Single Use Grocery Bags

[Kirby]

I went to the closest grocery store (which is currently in the town next to mine) this morning only to discover a sign that as of January 1st the town had outlawed single use plastic grocery bags.  Now you either had to bring your own or pay 15 cents for a large bag that is supposedly paper but seems to be a reusable recycled plastic of some sort.   While I'm generally in favor of saving the environment, I re-used the plastic bags for my garbage.  However the grocery store I currently go to the most still has the plastic bags.  The grocery store they are building in my town has already said they're using paper bags that have useless handles that fall off whenever there is anything heavy in the bag (OK, they just said the paper part, I added the other part because it's true).  My town doesn't require it, the grocery chain doesn't use plastic bags in any of its stores.

So how about you?  Do you bring recyclable bags?  Does your store give out environmentally friendly paper bags or wasteful single use plastic bags?  Do you care either way?

 

[AirwickWithCheese]

At the closed Winn Dixie on Old Buncombe Road, they used to chop down a tree for every 30.00 you spent. 

Sad turn of events in your town.   

[petitepedal ★]

I have several re-usables...and try to remember to use them...I too use the plastic ones for my garbage..and the paper ones hold my recycle...

[Dirtyhip]

We bring our ownbags. We have cloth veggie bags as well. I tend to travel with my own utencils as well.

[jsharr ★]

I use puppies to schlep my stuff around

[Dirtyhip]

I have a reusable grocery sack that has a chicken on it. Its my favorite. 

[donkpow]

I use the disposable plastic bags supplied by the store. They fit my trash can perfectly and any that don't get used for that get returned to the store for recycling. 

Here is the data on the source:

https://novolex.com/wp-content/uploads/Hilex-Catalog-FINAL-web.pdf

[maddmaxx ★]

I have several reusables.  I also have 5 cats in the house and really like the little plastic bags.

[Airehead]

I use the reusable a until I run low on the plastic bags. Then I go without reusables. Those plastic bags are necessary as poop bags. 

[shootingstar]

So far our prairie city is slowly moving towards charging for their single use plastic bags.  

I do re-use clean single use plastic bags several times (2-5 times)  for groceries, carrying my clothing to work, then use it for garbage.  I occasionally (not always) bring durable /cloth reusable bags to store.  Sometimes it just easier to shove in 2 clean single-use plastic bags into my purse when walking to store. I don't like walking around with empty cloth bags.

Cycling with groceries does mean it's more practical to use clean plastic bags (which were originally single use) to shove in as much groceries as possible in panniers and also to protect strapped /bungie corded-down large packages on top of bike rack.

VAncovuer is much more strict...a lot of stores will charge for single use plastic bags or even for paper bags.  There are times I wish I brought some clean single use plastic bags from prairie city just for garbage in Vancouver!  

[ChrisL]

CA banned the single use bags a couple of years ago.  We purchased the bags at the store and reuse them.  When I'm getting a few things at the market I just carry them to my car without a bag. 

Yoy would be surprised how seldom you really need a bag when they are not free. 

[sheep_herder ★]

We often bring our own bags, and normally get paper bags when we forget.  We, however, reuse the plastic bags for some garbage and recycling plastic bottles and news papers.

[JerrySTL ★]

I use the plastic bags to line small garbage cans and inside the cars to collect trash. We save the rest and return them to the store where they have a recycling drop-off.

[smudge ★]

I try to use my reusable bags a lot. I need a few of the single use plastic bags for bathroom trash bags and for stuff I've scooped out of the litter boxes. I also stash one or two small ones in my CamelBaks. Other than that, I hate them.

[Ralphie ★]

Mrs. Mooseworth uses reusable ones, but I use the plastic ones and then use them as poop bags. I usually do the small shopping so usually only use one or two. After watching the 60 Minutes segment on plastic last week, it appears that recycling is basically a myth so a lot of plastic is on the loose in the environment. 

[Wilbur ★]

We have fabric covered, semi rigid boxes with handles.  Easy to load, easy to carry and they don't spill in the car.  Well, they do in the Bentley because of the spare tire but not the Rolls.  

[Razors Edge ★]

1 hour ago, Dirtyhip said:

We bring our ownbags. We have cloth veggie bags as well. I tend to travel with my own utencils as well.

How do you dispose of your trash if you don't have single use plastic bags?

[Longjohn ★]

We shop at Aldis, we don’t use bags. They have these nice carts for twenty five cents and they are reusable.

[Razors Edge ★]

26 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

We shop at Aldis, we don’t use bags. They have these nice carts for twenty five cents and they are reusable.

And you too fail to answer the " How do you dispose of your trash if you don't have single use plastic bags? " question!

I'm guessing you just burn stuff.

[Longjohn ★]

28 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I'm guessing you just burn stuff.

