Have we talked about this? banning plastic grocery bags

[regentrude]

I probably should just shut up.  But I have to wonder if all those plastic reusable bags are really so great.  Yes, they last longer.  So it does seem like that would be better, but they don't last forever and they are plastic.  Very thick plastic.  They now make many of these grocery bags out of materials that supposedly break down a tad quicker.  I don't know if that's anything great or special, but what about those reusable plastic bags?  How long does it take to break those things down? 

 

They are recycled plastic - made from stuff that would have ended in the land fill already. This way, it gets a few more decades of use out of something that has already been made from oil. Way better than making new flimsy plastic bags of which you'd need 20+ per week to hold all groceries.

But boxes are even better -see below.

Edited November 17, 2016 by regentrude

[Bluegoat]

For those who drive to the store by car (and worry about washing or buying bags): you don't even need bags. I found the easiest way to transport my groceries home a simple cardboard box.

It can live in the trunk. Take out, put under cart. At checkout,put box into empty cart and have cashier dump scanned items right into box - or stack items carefully in box yourself. Take to car. Drive home. Carry box into house. Unpack.

 

(If you have a lot of heavy stuff, use two boxes to split the weight.)

When it gets dirty, recycle the cardboard and grab a new box.

 

We can get boxes here that are heavy plastic and have a shoulder strap, so you can carry them on your hip as well as by the side handles.

 

ETA: also, there are two main chains here.  One has giant plastic reusable bags, and the other smaller cloth bags.  I like to use the big ones for light things, and the smaller ones for heavier things.  Both are washable, and if they break you can trade them in.  You can also get a light bag, almost like a silky fabric, for produce and such.

Edited November 17, 2016 by Bluegoat

[regentrude]

I want to try this, but I don't want to use cardboard. 

 

And I'll need more than 2.

 

But yes of all the ideas I like this the best. 

 

What's wrong with card board? In your next post, you complain about reusable plastic totes. Plastic crates work, but they would be created for this very purpose - whereas the cardboard box has already been produced, has served its original purpose of transporting groceries to the store, and can now have a few more months of life before ending in recycling. Zero additional ecological footprint, because you are reusing an item that already exists.

Edited November 17, 2016 by regentrude

[Murphy101]

I probably should just shut up. But I have to wonder if all those plastic reusable bags are really so great. Yes, they last longer. So it does seem like that would be better, but they don't last forever and they are plastic. Very thick plastic. They now make many of these grocery bags out of materials that supposedly break down a tad quicker. I don't know if that's anything great or special, but what about those reusable plastic bags? How long does it take to break those things down?

Idk. All mine are either insulated totes or canvas or the thick nylon ones. All of mine are so far lasting darn near "forever". Can't remember the last time I had to throw one away bc it broke down... years at least.

 

And remember the first rule is REDUCE, so even if they only last twice as long as a grocery bag, that's reducing by a whole lotta plastic bags.

[Murphy101]

What's wrong with card board? In your next post, you complain about reusable plastic totes. Plastic crates work, but they would be created for this very purpose - whereas the cardboard box has already been produced, has served its original purpose of transporting groceries to the store, and can now have a few more months of life before ending in recycling. Zero additional ecological footprint, because you are reusing an item that already exists.

Plus iirc, its cleaner to recycle cardboard than plastic too.

[SparklyUnicorn]

What's wrong with card board? In your next post, you complain about reusable plastic totes. Plastic crates work, but they would be created for this very purpose - whereas the cardboard box has already been produced, has served its original purpose of transporting groceries to the store, and can now have a few more months of life before ending in recycling. Zero additional ecological footprint, because you are reusing an item that already exists.

 

I don't want to continue to hunt for replacement boxes.  I just want something that will last a very long time that will work that I can easily clean. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Idk. All mine are either insulated totes or canvas or the thick nylon ones. All of mine are so far lasting darn near "forever". Can't remember the last time I had to throw one away bc it broke down... years at least.

 

And remember the first rule is REDUCE, so even if they only last twice as long as a grocery bag, that's reducing by a whole lotta plastic bags.

 

Is it reducing though? 

