Grocery Bags

[supersurgilator]

I just wondered if any of you use the cloth grocery bags or if you still get the plastic bags at the store. If you get plastic, what do you use them for.

 

[dj-gabriele]

Plastic bags are outlawed in Europe!

You can only get paper bags at around 20-50 cent or plastic-like, corn derived, ones at usually 10-20 cents. (In Italy)

Most of the people I know either reusable bags or bring the trolley to the car and unload in bins that have in the trunk, when they forget usually get the corn-plastic ones, they make an horrible smell! I wonder why it has to be that way!

I personally have a couple of plastic reusable bags that compress in less space than a closed hand and are very appropriate for the task as I go shopping for grocery on foot as the supermarket is down the road.

 

[rp2813]

Plastic bags are in the process of being banned here in town.

 

I usually ask for paper, but both are recyclable.  The problem is that people aren't very good about recycling the plastic ones.  They're blowing up against fences and into the landscape and generally cause a significant litter problem.  I recycle most of my plastic bags and just keep a small stash of them on hand to use around the house as needed.

 

I'm not looking forward to having to bring my own canvas or cloth bags to the store with me, but I guess in these parts people will have to get used to it.  I've got the bags already, as they've been being used as give-away items and advertising schwag for quite a while around here.

 

What are all of the dog-walkers supposed to do once plastic bags are banned?

 

[amyswasher]

Same here

They are being banned in September.

 

[circlew]

Usually I get plastic, but sometimes paper when I go to Kroger or Meijer. Many times when I go to GFS, I get my purchases put in cardboard boxes, as they have them by the registers.

I reuse them either for trash, or to put my swim trunks and wet towel in at the gym.[this post was last edited: 3/27/2011-19:09]

 

[washernoob]

We always get plastic. My mom was not happy about them trying to push to charge for them.

We often have around 15 grocery bags each trip. Thats a lot for those canvas bags, that are always way over priced.

Its kind of funny that when you are forced to buy something, how the price goes up!

 

[ronhic]

We're predominantly a 'Green Bag' family here....It is rare that I don't have at least 6 in the car at any time....

http://www.greenbag.com.au/

 

[hoover1100]

Always

Try to take reusable bags, environmental benefits aside, they're bigger and easier to carry, especially when you're walking to the shops, which I do most of the time.

There are times when taking bags completely escapes my mind, I always feel guilty using those wasteful plastic ones.

They don't charge for them here yet unfortunately, so you still get people who get loads of plastic bags, but that's becoming more and more infrequent.

The plastic bags are now kept under the cashier's counter, so you can't just help yourself anymore, with a bit of luck, they'll charge for them in the near future.

Matt[this post was last edited: 3/27/2011-19:48]

 

[whirlpolf]

plastic 10 to 20 ct
plastic from renewable sources (corn starch and such) free to 10 ct
plastic with polyurethane foam layer (to insulate frozen foods) 30 to 50 ct
fabric, reusable (linen or similar) 50 to 1.00 €
thin and small plastic (chemist's or ethnic food shops) for free
Collapsible plastic baskets: 2,50 to 4 €, at the cashiers or in DIY markets.
All of them are readily available at the conveyor belt at the cashiers, just pick one and add it to your purchased items.

I tend to use my backpack or when going by car I have a collapsible plastic basket but when I walk I try to fold a fabric bag from my home and stick it in the back pocket of my jeans. Once I forget it I feel somewhat sorry for my stupidity of not having thought about it. Then I grab a plastic bag, too (unfortunately).

Reuses:
Plastic and thin plastic: As garbage bags.
Fabric: I have them all around the house to bundle up "loose items" like clothespins, garden clippers, cash receipts and such stuff or I stuff my toothpaste, shaver and comb in them when I am travelling "lightweight".

 

[jerrod6]

I use reuseable grocery bags. I have six of them and I have one large thermal bag for cold or frozen items. I take these to the stores when I go. Once a month I leave them home and request paper bays. I used them to recycle daily newspapers

 

[maytagbear]

A mix of plastic and cloth bags here.

I like plastic bags, and reuse them, once. I reuse them when I scoop Rosa's cat boxes (Yes, boxes. It's a l-o-n-g story,) I use the plastic bags. So do many of my cat owning friends.

I almost always take one or two canvas bags with me to the store, and what won't fit into the canvas bags, goes in plastic. Therefore, I would say I am light green in this particular matter.

In other ways, I am more green, like in lighting--either flourescent(sp) or halogen.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[peterh770]

Plastic from the store. I used them when cleaning the cats' litter boxes.

 

[mrb627]

Cloth Bags

I purchased 4 of the store branded cloth bags about a year ago. 99 cents a piece. Each cloth bag is equal to 3 plastic bags.