I used to burn everything in the furnace in the winter. Since I started getting raped for garbage pickup I use big contractor bags and stuff as much stuff in them as I can. You can even put road kill and nuclear reactors in those things. They tell you to empty the liquid out of bottles before you throw them in the trash, heck for what I pay I'll refill the empties before I throw them away.

[donkpow]

53 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I'm guessing you just burn stuff.

You're a little bitch, aren't you?

[Razors Edge ★]

11 minutes ago, donkpow said:

You're a little bitch, aren't you?

I'm a fan of pyromania!

 

 

 

 

...and a little bitch!

[Further]

We accumulate the bags until there are enough to take back for recycling. This Christmas I learned that wadded up bags make perfect packing for sending presents tp out of town folks. We sent 3 boxes of kolache packed in wadded up plastic bags and all arrived unscathed.   

[MickinMD ★]

I get half of my food in disposable plastic bags, mainly because I have one large reusable bag and after I fill it in one store, I can't take it into the next with the last store's food in it. I haven't been big on paper bags, because I can't use them for one-day garbage bags in my TV room.

When I leave the 2nd, 3rd, etc. stores - usually buying small amounts each place - I add the plastic supermarket bags to the reusable bag.  When I unload them, the plastic bags go to my TV room.

The reusable bag is the Costco Insulated bag, around $8 and about 2 feet long by 1 1/2 feet high, by 9" wide. It has a double-plastic insulation layer inside.

Once, I was given the wrong time for my nephew's football tryouts and bought four hot 12" cheesesteak subs for those of our family watching the tryouts to eat.  They sat in the bag for 2 hours.  They were still hot.  I can buy several frozen foods and they'll stay good and cold for 2" in a hot car in summer.

 

 

[donkpow]

9 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

I'm a fan of pyromania!

 

 

 

 

...and a little bitch!

I'm waiting for you to come to your senses.

 

 

 

Don

[Razors Edge ★]

3 hours ago, donkpow said:

I'm waiting for you to come to your senses.

Pyromania was EPIC!

 

 

 

 

[donkpow]

41 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

Pyromania was EPIC!

You must be crazy.

 

 

 

Don

[12string]

I'm doing what I can to eliminate single use anything, especially plastic.  By fresh or grow it to reduce packaging.  It's not just the material and trash, the amount of energy required to produce, ship, collect, recycle is more damaging to the environment than the material.  I compost, and recycle but have been pushing to not cycle the first time, so I generate very little trash,

I actually support continuing to produce things out of plastic (for multi use) to help reduce fossil fuels.  As it starts to reach critical mass, there's going to be a big pushback against renewable fuel once people realize the huge economic impact that will ripple down from a massive drop in oil production

[Kzoo]

I have an acquaintance that takes the single use plastic bags and uses them to weave mats (sleeping pads) for the homeless.  Our LGS has a large box by their exits to recycle the plastic bags.  She raids those boxes several times a year.

 

[Square Wheels]

I've had some reusable bags for over 10 years.  It makes me feel superior to everyone else to use these.

[donkpow]

14 hours ago, Myself said:

I've had some reusable bags for over 10 years.  It makes me feel superior to everyone else to use these.

Don't say that or @Razors Edge will attack you over your sandwich bags. You don't reuse those for 10 years, do you?

[Longjohn ★]

2 minutes ago, donkpow said:

Don't say that or @Razors Edge will attack you over your sandwich bags. You don't reuse those for 10 years, do you?

My mother-in-law always washed and reused sandwich bags and other food storage bags. I got a chuckle out of seeing her dish rack loaded with plastic bags drying every time we visited.

[Razors Edge ★]

1 hour ago, donkpow said:

Don't say that or @Razors Edge will attack you over your sandwich bags. You don't reuse those for 10 years, do you?

Exactly! Why's he breaking his own balls looking out for some other person's kids and grandkids?  God knows they aren't gonna look out for him!

[donkpow]

2 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

Exactly! Why's he breaking his own balls looking out for some other person's kids and grandkids?  God knows they aren't gonna look out for him!

Shouldn't that footprint have three toes instead of four?

 

[Square Wheels]

4 hours ago, donkpow said:

Don't say that or @Razors Edge will attack you over your sandwich bags. You don't reuse those for 10 years, do you?

I dont eat sandwiches. 

[donkpow]

1 hour ago, Myself said:

I dont eat sandwiches. 

What do you put in your sandwich bags, then?

[sheep_herder ★]

6 hours ago, Longjohn said:

My mother-in-law always washed and reused sandwich bags and other food storage bags. I got a chuckle out of seeing her dish rack loaded with plastic bags drying every time we visited.

We do it, and nobody laughs at us, as we do not have visitors in our house.

[sheep_herder ★]

4 minutes ago, donkpow said:

What do you put in your sandwich bags, then?

Vegetables and fruit?