 

The only bags I've had that lasted a long time were the Aldi bags.  The few others I've bought all broke (the handles usually break off).  I tried to wash an Aldi bag and then it started falling apart too.

[Murphy101]

Is it reducing though?

 

The only bags I've had that lasted a long time were the Aldi bags. The few others I've bought all broke (the handles usually break off). I tried to wash an Aldi bag and then it started falling apart too.

I know I'm reducing. You tried washing a plastic Aldi bag? Uhh. Yeah. Chemicals and heat make the plastic more fragile, so I'd expect it fall apart. Wiping down with something like a Clorox wipe should be sufficient.

 

20 plastic grocery bags a week or even a month or even a year vs 5 reusable bags of various types for years is absolutely reducing.

[Bluegoat]

Sometimes I think it's better, especially with larger bags, not to fill them too much. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Ok..this is what I'm getting at:

 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/are-reusable-bags-worse-for-environment-than-plastic-2014-01-09

 

To add, I reuse my plastic bags as well.  I always have a stash in the trunk and I do use them until they fall apart. 

[historically accurate]

I don't want to continue to hunt for replacement boxes.  I just want something that will last a very long time that will work that I can easily clean. 

 

 

Even if you only fling a cardboard box in your car when you get one from Amazon or such and use it once, you're still coming out ahead by not using plastic bags on that trip. 

[regentrude]

I don't want to continue to hunt for replacement boxes. 

 

I don't hunt. I go to the grocery store, and if I don't have a bag with me, I grab a box that used to hold pasta or something.

(I could go into my basement and grab an amazon box, but I prefer pasta boxes  because they do not have flaps but a lid.

Edited November 17, 2016 by regentrude

[regentrude]

Ok..this is what I'm getting at:

 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/are-reusable-bags-worse-for-environment-than-plastic-2014-01-09

 

To add, I reuse my plastic bags as well.  I always have a stash in the trunk and I do use them until they fall apart. 

 

Headline of the quoted article: "Some bags are only beneficial after more than a hundred uses".

OK, so? Twice a week for a year - that's one hundred uses.

The bags I currently have are at least 6 years old and have been to the store hundreds of times.

It sounds like the author does not actually shop for groceries.

Edited November 17, 2016 by regentrude

[Murphy101]

Ok..this is what I'm getting at:

 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/are-reusable-bags-worse-for-environment-than-plastic-2014-01-09

 

To add, I reuse my plastic bags as well. I always have a stash in the trunk and I do use them until they fall apart.

I think you should reread that link.

 

It says exactly what I've been saying.

 

Recycling is damaging to the environment. Not as damaging as NOT recycling at all, but still not best.

 

That's why we must REDUCE.

 

Reducing is what works best and long term.

 

Your link is all about how little recycling is done and how using reusable bags only works if they are used long term repeatedly. Which is a rewording of what I've been saying.

 

It's no effort at all for me to get 130+ uses out of a canvas/cotton grocery bag. Cotton does take environmental use, like all agricultural production does, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't use it. Geez. Growing and harvesting broccoli does too, but that doesn't mean we should all just eat cotton candy instead.

 

Food production and environ use recommended "Best practices" is a phrase for a reason. There are few or no "perfect practices", but that doesn't make doing anything a wasted effort either.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I don't want to continue to hunt for replacement boxes.  I just want something that will last a very long time that will work that I can easily clean. 

 

People have already (repeatedly) mentioned cute totes with handles, rolling carts, and laundry baskets. These all last a very long time, and are easily cleaned.

 

But this was after telling you all the ways to beg, borrow, scavenge, or create cheap-to-free bags if you want bags...

 

You have shot down every single solution to every single objection you've made about letting plastic bags go...could it be you want to keep them? Just guessing? :)

[Ali in OR]

I figure my 25+ year old canvas bags have done 1300 grocery trips (once a week, so 52 weeks/year x 25 years). The plasticy ones from Trader Joe's cost $1. They gave one away when our store opened 7 years ago. My bag looks new, and is one of my favorites to grab for a quick trip because it folds flat. So maybe twice a week for 7 years (2x52x7)= 728 uses and going strong. The only bags that I've had to throw away are the ones that kind of look like fabric--they get holes pretty easily. And a freebie insulated one started to come apart. I expect to be using most of my bags forever.

