Petty Vents

[taxlady]

When I moved to Denmark in 1969, all the grocery stores charged for strong, reusable plastic bags. We quickly got used to doing what other people did - brought them grocery shopping to put our groceries in. I have been a regular user of cloth bags since the 80s. At least people don't think I'm weird now.

edit: People don't think I'm weird for bring my own cloth bags. Lots of people still think I'm weird.

 

[Kayelle]

In all the many years I've shopped at Trader Joe's, they've never used plastic bags, only nice double paper ones with handles. They have always sold really cute inexpensive reusable bags that nearly everyone uses these days, and also an inexpensive insulated canvas bag I use often. Although it's only a 20 mile round trip, it sure comes in handy if I have other stops to make.

I sooooo agree with this Dawg!

I've seen a small part of what plastic bags can do to the ocean. They account for a lot of garbage that washes up, some even come from across the ocean. They don't disintegrate. Turtles, fish, and birds mistake them for jellyfish, eat them, and starve to death.

 

[GotGarlic]

I have a big insulated canvas one from Costco. Great for out of town trips.

Forgot to mention, I also have two large insulated bags from Nahunta Pork Center in North Carolina, where Vivian Howard of Chef and the Farmer get their pork. I have two because we forgot to bring with us the one we bought there last year

 

[skilletlicker]

My tote bags mostly have the names of Insurance Companies on them and I got them from free health fairs for the homeless and indigent.

 

[Addie]

I've seen a small part of what plastic bags can do to the ocean. They account for a lot of garbage that washes up, some even come from across the ocean. They don't disintegrate. Turtles, fish, and birds mistake them for jellyfish, eat them, and starve to death.

I use cloth bags whenever possible. As GG said, it's no big deal to wash them every so often.

Dawg, out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, there is a very large island made up of garbage that people have tossed overboard from their boats, got caught up in waves coming on shore, etc. There is also one in the Pacific.

Giant Ocean-Trash Vortex Attracts Explorers

In Massachusetts, the town across the Charles (Cambridge) has banned all plastic bags. I think it should be state wide. I have two large ones that I bring with me when grocery shopping. I know I can get more and I am going to. I use all my plastic bags for my trash baskets in my home. But I can find something else if need be for them.

 

[dragnlaw]

When I moved to Denmark in 1969, all the grocery stores charged for strong, reusable plastic bags. We quickly got used to doing what other people did - brought them grocery shopping to put our groceries in. I have been a regular user of cloth bags since the 80s. At least people don't think I'm weird now.

edit: People don't think I'm weird for bring my own cloth bags. Lots of people still think I'm weird.

When we moved to Germany in the mid-50's they didn't have paper bags or plastic ones. Everyone had a sort of knitted bag that would expand amazingly. In those days you shopped perhaps twice a week... you walked to the grocers and there were no big box stores. There was a green grocer, a butcher, a baker... etc. If it had to be wrapped it was in butcher paper.
You asked at the counter for your butter, "One pound of butter, please." I don't remember how we got our milk - think it was door to door.

and taxy, I don't think you're weird! (At least not THAT weird.)

 

[Merlot]

When we moved to Germany in the mid-50's they didn't have paper bags or plastic ones. Everyone had a sort of knitted bag that would expand amazingly. In those days you shopped perhaps twice a week... you walked to the grocers and there were no big box stores. There was a green grocer, a butcher, a baker... etc. If it had to be wrapped it was in butcher paper.
You asked at the counter for your butter, "One pound of butter, please." I don't remember how we got our milk - think it was door to door.

and taxy, I don't think you're weird! (At least not THAT weird.)

When I was a teenager, I remember my cousin telling me stories of shopping in Germany. She was waiting in line for peanut butter. I thought that was the weirdest thing that you just couldn't go grab a jar.

 

[Addie]

When we moved to Germany in the mid-50's they didn't have paper bags or plastic ones. Everyone had a sort of knitted bag that would expand amazingly. In those days you shopped perhaps twice a week... you walked to the grocers and there were no big box stores. There was a green grocer, a butcher, a baker... etc. If it had to be wrapped it was in butcher paper.
You asked at the counter for your butter, "One pound of butter, please." I don't remember how we got our milk - think it was door to door.

and taxy, I don't think you're weird! (At least not THAT weird.)