[Razors Edge ★]

5 minutes ago, donkpow said:

What do you put in your sandwich bags, then?

 

[ChrisL]

7 hours ago, Longjohn said:

My mother-in-law always washed and reused sandwich bags and other food storage bags. I got a chuckle out of seeing her dish rack loaded with plastic bags drying every time we visited.

Many years ago the resealable bags weren't a thing in Holland and my family there would stock up on Levi's, Vans shoes and ziplock bags.  One cousin would buy a suitcase full & sell them for huge profit.  

Apparently they can get them now.

[donkpow]

1 minute ago, ChrisL said:

Many years ago the resealable bags weren't a thing in Holland and my family there would stock up on Levi's, Vans shoes and ziplock bags.  One cousin would buy a suitcase full & sell them for huge profit.  

Apparently they can get them now.

When I was younger, the plastic sandwich bags were not the sealable type. We called them "Baggies". I think that was the brand name. Other people put weed in them for sale.

 

[Kirby]

44 minutes ago, donkpow said:

When I was younger, the plastic sandwich bags were not the sealable type. We called them "Baggies". I think that was the brand name. Other people put weed in them for sale.

 

I remember the ones that had the foldover top - they never kept anything fresh.

[donkpow]

4 minutes ago, Kirby said:

I remember the ones that had the foldover top - they never kept anything fresh.

That's the one. ...talk about single use bags.

[dinneR ★]

Our town just passed a ban on single use bags.

[Square Wheels]

On 1/8/2019 at 2:29 PM, donkpow said:

What do you put in your sandwich bags, then?

Pot ,gluten-free, vegan brownies.  I work in a town next to Cambridge, Mass.

[dinneR ★]

On 1/6/2019 at 5:39 PM, RalphWaldoMooseworth said:

Mrs. Mooseworth uses reusable ones, but I use the plastic ones and then use them as poop bags. I usually do the small shopping so usually only use one or two. After watching the 60 Minutes segment on plastic last week, it appears that recycling is basically a myth so a lot of plastic is on the loose in the environment. 

This is true. The amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean is staggering. 

[Longjohn ★]

On 1/6/2019 at 7:39 PM, RalphWaldoMooseworth said:

After watching the 60 Minutes segment on plastic last week, it appears that recycling is basically a myth so a lot of plastic is on the loose in the environment. 

I have said this all along. My guess is sorted recycling has a better chance of actually being recycled.

[Tizeye]

On ‎1‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 7:59 PM, Razors Edge said:

How do you dispose of your trash if you don't have single use plastic bags?

Grocery store bags won't fit anything anything larger than wastebasket. Buy 13 gal "kitchen" bags. Front is for garbage, rear for recycling however the bag in the rear simply acts as a liner and replaced every 5th or so load when cans stick to it rather than dumping into the canister rolled to the street. Grocery store bags are NOT recyclable - at least through the home program - as they are a prohibited item which jams the processing machine. Shredded paper is also prohibited for the same reason but regular paper and junkmail is allowed to recycle.  The grocery store has a recycle can for grocery bags which is why the are bundled up to take back - if I remember next trip to grocery store. And that is the issue and also the reason I don't use my one bag as  I forgot them at home and remembered when at the store. I will use the grocery bags for the two wastebaskets and food waste, like chicken - that would stink in a day. They are too small for my shredder, so purchased special bags for it.

Realistically, if they are going to start charging you $0.15 per bag, it may be cheaper to bring own, and purchase small 'sandwich' bags for dog and other waste, and possible a size larger for wastebaskets. And train self to keep re-useable in car. That $0.15 could add up quick. 

[Prophet Zacharia]

Single use plastic bags? That’s a misnomer. You’re lucky if you get them to your car before they split or the handle breaks. Maybe “half-way bag”?

[Tizeye]

While most places have those heavy fabric (canvas?) bags with their logo on them that they sell as reusables, it is really weird going into WalMart with a Publix bag. What I would like to find is a generic lightweight bag like my daughter has. Essentially, it is stretchable rip-stop nylon that will fold up as small as a golfball and fit in your pocket. Very convenient. Switzerlands waste disposal encourages recycling. First there is no waste collection tax/fee. If is financed because garbage that has to be incinerated (no landfill) must be placed in special approx. 13 gal bags that you purchase from the State/Canton. Everything else is recycled. So the more you recycle, the fewer bags you buy. Recyclye locations are all over, and usually one per multi-family unit. 3 glass dumpsters which you sort -  clear/white, brown, green, - another for cardboard/paper, another for compost, and another for the pre-purchased garbage bags. A nearby grocery store had one for plastic bottle, aluminum and metal cans, that had a crushing lever rather than dump in. Essentially requires an in-home sorting system then take the appropriate reusable canister or bag (like those purchased when bagging groceries which are huge with handle) to transport to the appropriate collection dumpster.