Plus, they make for a sensible and checp gift bag!

Malcolm

 

[thomasortega]

My state is considered one of the most "environmental friendly" in my country.

Decades ago most people started using fabric bags or even reusing the plastic bags. I remember more than 20 years ago I bought a few fabric (denim) bags that I still use today.

Nowadays, most of the supermarkets here don't charge for the biodegradable plastic bags (they smell like ashtrays) but they offer proportional discounts if you bring your own bags or refuse to use the bags. (a few cents off)

Every time i go to the supermarket (once a month and fill the trunk) i always get 4 or 5 biodegradable bags to reuse them as trash bags in the bathroom.

usually my bathroom's trash bin should be emptied only once a week or two as I don't use toilet papers and the only trash in it are used cotton balls or swabs.

 

[ronhic]

Whirlpolf...

I have to say that we have at least 15, possibly 20, of those crates...

 

I had never seen them before I went to Germany at Easter in 2002...and brought several back to the UK with me (thankfully, we drove)....I bought several more in Lidl and all of them came back with us to Australia in 2004....

 

...so of course, I can now buy them here....they are FAB in cupboards, as a washing basket, when going to self-cater holiday accommodation and storage....

 

[appnut]

I still use the plastic bags.  I"m not looking forward to when the alternatives will have to be used.  What frustrates me is I never know how much I'm going to end up bringing hoome when I go to the store, so I could never anticipate how many I would have to take ona grocery run.  My boss apparently uses all or some canvas bags because she said she had to wash them the other day in her 5500 Neptune. 

 

Amy unless I've missed something here, I don't think the ban is going state-wide in September, I thinnk that's just locally in Ft. Stockton. 

 

[ptcruiser51]

Paper

My store still offers it.  I pack myself so I can get as much in as possible=less trips from the car up steps outside.  I'll use plastic for meats or vegetables.  I use the paper for trash and the plastic gets taken back to the store for recycling next trip.  Nothing will keep kitties occupied for awhile more than an empty paper bag.  When they're done playing they'll sleep on it.

 

[3beltwesty]

Here on the Miss Coast I have not heard "paper or plastic" in many years; maybe 1/2 decade. Unless one brings a bag; goods will be in plastic; and burgers to go in paper sacks.iung

At my own business for the few small things I sell we use paper bags.

Seeing somebody use a cloth bag is rare.

When in California 12 years ago I typically got paper bags with my grocery purchases.

Here the token plastic bags one gets degrade in a few years, if one uses them for storage of some bolts the bag will break a few years later once picked up. The plastic must be a variant to degrade quickly.

Here I always save the plastic bags and have 1000's of usage for them; often in the ongoing Katrina house rebuild. " the buffer" of bags is kept in a drawer.

 

[xraytech]

For me it depends on where I'm shopping as to what I get, if its Giant Eagle or Wal-Hell its plastic, if its Aldi I get no bags and just put the items in a xerox paper box located in my trunk, if its Shop N Save I always get paper in plastic, and at restaurant depot I carefully select sturdy boxes for the small items in my order.

 

The plastic bags are used as garbage bags in the bathrooms, paper is used when carrying things somewhere and also used to drain foods on when deep frying, and used as a slightly larger garbage bag.

 

I wont buy those cloth-like bags they sell at the check stands, if it ever comes to where I cant get my paper or plastic I will fashion my own designer bags on my trusty Singer out of attractive vintage fabrics

 

 

[luxflairguy]

Reuseable Tyvek bags that I carry around in the car. there's 6 in each car and another 6 or so for back-up. Plastic veggie bags are used for smelly garbage that's then frozen and tossed in the dumpster.

 

[countryguy]

I've been using the cloth re-usable bags for a couple of years now.  All of the grocery stores here now charge $0.05-0.10 per plastic bag.  At first I didn't like it because I was always forgetting my bags but now I just keep them in the back seat of the car.  One cloth bag holds almost as much as 2 plastic bags. 

 

Gary

 

[lordkenmore]

I've been mostly using reusable bags the last few years. I think they are some sort of plastic material. Many stores (and all grocery stores around here) carry them, typically for about $1. While you can get a paper or one time intended use plastic bag for free, Fred Meyer (where I do most of my grocery shopping) has a five cent discount every time one brings a reusable bag in. (I sometimes have wondered what would happen if I came in, and bought 4 cents worth of something out of a bulk bin...although the way prices are, it's not likely I'll ever find out.) After 20 trips, a single bag is paid off.

 

[supersurgilator]

I agree, last fall we bought some of the store brand cloth bags (made from recycled water bottles). They hold probably around 3 plastic bags worth each. I was quite surprised how much you can put in them, and I actually enjoy using them. It is nice having fewer bags to carry around, and you don't have to worry about them tearing.