[PollyOR]

Haven't read this thread, but here is my personal experience.

 

We live in a town (50,000 + population) with a plastic bag ban.  You either bring your own bags or purchase a paper bag for $0.05.   I tried using cloth bags I purchased at the store but they were too floppy.  I went back to using paper.  I toss them in the back of my car and reuse them the next time I go to grocery store.  Our store is a "bag your own groceries" store and already paid customers $0.02 for each bag we brought in.  They still have plastic bags for produce and meat.

 

It was weird at first but it has become the new normal.

 

[sassenach]

I voted yes. My county (in California) put this into law about a year ago. Before that, I probably would have voted no. Having lived through the switch, I can say it works. I now remember to bring my reusable bags, it's not that hard, and I have survived.

 

It's a change worth making.

 

BTW, that percentage is a little deceiving, because there were actually 2 nearly propositions on the ballot. The second one was put there (allegedly) to confuse the matter and split votes, with the goal of neither passing. In the end, I voted yes on both to try not to end up with neither.

[kubiac]

We are in California and supported the bag ban. We already had one in our city. You get a reusable bag credit at several stores around here if you bring your own bags instead of buying theirs. Target and Whole Foods credit .10 a bag, Sprouts credits .05 a bag.

 

I have been using the same reusable very-heavy-duty hemp grocery bags since 2008. I bought eight and I still have seven. They were very expensive at the time but the cost-per-use by now is nothing. They hold jugs of milk and watermelons with no strain.

 

For the past two or three years (since 2014 maybe?), I also use reusable cloth bags and reusable "mesh laundry bags" (like the kind you use to wash bras) to replace produce bags and bulk-bin bags at the market. The only issue I've had is that the oils from bulk-purchased coffee beans permanently stained the cloth bags, so I wouldn't do that again.

 

Everything is washable and I haven't had any problems with contamination. I refuse plastic double bagging of meat and special paper bags for breakables like bottles of wine. It drives the baggers crazy because it breaks their routine, but I prefer to not have to manage extra waste in my home. 

 

There is a book called Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson that will make you rethink a lot of purchasing patterns common to modern supermarkets.

 

We don't purchase plastic trash bags for use at home either. Our kitchen and bathroom trashcans are metal on the outside with removable plastic bins. On trash day we just empty the plastic bin into the big black trash can. We don't have pets and we use reusable cloth diapers.

 

Under the #zerowaste home plan we have drastically reduced our household production of waste.

* We take out the green bin for yard waste only twice a year. All food and yard waste is either fed to the chickens or added to our compost pile. We only use the green bin for extremely thorny yard waste (bramble berries, bougainvillea) that doesn't compost well and hurts my bare feet when it resurfaces in our garden beds even years later.

* We take out the blue bin for recyclables no more than once a month. Redeemable bottles and cans are taken to a separate recycling facility for the cash redemption value, which is then donated to our Cub Scout pack recycling fundraiser.

* We still take out the black bin once a week, but it's rarely full unless we have been decluttering or picking up community trash.

Edited November 18, 2016 by kubiac

[kubiac]

 

The cashiers told me some people are complaining because they did not realize it would kick in so fast.

 

 

When our city-wide plastic bag ban kicked in a couple years ago, all the supermarkets put signs out front making it clear that this was a CITY law and not their choice. Even so, you would hear cranks in the checkout lines yelling at the checkers about the tyranny of removing the free plastic bags. Certain people were irate, but now that time has passed, the conflict has receded.

 

Note: My husband categorically refuses to use our reusable bags and seems to get joy out of paying .10 for the brown paper sacks. I reuse them to wrap gifts and for shipping books, etc.