Well I don't know about that. Anybody who enjoys taxes, has to be weird! Really weird!!! But we still love her. That just goes to show how weird we are. We love the tax lady!

 

[Merlot]

Well I don't know about that. Anybody who enjoys taxes, has to be weird! Really weird!!! But we still love her. That just goes to show how weird we are. We love the tax lady!

lol that's true, shemay be weird but so are we

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I've taken bags back to stores for ages. In OH in the early '90s, most grocery stores offered 5 or 10 cents for each bag you reused. I always reused because if I'm nothing else, I'm cheap frugal. With the advent of store-logo'd bags, I've collected from stores we stop at that are out of our region...along with my Ohio State bag. (Go Bucks!) No one by us charges for plastic/paper yet, and do use the good bags for my under-sink garbage, but I take any with tears or holes back to the stores. It's not like it's hard to find a bin - most stores have them somewhere near the entrance of the store. In FL, Publix has three boxes outside the store: one for plastic bags, one for clean styrofoam, and one for cardboard egg cartons. I wish our stores up here were that eco-friendly.

...a sort of knitted bag that would expand amazingly...

I have two of these, one in blue, the other light orange. I keep them in Himself's car so I have them handy when we're out and about and run across a farm stand, or make an impromptu stop at Aldi.

 

[taxlady]

That's what I meant by a string bag.

We don't bother taking plastic bags back to the store to recycle them. We are allowed to put them in with the other recycling that gets picked up by the city.

 

[skilletlicker]

Please forgive another stoopid question. Do the grocery stores accept any ole plastic bag in those return bins at the entrance? I ask because most of my bags are from other sources.

Of course, those bins aren't guarded, but that's not where I want to sacrifice my honor.

 

[dragnlaw]

LOL, skillet, plastic is plastic. If it is for recycling they will accept it. If not they will soon post a sign to say what is and is not,...

and ps... there is no such thing as a stupid question... there may be a stupid answer, but not a stupid question... think about it...

 

[skilletlicker]

...and ps... there is no such thing as a stupid question... there may be a stupid answer, but not a stupid question... think about it...

Well Dragn, I been thinkin' about that for a long time. Heard a lot of stupid questions; asked a lot of them too. Worst of all gave a lot more stupid answers than I'd like to admit to.

 

[Addie]

I use all my plastic bags to line my trash cans. I do not have the standard 30 gallon trash cans. More like the 15 gallon ones. And the grocery bags fits in them perfectly. In a sense they are being recycled, and I don't have to buy any more plastic for them. About every three months, I end up with more plastic bags than I will ever use. So I check all the extras and then gather them up and give them to the church for their food bank groceries on Saturdays.

A couple of months ago, Spike found on a job in a store he was working at doing a clean out, about 300 rolls of small bags just the right size for my little basket that I keep beside my bed and the one in the bathroom. There are about 15 liners on each roll. I also donated about ten rolls of these bags to the church. They use them for fresh produce.

I am not happy that I am adding to the problem of adding plastic to our environment, but for now it is the best I can do. When I go grocery shopping, I come home with 20-40 plastic bags full of groceries. I blame the store partly. So often there is just one item in a bag. The three dozen eggs could all go into one bag. The bread could sit on top of those eggs. One piece of meat per bag? They could place the boxed hot dogs at the bottom, and another piece of meat on top. Every piece of meat does not each need its own bag. I cannot afford to replace those 20-40 plastic bags with cloth store bags.

At least when they used to ask, paper or plastic, I had a choice. I would gladly choose paper.

 

[Caslon]

Biodegradable shopping bags. That's the way all plastics need to go. A shopping bag made out of rice paper. The bag is not only biodegradable, but a food source.

 

[rodentraiser]

For those who don't know what to do with their plastic bags, check in at the nearest food bank. Often times they need bags for their clients to carry their food in. I always bring mine to the local food bank in my town and they're very grateful.

 

[GotGarlic]

I use all my plastic bags to line my trash cans. I do not have the standard 30 gallon trash cans. More like the 15 gallon ones. And the grocery bags fits in them perfectly. In a sense they are being recycled, and I don't have to buy any more plastic for them. About every three months, I end up with more plastic bags than I will ever use. So I check all the extras and then gather them up and give them to the church for their food bank groceries on Saturdays.