 

[lordkenmore]

I forgot to add how I'm impressed with much these reusable bags hold. It's very seldom that my single bag isn't enough to hold everything I buy. It helps that I do more frequent, smaller trips. Even so, before the bag, I always ended up with more than one plastic bag. Now, most of the time, it's one bag to carry in.

 

[rp2813]

We still hear "Paper or plastic?" at responsible supermarket chains.  Safeway is not among them.  They never ask and start packing in plastic by default.  If you stop them and request paper, Safeway makes you regret that decision by not putting handles on their paper bags.  Other large chains like Whole Foods, TJ's and those under the Raley's umbrella along with the smaller local ones all provide paper bags with handles.  I'm sure Safeway is throwing money at groups opposed to further bans on plastic bags as more and more municipalities begin to consider them.

 

[miele_ge]

I almost always take my "Danbury Garden Club" shoppi

I keep them in the trunk and they hold a lot more than the plastic ones and are actually easier to deal with bringing into the house.

 

I like to keep a small stash of plastic bags for other purposes (bringing lunch, wrapping up stinky garbage,etc) so when I am running low, I will leave the cloth bags in the car for smaller shopping. 

 

It is amazing how much less bags I am consuming now.

 

Bringing your own cloth bags is really the only way to go.

 

 

 

[bugsyjones]

Where offered, I prefer paper bags for groceries. Other places like the local discount store and the Nationally recogized big box store, I take the plastic bags.

I like paper bags simply for the nostalgia. I also think if packed right, the paper bags are more sturdy than the plastic. It's not uncommon for a plastic bag handle to rip right off.

The plastic gets reused. I only chuck them if they have holes. Plastic bags are handy for changing the waste bin on the ol' LitterMaid and for lining trash cans.

I quit recycling plastic when they mandated that I sort the plastic by type and that they only take plastics with a certain number on the bottom. I don't want to sort it out. That's their job. If I can't throw milk jugs with styrofoam in together with plastic bags, then what's the point? I'll just send it all to the landfill. I do recycle glass though because I don't have to sort it.

As long as paper bags are still an option, that's what I will always prefer.

~Tim

 

[spookiness]

Fabric

I have several cloth bags from stores, and also from trade shows & such. They have been surprisingly durable. I keep a few at work, a few at home, and some in the car. We sort of have a community stash at the office that people also use from.

I was just talking to my neighbor about how freaking handy they are. I use them for everything. I used to get paper ones periodically to put recycled newspaper in, but don't need anymore. We have new bins for recycling, and everything can just get dumped in them. Also get newspaper delivered to my Kindle, so I only get the Sunday edition on paper.

If I forget bags, or need extras, I'll get plastic ones. My city accepts them with recycling. In most stores you get .05 off for bringing your own. Across the river in DC there is a .05 bag surcharge, ostensibly for river cleanup. A lot of people b*tched at first, but it seems everybody has adapted, and true you don't see bags stuck in fences and trees so much. By most measures it has been a success.

Oh, I do wash them periodically, and try to segregate their uses.

 

[sudsmaster]

I remember the "plastic vs. paper" debate here in the 80's.

Some people felt that plastic was better since it didn't result in cutting down trees.

Others felt paper was better because it didn't consume imported oil.

I figure, overall, the paper is more environmentally friendly because it's a renewable resource and the paper will biodegrade fairly quickly.

In town here, however, plastic is the norm (except at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods). I think the plastic is ok from a packaging standpoint, although I do prefer the size and stability of paper. If they start charging for bags I suppose I'll start bringing cloth bags to the store. Most of my shopping is at Costco, however, where they don't give you any bags and you kind of have to ask or scrounge for a used box.

Few if any stores today ask "paper or plastic?" although that used to be norm a decade or two ago.

 

[MrX]

They are not banned in Europe!

@dj-gabriele

I'm not sure what the situation is in Italy, but plastic bags are most definitely not generally banned in Europe.
However, in many countries, including Ireland, they are charged for. It costs 22¢ (aprox 30 US cent) here for a plastic bag.

In Ireland shoppers bring their own bags. They're usually heavy woven plastic or fabric bags. Most supermarkets sell them.

You can also get very compact fold-up bags that you can keep in your pocket if you decide to make an impromptu stop at a shop.

I usually don't bother to pack large items into bags at all. I just put them back into the trolley (shopping cart) and load them directly into the boot (trunk) of the car.

Paper bags in Ireland are almost totally useless as it rains a lot and if you did forget to bring bags, you couldn't realistically pack you groceries in paper as it would turn to mush quite a lot of the time!

Clothes stores are the only places that use paper bags here, and they're usually heavy grade 'fancy' bags.