[kubiac]

Also, let's remember that banning the free shopping plastic bags does not mean banning all plastic packaging in general. Even shopping with reusable bags, we acquire a lot of plastic bags that can be used for trash etc: bagged apples,carrots, potatoes. I just emptied a bag of rice into the storage container and acquired a nice zip loc bag. Sometimes a person brings something to the house and leaves a plastic bag. Sometimes the teens get takeout and, gasp, get a bag. I put meat into the flimsy bags and reuse them for trash.

I have been using reusable bags for years and have not needed to purchase extra bags for trash cans etc; somehow, there are still enough bags floating around and coming our way. 

 

THIS! THIS THIS THIS.

 

I have to fight SOOOO hard to keep plastic bags from appearing in my house. There are thin plastic sacks and reusable-quality paper bags literally EVERYWHERE. Even if you outsmart them in your own shopping, your friends will bring them over. 

 

And if your community bans plastic bags, you will start receiving large quantities of the cheapie reusable pseudo-cloth ones. 

 

Does anyone remember the Onion article about "Report Confirms No Need to Make New Chairs for Time Being"? Ditto bags/boxes/containers for your purchases.

[regentrude]

We are in California and supported the bag ban. We already had one in our city. You get a reusable bag credit at several stores around here if you bring your own bags instead of buying theirs. Target and Whole Foods are .10 a bag, Sprouts is .05 a bag.

 

I have been using the same reusable very-heavy-duty hemp grocery bags since 2008. I bought eight and I still have seven. They were very expensive at the time but the cost-per-use by now is nothing. They hold jugs of milk and watermelons with no strain.

 

For the past two or three years (since 2014 maybe?), I also use reusable cloth bags and reusable "mesh laundry bags" (like the kind you use to wash bras) to replace produce bags and bulk bags at the market. The only issue I've had is that the oils from bulk-purchased coffee beans permanently stained the cloth bags, so I wouldn't do that again.

 

Everything is washable and I haven't had any problems with contamination. I refuse plastic double bagging of meat and special paper bags for breakables like bottles of wine. It drives the baggers crazy because it breaks their routine, but I prefer to not have to manage extra waste in my home. 

 

There is a book called Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson that will make you rethink a lot of purchasing patterns common to modern supermarkets.

 

We don't purchase plastic trash bags for use at home either. Our kitchen and bathroom trashcans are metal on the outside with removable plastic bins. On trash day we just empty the plastic bin into the big black trash can. We don't have pets and we use reusable cloth diapers.

 

Under the #zerowaste home we have drastically reduced our household production of waste.

* We take out the green bin for yard waste only twice a year. All food and yard waste is either fed to the chickens or added to our compost pile. We only use the green bin for extremely thorny yard waste (bramble berries, bougainvillea) that doesn't compost well and hurts my bare feet when it resurfaces in our garden beds even years later.

* We take out the blue bin for recyclables no more than once a month. Redeemable bottles and cans are taken to a separate recycling facility for the cash redemption value, which is then donated to our Cub Scout pack recycling fundraiser.

* We still take out the black bin once a week, but it's rarely full unless we have been decluttering or picking up community trash.

 

Let's talk more about this - I'll start a spin-off thread.

[Farrar]

We've had a bag tax for years now.

 

It's excellent. It radically changed people's behavior.

[rjand6more]

I have been using cloth bags for years.  I love the Meijer bags and they last years.  I don't wash them, but I wipe them out.  The TJ's bags I have CAN be wiped out or turned inside out and washed with soap and water.  I put produce and meat in those.  I love having many fewer bags to carry in(the main reason I stated using cloth bags years ago. ) The cheap plastic bags fit so few items.  I can do a big grocery trip for my largish family with 8-10 bags and the handles are sturdy.  Also, they stack nicely in the back of my van.

 

Sometimes I still get attitude from the checkers.  It's ok.  I offer to help bag.  I open 4-5 bags in my cart and start loading when the item is rang up.  It really takes no longer at the check out.

 

I would support a ban on plastic bags where I live.(Never going to happen.)

Edited November 18, 2016 by rjand6more

[greenbeanmama]

Look at the Envirosax site then. My mom has had some of those for years. They are capacious, flexible, and she likes them because they fold up really small. She keeps them in her pocketbook so even if a shopping trip is impromptu, she is covered.