A couple of months ago, Spike found on a job in a store he was working at doing a clean out, about 300 rolls of small bags just the right size for my little basket that I keep beside my bed and the one in the bathroom. There are about 15 liners on each roll. I also donated about ten rolls of these bags to the church. They use them for fresh produce.

I am not happy that I am adding to the problem of adding plastic to our environment, but for now it is the best I can do. When I go grocery shopping, I come home with 20-40 plastic bags full of groceries. I blame the store partly. So often there is just one item in a bag. The three dozen eggs could all go into one bag. The bread could sit on top of those eggs. One piece of meat per bag? They could place the boxed hot dogs at the bottom, and another piece of meat on top. Every piece of meat does not each need its own bag. I cannot afford to replace those 20-40 plastic bags with cloth store bags.

At least when they used to ask, paper or plastic, I had a choice. I would gladly choose paper.

When you bring reusable bags, they actually overfill them. They seem to think they can only use your bags [emoji38] I have to tell them that if everything doesn't fit, it's okay to use a couple plastic bags.

Since they're already giving you way too many plastic bags, you won't need to replace 20-40 bags. Just get two or three at a time till you have enough. Supplement with plastic and use them for trash bags.

 

[Addie]

Biodegradable shopping bags. That's the way all plastics need to go. A shopping bag made out of rice paper. The bag is not only biodegradable, but a food source.

But can I carry a 20 pound turkey into the house safely?

 

[Rparrny]

I am a 57 year old PA who works in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy medicine. I tend not to moan about my aches a pains but about 5 years ago, a friend who is an orthopedic surgeon saw my limp and said "you need a hip replacement". I responded "Lou, when I can't walk anymore, you can replace my hips". Fast forward to this past May when I meet our new Chief on a rainy day and he says "so what's up with the limp?". I told him I probably need a hip replacement and he says it's time to get an MRI. So I get the MRI and it was so much worse than anyone expected...every radiologist, doctor and surgeon that has seen the films say they can't believe I can even walk. So I make an appointment to see Lou, get all my medical clearances and schedule a double hip replacement for the 17th of July. Now knowing the pain was getting worse, I got the best medical plan Aetna offers through my work. Two weeks before surgery, Atena refuses the surgery saying I should go through 3 months of physical therapy first. Lou challenges it and it gets bounced to their consult company Evicore for a peer to peer review...Evicore gets an Orthopod to talk to Lou and Lou tells him to look at the films, the hips are bone on bone, the cartilage is torn on both sides and PT is not going to help it...and I am now in severe pain. The Evicore doc agrees but says it is Aetna's policy and he should file an appeal. A week before surgery now...we file an expedited appeal, I get a PT consult that says...in a nutshell...she can't walk you morons, how can she do PT? Wednesday his nurse calls to see where the appeal is and is told there has been no appeal filed. She is on the phone most of the day and they finally find the appeal but state it was not expedited so it can take 30 days. I am now using a walker and stopped working as of last Monday. Knowing I am good friends with Lou, Janine, his nurse his practically having a breakdown trying to get this approved. I called her Thursday morning and told her to take a load off...give me all the reference numbers and I would take over. My surgery is scheduled for Monday.
Six hours on the phone, Aetna approves the appeal but Evicore must sign off on it and no one has. I call Evicore and they tell me they are waiting for the reversal letter from Aetna, Aetna tells me no, Evicore needs info from my surgeon...they are still blaming each other on Friday and the OR has now cancelled my surgery for Monday. I spend the week on the phone with them both and finally on Thursday, I get a three way call with both Evicore and Aetna about what is needed. Aetna now admits the screw up and promises to email the letter of reversal to Evicore within 24 hours. On Friday, 25 hours later, I call Evicore...they received nothing. I do another three way at first Aetna tries saying my surgery was denied! Luckily I had the approval reference number and after 30 minutes she found a screen on her computer that showed the approval. To Evicore's credit, because of all of the screw ups, they took a verbal and gave me an authorization number for the surgery. So today I should get a new date for my surgery. Now I am a medical professional, used to dealing with insurance companies...but three weeks???? And I know what I'm doing and what to ask, what does the average person do? No doctors office can spend the amount of time needed to get these things accomplished in a reasonable time frame. I think they are screwing up on purpose...after all this surgery will be in the six figures.
Obama care has done this....I miss the old days...