Shopping Bags

[Jsneaker]

I use Mesh

Like Joeekaitis, if I get plastic bags, I just knot them when the get to the trunk.
I use extra-durable mesh "Giant Market" shopping bags I bought from the stores in Leesburg, VA & Bear, DE back in 1993. They are THE BEST, and very strong for groceries and for Costo, BJ's, Trader Joe's & Aldi! Besides, the proceeds went for a blindness association, so they sure were a fantastic investment. When I go to ShopRite and Target, I get 5c credit for each bag I use. Some other local markets only give 2c, like PathMark & Waldbaums(where I hardly ever shop). King Kullen gives no refund, and they don't require a "shopper's card/tag" for purchases, but they & "Sit & Shit"(no refund) are the four highest-priced markets here! The plastic ones I get are used for lining all my garbage pails at my place.

 

[maytagbear]

Just got back from the store.....

My cashier was polite and friendly, but not otherwise very competent. He put my bottle of dish liquid in with food items, and he put cold sensitive bananas in with the ice cream. If I had noticed at the time, I would have gently said something!

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[spookiness]

thanks for reminder

I was planning on washing my canvas bags this weekend.
I'm a convert to the reusable bags now. They're so handy.

 

[dirtybuck]

Spookiness:

When you wash your bags, do you wash them inside out?

 

[toggleswitch]

By the time you get home, everything is roaming free in the trunk of the car and you end up rebagging your groceries all over again.

Just tie it up and it after you have filled it up!

I get plastic and use it for my garbage.

This garbage can was bought for $1 at a garage/tag/estate sale. The two cut-outs per side are designed to hold the handle of those plastic grocery bags one gets in the grocery store.

The small size is ok. The garbage gets taken out every night to avoid attracting "critters" in my apartment building.

 

[mtn1584]

Double paper with handles...................................

ShopRite has paper handled shopping bags!!! I love them they are the best!! I hate plastic, but at Stop&Shop I get them by default. I baought about twenty green bags a while ago, and they have all grown legs and mysterioulsy left! I always tie my plastic bags. @steve where do you shop?
Mike

 

[passatdoc]

Mostly use tote bags (Trader Joe's or one of the local market chains). I have two from VONS that fold up into the size of a tennis ball, easy to store in the car door storage. The TJ's bags fold flat and fit in the map storage area in the front seat backs.

I do use/need plastic for small trash cans in the house, so I do get plastic bags now and then, so I can avoid buying plastic trash bags.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I use most canvas bags. At one time I had so many canvas bags that I started giving them to my friends and co-workers. I have yet to have one rip, but after a few washings the letter starts to come off, but I don't really care about the lettering. I use one every day to carry my hat, gloves, and umbrella to work. When we were moving we even packed things in the canvas bags when we ran out of boxes.

 

[polkanut]

One use that I've found for plastic grocery bags is for packing material when shipping an item via FedEx, UPS, USPS, etc.  I use them in combination with styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, or newspaper.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Back in the late 80s, Publix started offering beautiful white canvas bags with their green logo on them. I bought 3 of them and used them for a long time as a reminder of happy times with friends in Florida. When I washed them, I would dip them in starch and hang them to dry. When folded carefully, they would stand up empty for filling at the store.

More recently, I bought recycled bags at the Reusable Bag website. They are made out of recycled plastic bottles. They hold as much or more than the standard paper grocery bags, are far stronger and have handles, although the handles are not that comfortable if you are carrying something heavy very far so I bought some clear plastic hose and slit it to slip over the handles. This has worked out great if I have to carry something into work on the subway. When I unload the groceries at home, I hang the bags by their handles on the door knob so that I will remember to carry them back to the car.

 

[foraloysius]

Overhere in the Netherlands plastic bags are bigger and thicker than the bags I have seen in American supermarkets. The bags we have get reused until they tear. Ofcourse the problem is that I often forget to bring it with me when I go shopping. I have quite a collection. Here's an example of such a shopping bag.