 

I second Envirosax!  I have tons of canvas totes, but never remember them.  I was given one Envirosax that I shoved in my backpack, and it's the one that got used.  I now have quite a few of them, and several stay in the van: self-contained, small, and ready to go!  And they're pretty!

[KrissiK]

I live in California and I am a little ticked. To us they are not single use bags. We re-use and re-use them. They line our little trash cans, I grab them when I do a quick clean up of the house, we use them as lunch bags, as trash bags in the car.... You name it, we use them for everything. So now, we have to buy bags to line our little trash cans.

 

After reading some of the other posts, I am obviously in the minority. But that's ok. I'm used to it. 😎

Edited November 18, 2016 by KrissiK

[LucyStoner]

My dad is a grocer. Many people don't realize that grocery stores have very, very small profit margins, particularly those that are independent and sell only food. Paper bags are *significantly* more expensive than plastic bags. Just saying.

Here, plastic bags are banned and stores are required to charge for paper bags. No free bags, except for the tiny thin paper ones not much bigger than a brown lunch bag. The bag fee covers the store's cost of the bag. I assume stores also profit from selling the reusable bags.

Edited November 18, 2016 by LucyStoner

[LucyStoner]

I don't line my bathroom trash cans with anything. I don't buy little plastic bags and it's just not that big of a deal.

Edited November 18, 2016 by LucyStoner

[meena]

I would be in support of stores charging per bag, like what Aldi does. I have a bunch of reusable canvas bags that I bought from Trader Joe's a long time ago (about 12 years ago I think). They are machine washable and very heavy duty. I can fill them with cans and jars without worrying about them breaking. I've had one that had a seam blow out, but I just sewed it and it's worked fine. I also have two each of the red/black and the blue Trader Joe's insulated bags. I much prefer the shape of the blue one--it fits two gallons of milk and more at one time. I have also used the giant blue IKEA bag for groceries but it's so big that I can't carry it unless I put in mostly light items.

 

Even though I have a nice variety of reusable bags, I get lazy and/or hate the eye-rolling I receive from cashiers when I pull out my bags, so far too often I just get plastic. I do recycle them, but I should use my reusables more.

[Ali in OR]

I live in California and I am a little ticked. To us they are not single use bags. We re-use and re-use them. They line our little trash cans, I grab them when I do a quick clean up of the house, we use them as lunch bags, as trash bags in the car.... You name it, we use them for everything. So now, we have to buy bags to line our little trash cans.

 

After reading some of the other posts, I am obviously in the minority. But that's ok. I'm used to it. 😎

I had some similar feelings when our ban went into effect. My disabled dd will always be in diapers and I dispose of them in plastic bags. I dump used cat litter in plastic bags when I change the cat litter. And I used to line the bathroom cans with the grocery store bags. You will find solutions for all of the uses you have for grocery bags. As regentrude said up thread, there are still a lot of plastic bags in your life. I seem to get just enough bags for my home needs. I can dispose of a diaper in a produce plastic bag, the bag the newspaper came in, a used ziploc bag that was holding food in the freezer, food packaging bags, bags that held clothes I ordered onine, etc. I did buy a box of trashcan liners for each bathroom but I reuse a bag for many weeks, dumping the trash into the kitchen trash bag when I take that out. Our ban went into effect a few years ago, maybe 3? I'm still on my first box of bags in each bathroom. You will adjust and everyone adjusting will make a difference.

[barnwife]

I use them for cat litter.  I tried buying lunch bags for that (although for the big clean out that doesn't work).  The bags get wet, break open, and then on garbage day the garbage dudes spill half the shi* on the ground.  It's lovely. 

 

And I can't fit the garbage can from the bathroom into the sink. 

 

Here with recycling you can just throw the stuff in marked bins.  They don't require bags.  In fact they really don't want you to put it in bags. 

 

Again, as others have pointed out...you don't have to line a bathroom garbage can if you are emptying into a larger one that is. Why does the can have to fit in the sink? Clean it in the shower. (Presumably, your trash can is smaller than your shower, yes?) 

Here is a step-by-step breakdown.

