'm lucky if I get them home in one piece at all to be reused. I do reuse those bags for stuff like garbage.

I wash occasionally when I think of it, but it's certainly not weekly. I haven't come across any bags that I can't toss in a machine or spray with diluted bleach and wipe down.

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I prefer to reuse plastic grocery sacks for other purposes. There are lots of other ways to be green without lining the pockets of corporations. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/06/reusable-grocery-bag-germs/4341739/

 

Um, and we're not lining the pockets of corporations that makes plastic bags? Just because you, personally, don't pay for plastic bags does not mean that they are actually free. Also, the cost of the bags is rolled into the cost of goods we are buying.

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Sparkly, it's okay that you don't use reusable bags. I forgive you. Everyone has their little hangups. ;)  I, for one, am addicted to using Lysol wipes because they make cleaning so darn easy. It's not germs that make me use those wipes. It's the pure convenience of them. I'm trying to break away from them. I am. 

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Sparkly, it's okay that you don't use reusable bags. I forgive you. Everyone has their little hangups. ;) I, for one, am addicted to using Lysol wipes because they make cleaning so darn easy. It's not germs that make me use those wipes. It's the pure convenience of them. I'm trying to break away from them. I am.

I hate those even more than I hate plastic bags. ;)

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