Green grocery bags - do you?

[Aunt Bea]

Hawaii Is First State to Ban Plastic Bags

" Shops will still provide plastic bags for bulk items such as meat, grains or fresh produce. "

... this doesn't make much sense to me

I'm not a bagologist but I think they mean that if you walk up to the meat counter, fish counter, produce section etc... and buy something like a pound of shrimp, grapes or peanuts they will still give you a plastic bag to put them in, still no bags at the checkout.

 

[taxlady]

I'm not a bagologist but I think they mean that if you walk up to the meat counter, fish counter, produce section etc... and buy something like a pound of shrimp, grapes or peanuts they will still give you a plastic bag to put them in, still no bags at the checkout.

I think that's what they mean.

I have been using re-usable bags since the early '80s. At least no one thinks I'm weird anymore and store owners are no longer insulted.

I still end up with more plastic bags than I want. Once in a blue moon I forget to bring bags or I buy more than will fit in the bags I brought.

Around here, the stores charge for plastic bags. There is an environmental fee on the bags. Some stores give a $.03 or $.05 discount for each bag you bring, though that was more common before they started charging $.05 for each bag.

I agree with Aunt Bea that using a re-usable bag and then buying plastic garbage bags is not really helping. But, some people were just throwing away plastic bags and buying plastic garbage bags. I use the bags I do end up with for garbage. I also carefully cut the top off the plastic package that toilet paper comes in to use for garbage. I usually buy tp in 24-30 roll packages.

I recycle any plastic bags I do end up with and don't use for garbage. That could happen when they are too small or have holes. I'm not convinced they actually get recycled, but I put them in the recycling bin. I live near, but not in, Montreal. Montreal dumps about 95% of the stuff collected as recycling into the landfill. They can't find enough recyclers for the rest. I don't know if that is the case in my town. I'm sure it's not uncommon.

 

[Roll_Bones]

We use green bags and we sometimes have to ask for some plastic ones as we use them as well. Lots of uses in the home for these plastic grocery bags.

Waste basket liners is one use and when you clean out your fridge they make excellent vehicles to get the discarded food to the trash.
We have a few of the cold/hot zipper bags we use for frozen foods. Invaluable when you go to Costco. In fact Costco has them on sale this month. The extra large size for about $6 if my memory serves me.

We recycle too.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I use re-usables until I run out of trash can liners. I wear out some bags hauling them back and forth to work with my lunches. I've gotten my 5 cent refund on the same bag for the last three weeks. In other words, the store has given me .75 cents on the same bag they gave me in the first place, I shop daily for my fresh fruit and veg for my lunches.

 

[Oldvine]

Some times, some times not. If we do gather a few bags, they go into the recycle bin. Oddly I feel very little guilt using a plastic bag once or twice a week after watching the mountains and mountains and even more mountains of plastic lined disposable diapers (up to size 6) being trundled out the door at any and all Costco stores, pharmacies, grocery stores and other stores that stock baby and kid supplies. As far as I can see the used ones all go into land fills or are simply tossed onto the ground in parking lots.

 

[taxlady]

Yeah, disposable diapers are a real problem. Until someone comes up with something equally convenient that is biodegradable or something nearly as convenient that's reusable, it's going to keep on being a problem.

 

[Kayelle]

And while we're at complaining about plastics....how about why on earth they are still selling cases upon cases of individual water filled bottles?? Stupid, just pain stupid.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Because it's the best way to store potable water for many people.

 

[Kayelle]

Because it's the best way to store potable water for many people.

It's the "newest" way to store portable water, but certainly not the best. It's easy enough to use a refillable container and rid the unnecessary plastic waste. Nearly everyone here remembers living without one time only water bottles.

 

[taxlady]

It's the best way to sell water out of a vending machine. Other than that, I don't see the point.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I didn't say "portable", I said "potable".

 

[Kayelle]

I didn't say "portable", I said "potable".

Public water in this country is perfectly safe to drink. In other countries I use bottled water for safety reasons.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

And currently there are areas in this country who are having problems with their water supply today d/t flooding, mudslides, etc. Emergency supplies of water are easier to get to them if they are bottled.

THAT is why I buy bottled water, as emergency supplies. Many others do the same.

 

[Kayelle]

Buying bottled water for emergency supply is certainly not what I'm talking about.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I think people should buy what they need and understand the consequence of the decisions they are making.

I think the goal should be to reduce our impact/carbon footprint and still enjoy a decent life.

The solution will be different for each of us.

I have friends and family that don't use disposable shopping bags, disposable diapers, bottled water etc... They buy organic, wear eco-friendly clothes and shoes, belong to all sorts of environmental groups, yet they drive gigantic SUV's, regularly eat food shipped half way around the world, live in McMansions etc... I chuckle when they point out my foibles and treat me like an eco-terrorist. I'm willing to bet my impact on the planet is smaller than theirs.

Just do what you need to do, be mindful of the overall impact, keep seeking the minimum and remember all roads eventually lead to the cemetery

I'm done ranting and raving for now!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

And while we're at complaining about plastics....how about why on earth they are still selling cases upon cases of individual water filled bottles?? Stupid, just pain stupid.

Question asked, a possible answer given.

 

[Kayelle]

Because it's the best way to store potable water for many people.

And the issue of "potable" vs. "portable" could have been easy avoided with another word used for "potable".

 

[Cheryl J]

I love my Trader Joe's insulated bags and use them most of the time, since I finally got in the habit of keeping them in the trunk of the car. I have about 5 or 6 of them, and one is a box shaped insulated cooler-type bag. It doubles as a picnic food carrier.

 

[msmofet]

I have MANY of the grocery bags (mostly cloth and most are washable). I have insulated and non insulated (open top bags).

I have bags from Target, Trader Joe's, Fairway, Stop and Shop and Whole Foods.

I love the fact that they are reusable, strong, don't fall over and spill food stuffs all over the car and they DON'T rip open!

Hub never uses them even though they are always in the back of the car. SO I always have plastic bags around to line my small waste baskets, put smelly wet garbage in and tie shut before tossing in the kitchen trash pail also use the brown paper bags to drain fried foods on rather than using paper towels.

 

[Addie]

I have waste baskets designed to be the size of plastic grocery bags. They have two handles on them for the handles on the bags. Saves me from buying liners. Every few months I have more bags than I will ever use. So I fold them up and bring them to the church for the food bank. An item they are always short of. So the bags are always getting more than one use. I have noticed that when I go to the church on Saturday, (the day of the food bank) some of the folks waiting have their own cloth bags.

Being an Elderly Resident building, we are always the target for all the politicians or health organizations that are selling their wares. They all give us a cloth tote that if you are lucky, they will hold three rolls of toilet paper and maybe a head of lettuce. Way to small to be of any consequential benefit to the environment.