 

1. Empty unlined bathroom trash into larger trash receptacle.

2. Take trash can back to bathroom.

3. If it isn't gross, replace in normal location.

4. If it needs to be rinsed, stick it in tub/shower. Add some water, rinse out. Use a rag to dry it you choose. The rag goes in the wash.

5. Replace can to be used.

6. (If you feel shower needs to now be cleaned, the next person who showers is assigned a quick shower scrub.)

 

 

The way this is handled in Germany is to put the onus on manufacturers. Manufacturers are required by law to recycle or dispose of packaging waste. Households collect non-recycled packaging waste (yoghurt containers, pasta bags, cheese wrappers etc) in separate bins or bags, and they are collected independently of other household waste. The company that collects this receives fees from the manufacturers that pay for recycling/disposal.

So there is an incentive for manufacturers to reduce packaging waste to the necessary minimum, because it costs them money if they have more.

 

Also, there is a law that permits consumers to leave behind at the store all packaging they consider extraneous. So you can unpack the cereal from the box and leave the box behind. This again encourages stores to be mindful of packaging.

 

There is also mandatory recycling and compostable collection. The municipal garbage collectors will not take your garbage if it contains glass or paper or compostables. Compostable waste is collected separately, and this costs the household less than normal garbage or is free; if you compost on your own property, you are exempt.

The bolded I like. Really like. And I would support it in a heartbeat here in the US. 

 

 

[SporkUK]

When the 5p on plastic bags came in the UK, my local newspaper site was full of people going on about how ridiculous it was and how they were now going to have to buy bags for bins and such. Time passed, and it's become normal and I've yet to have to buy bags for any of my small bins - actually, my heater box full of thin plastic bags to reuse never seems to really get depleted even though I use them for the bathroom and front room and when tidying the garden...

 

We're very good at taking bags for the big shops or backpacks into town for planned purchases, it's the popping in when unexpected that usually ends up with us buying bags. Like I went to the dentist and during the walk back to town to pick up medication - which would fit in my crossbody bag - we ended up checking out a couple of charity shops. I ended up buying three fleeces and a blazer which obviously didn't. I didn't have to buy a 5p bag as the law is only on new not donated/reused bags, but it has made me think that I need a bag or two that folds really small to fit in my crossbody bag that I take everywhere for these 'I just found the perfect gift/clothing item I wanted for month at a great price/other surprise' purchases to reduce buying bags further. 

[Seasider]

They are an eyesore at rhe very least, they are stuck on trees throughout the landscape.

[JustEm]

They are an eyesore at rhe very least, they are stuck on trees throughout the landscape.

My ds who is 7 wanted to clean up our neighborhood after watching an episode of Nature Cat(PBS kids show about nature.) He was disgusted that we filled an entire trash bag with plastic grocery bags and soda bottles. And we only did the perimeter of the neighborhood, which takes 10 minutes to walk. It is a tiny area with townhouses surrounded by other tiny areas crammed with townhouses.

[LucyStoner]

I probably should just shut up. But I have to wonder if all those plastic reusable bags are really so great. Yes, they last longer. So it does seem like that would be better, but they don't last forever and they are plastic. Very thick plastic. They now make many of these grocery bags out of materials that supposedly break down a tad quicker. I don't know if that's anything great or special, but what about those reusable plastic bags? How long does it take to break those things down?

I don't use those ones. I use cotton net bags, flip and tumbles and occasionally canvas ones. All washable.

 

My flip and tumbles are more expensive than the $1 plastic ones but they last a lot longer. I have 6 that I bought 6 years ago and they are all going strong.

[Lanny]

Here in Colombia, the supermarkets and superstores we shop in all use Plastic bags.  I think we once bought a bag that is intended to be reused, but who remembers to take it and that's only one bag. They do sell those bags at the checkouts here.  Paper Bags are so unusual here now that last week, when I was in the superstore on the other side of town, shopping for groceries and I think something in the Hardware Department as I recall, DD called me and asked me to get something for her. I had no clue about what she needed, so I asked her to send me an SMS Text Message telling me what she needed. Turned out it was some kind of Pen she needed for Drawing, for her Art course,  so I went to the Stationery Department and got that for her. They put it into a Paper Bag.  I mentioned to my wife and DD that they could decorate that Paper Bag, if they were giving someone a tiny gift and use it for a Gift Bag.  Other than that, I don't remember when the last time I went shopping and they put things into large Paper Bags was.   Paper is very expensive here in Colombia, compared to what it costs in the USA, so that may be another reason they use Plastic Bags here. 

[busymama7]

Again. I just tell them to put it in the cart and I'll bag when done. It's really not that difficult to manage even with multiple little kids driving me batty. If people can do it at Ali's and Costco, they can do it Walmart or any other grocery store.

Your checkouts must be set up differently then mine. Except at Costco, which is irrelevant, the checker can't reach my cart. The checkstand and bagging area is in between them and my cart. At Walmart all they have is a spinning bag holder thing. There isn't even anywhere for the checker to put my groceries so I could pick them up and put them in my cart except for the little triangle on top of the bag holder. They would have to hand me each item. Which might work. But just saying to have them put everything back in the cart isn't even possible here.

[meena]

I use a trolley ( public transport user). Like this.

 

It's also good for bringing books home from the library.

 

Mine is bigger than the picture, and I can fit quite a lot in. The only thing I don't put in the trolley is eggs, so I just keep a fold up bag in the trolley for those. I have lots of the fold up bags and try to remember to take a couple with me when I go out. They fit in my ordinary bag.

 

I never wash them. We have never had food poisoning from the shopping being in our own bags :)  Although meat still comes in a plastic bag...I wish they'd return to the old days of wrapping meat in paper.

 

I really like that trolley. I've seen similar ones here is the US, but the wheels on the one you linked are much better. I live within walking distance of two supermarkets, yet still drive to get groceries because I usually get a full week's worth at a time and buy sales items in bulk,  which ends up being too much to carry. :blush: I'd like to get in the habit of walking, though, even if it means making more frequent trips. Although, would I then be prone to spend more overall?

[SeaConquest]

I live in California and voted for this proposition. I'm very glad that we are doing something about this issue on a statewide basis. Hopefully, other states will follow suit. As a boater, we often see the effects of all this plastic in the water. It's a huge problem around the world.

[Bluegoat]

I use a trolley ( public transport user). Like this.

 

It's also good for bringing books home from the library.

 

Mine is bigger than the picture, and I can fit quite a lot in. The only thing I don't put in the trolley is eggs, so I just keep a fold up bag in the trolley for those. I have lots of the fold up bags and try to remember to take a couple with me when I go out. They fit in my ordinary bag.

 

I never wash them. We have never had food poisoning from the shopping being in our own bags :)  Although meat still comes in a plastic bag...I wish they'd return to the old days of wrapping meat in paper.

What drives me nuts is that these days butcher paper, even if you get it, has a plastic coating on the inside.

[Seasider]

What drives me nuts is that these days butcher paper, even if you get it, has a plastic coating on the inside.

Plastic or wax?

[SparklyUnicorn]

Your checkouts must be set up differently then mine. Except at Costco, which is irrelevant, the checker can't reach my cart. The checkstand and bagging area is in between them and my cart. At Walmart all they have is a spinning bag holder thing. There isn't even anywhere for the checker to put my groceries so I could pick them up and put them in my cart except for the little triangle on top of the bag holder. They would have to hand me each item. Which might work. But just saying to have them put everything back in the cart isn't even possible here.

 

Same here now that you mention it.  Having them bag it or put it right into the cart is about the same in terms of time spent, or annoyance to them, because of the set up.  The only store that is different is Aldi.  They ring the items and put it in the the cart which is right next to them.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Again, as others have pointed out...you don't have to line a bathroom garbage can if you are emptying into a larger one that is. Why does the can have to fit in the sink? Clean it in the shower. (Presumably, your trash can is smaller than your shower, yes?) 

Here is a step-by-step breakdown.

 

1. Empty unlined bathroom trash into larger trash receptacle.

2. Take trash can back to bathroom.

3. If it isn't gross, replace in normal location.

4. If it needs to be rinsed, stick it in tub/shower. Add some water, rinse out. Use a rag to dry it you choose. The rag goes in the wash.

5. Replace can to be used.

6. (If you feel shower needs to now be cleaned, the next person who showers is assigned a quick shower scrub.)

 

 

The bolded I like. Really like. And I would support it in a heartbeat here in the US. 

 

 

 

Yes and none of that would work.  I have a shower stall. I'd have to stand under running water to clean a trash can.  Not happening.  And that stuff doesn't go into the kitchen trash.  Yuck.  Nope.   Goes outside.  It needs to be bagged. 

 

But really, not sure why I need to explain these details.  I don't think I'm being crazy unreasonable.  And I'm not stupid.  Like I couldn't have thought of that.  I don't do it because it doesn't work for me.

[Bluegoat]

Plastic or wax?

 

Plastic. 

[Seasider]

Plastic.

Wow, I will have to investigate before I buy butcher paper again. I always presumed wax.

[Murphy101]

Wow, I will have to investigate before I buy butcher paper again. I always presumed wax.

The butcher paper I buy (for kids paint projects mostly) is wax. I've seen this weird stuff that looks like the glued Saran Wrap to it too though. I remember thinking.. Weird? Why?

[Bluegoat]

Yup, I think it's possible to get waxed stuff, but it isn't what seems to be uised when I buy meat that way.

[Murphy101]

They are an eyesore at rhe very least, they are stuck on trees throughout the landscape.

I pulled one out of my flower bed tangled in my sage bushes and another one out of my koi pond just this morning.😠

[Murphy101]

Your checkouts must be set up differently then mine. Except at Costco, which is irrelevant, the checker can't reach my cart. The checkstand and bagging area is in between them and my cart. At Walmart all they have is a spinning bag holder thing. There isn't even anywhere for the checker to put my groceries so I could pick them up and put them in my cart except for the little triangle on top of the bag holder. They would have to hand me each item. Which might work. But just saying to have them put everything back in the cart isn't even possible here.

No. Ours are set up that way and it's never been a problem. They just set it on top of the bag turnstile and I grab it and put it in the cart as he rings them up. It's really not that big a deal. Cashiers do it all the time for items that don't fit in the bags and it's the same process regardless of whether it's a 15lb bag of dog food or a gallon of milk or a box of pasta.

 

It's not like whether I'm just standing there waiting for them to finish and I'm not not taking stuff of the turnstile or whether I am makes anything go slower or faster.

 

And if the plastic bags were outlawed, I imagine they'd just remove the turnstile of bags from the area, which would leave the same space available for a reusable/self bagging area.

[Lady Florida.]

You can easily make or buy mesh bags to take with you to the market. I use these for bulk items (beans, rice, etc) as well. It's just a new mindset to adjust to. And it literally does the world good.

 

I use these, which I actually found out about here in an old reusable bags thread. They weigh about the same as the plastic bags in the produce department so they don't add any more to your item weight than the store provided bag would. I throw them in the washer and dryer. Oh, and they're see through enough for the cashier to read the sku number on the item.

 

Small and/or insanely expensive.  $20 for one bag?!  Good lord.

I hear you, but hopefully you would be able to use them for years.

 

I don't sew, I don't want to sew, and a couple hours of my time is worth $20 to me.

 

What Mercy said. If it lasts for years it's really not expensive. I balked at paying $100 for a new pair of shoes until I realized the pair that wore out lasted for 10 years, making the shoes cost a whopping $10 a year.

 

Plus I find this stuff to be an incredible turn off.  I'm not interested in stylish faddish "look at how eco and stylish I'm being" bags.  I want bags that WORK.  That are functional.  That you can actually wash!

Sometimes doing good requires a bit of effort. ;P

 

 And sometimes a little bit of effort goes a long way. Sometimes doing the right thing is inconvenient. There have been a number of links with many different options. Some of the bags linked are even durable and washable. 

 

You know what? Screw the environment. Just use plastic bags. It's easier.

 

Right? Sheesh.