That is just plain silly, I use my plastic shopping bags to line the little trash buckets – instead of throwing them away and going out to buy little trash bag liners. That I need anyway,
I have my groceries delivered and I return the plastic bags back to the store for recycling. But the other day with my delivery the driver gave my a complimentary reusable cloth/canvas bag…
I actually use the reusable bags. Not always – sometimes I get the little plastic bags (which I do use for waste basket liners). What I like is, there’s less clutter since I could never use as many plastic bags as I used to get at the store.
How’s this for an idea?… Industrial-scale mulching of landfill material into artificial soil. Imagine huge cargo ships transporting it to all the countries that would give their first-born for even an inch of topsoil to grow food in.
And before someone complains about heavy metals, fifty years ago the great author on the economy of cities Jane Jacobs predicted mining of landfills to recover valuable materials. What technology messes up, technology can fix.
We have a gazillion cloth bags, and sometimes when I am standing in line at the store I’ll turn around and give a couple to the person behind me. We get anywhere from 3 to 5 cents credit for each bag we use, so it’s foolish not to.
I love my new cloth shopping bags with a winking smiley face on them. It’s not that I have a problem with plastic bags; it’s just I like the way these look and feel, and they’re more personal. I still use plastic bags if I forget to bring my bags to the store. I know they won’t last forever, but they’re holding up great because they’re new.
I was offered a reusable bag for a buck as an alternative to the plastic bags. I also noticed it was woven of plastic fibers – maybe recycled shopping bags?
I make bags out of used feed sacks. Horse, chicken, dog, cat, etc. Just use them, wash them out and throw them away when the fall apart, like you usually do while they are still perfectly good. Baaad environmentalists! Can’t believe they want you to not use those awful plastic bags!
50 years ago in Germany they used and reused a plastic expandable net shopping bag for their almost daily shopping trips, done by walking to the local shops, where everybody knew their names. I was eight years old and still recall how efficient and friendly it all seemed. I was impressed at how large the net bag could get to accommodate the groceries. My Aunt carried the collapsed bag in her purse…
The only problem with these bags is that when you do a quick side trip for some forgotten items you never have one with you and end up with plastic bags.
I use the cloth bags from the Wal-Mart when I go shopping. It wouldn’t be too bad if the cloth was of a tougher material. If it wasn’t so expensive, I would buy light to medium weight canvas and make my own bags. They would last longer.
Personally, I find that it’s a lot easier to bring my own bags than to go through the hassle of returning plastic bags. I also have had no problems with durability – they last a long time and are less likely to break than the plastic things. Perhaps using them doesn’t have that great an impact, but using them is also not exactly a hardship. It seems like the naysayers are complaining for the sake of complaining – they must have more bile than blood in their arteries.
P.S. – The principal reason that some jurisdictions prohibit or charge for disposable bags is not so much to reduce waste, but to decrease pollution. The great thing about the plastic bags is that they use very little plastic and are therefore very lightweight; the bad thing about them is that they’re SO lightweight that they’re very easily swept away in the slightest breeze. As a result, they represent one of the biggest sources of trash in our storm sewers and waterways: http://green.dc.gov/publication/anacostia-river-trash-reduction-plan
I’ve found that neither the WalMart strength cloth bags nor the bags made from recycled bottles last than a few trips for me.I use heavy cloth or jute ones.
One interesting point about the plastic bags; They deteriorate in the (Georgia) heat pretty quick. After Christmas we often take decorations up to our attic for storage until next year…in plastic bags. Well the next year when we retrieve them the bag they were in turns to powder when you touch it. Now, I fully recognize that this effect took an entire hot summer to achieve but they do deteriorate faster than given credit for. I use plastic bags for cleaning cat boxes (Clumping litter), and I use a lot.Each type has its proponents and uses. Just use wisely. You know what to do, just do it.
Sadly this is where most of my reusable grocery sacks end up. I have bought probably hundreds of them in the past couple of years, they hang on the wall until they fall on the floor and get in the way and then we toss them. Just can’t seem to remember to take them with us when we go shopping.
Agent54 over 11 years ago
That is just plain silly, I use my plastic shopping bags to line the little trash buckets – instead of throwing them away and going out to buy little trash bag liners. That I need anyway,
x_Tech over 11 years ago
I have my groceries delivered and I return the plastic bags back to the store for recycling. But the other day with my delivery the driver gave my a complimentary reusable cloth/canvas bag…
…for which I have no use.
cdward over 11 years ago
I actually use the reusable bags. Not always – sometimes I get the little plastic bags (which I do use for waste basket liners). What I like is, there’s less clutter since I could never use as many plastic bags as I used to get at the store.
Janemarie over 11 years ago
The environmentalists want us to feel guilty for using plastic bags.
pschearer Premium Member over 11 years ago
How’s this for an idea?… Industrial-scale mulching of landfill material into artificial soil. Imagine huge cargo ships transporting it to all the countries that would give their first-born for even an inch of topsoil to grow food in.
And before someone complains about heavy metals, fifty years ago the great author on the economy of cities Jane Jacobs predicted mining of landfills to recover valuable materials. What technology messes up, technology can fix.
sleeepy2 over 11 years ago
We pay for them here as well.
Dani Rice over 11 years ago
We have a gazillion cloth bags, and sometimes when I am standing in line at the store I’ll turn around and give a couple to the person behind me. We get anywhere from 3 to 5 cents credit for each bag we use, so it’s foolish not to.
jbolty Premium Member over 11 years ago
Unless you are washing the clothnbags regularly you are risking food contamination.
Zaristerex over 11 years ago
I love my new cloth shopping bags with a winking smiley face on them. It’s not that I have a problem with plastic bags; it’s just I like the way these look and feel, and they’re more personal. I still use plastic bags if I forget to bring my bags to the store. I know they won’t last forever, but they’re holding up great because they’re new.
widdisonke over 11 years ago
I was offered a reusable bag for a buck as an alternative to the plastic bags. I also noticed it was woven of plastic fibers – maybe recycled shopping bags?
sk7288 over 11 years ago
I make bags out of used feed sacks. Horse, chicken, dog, cat, etc. Just use them, wash them out and throw them away when the fall apart, like you usually do while they are still perfectly good. Baaad environmentalists! Can’t believe they want you to not use those awful plastic bags!
BeniHanna6 Premium Member over 11 years ago
Ahh… think the joke is, when you have dogs the plastic bags are used to pick up the messes. Hence the bags get thrown into the trash.
Sarastron Premium Member over 11 years ago
50 years ago in Germany they used and reused a plastic expandable net shopping bag for their almost daily shopping trips, done by walking to the local shops, where everybody knew their names. I was eight years old and still recall how efficient and friendly it all seemed. I was impressed at how large the net bag could get to accommodate the groceries. My Aunt carried the collapsed bag in her purse…
Rebecca Placke Premium Member over 11 years ago
I knit and Crochet my reusable grocery bags and throw them in the washing machine on the regular basis that way they stay clean. :D
angusdad over 11 years ago
Our recycling company actually takes our plastic bags
cabalonrye over 11 years ago
The only problem with these bags is that when you do a quick side trip for some forgotten items you never have one with you and end up with plastic bags.
cbrsarah over 11 years ago
I use the cloth bags from the Wal-Mart when I go shopping. It wouldn’t be too bad if the cloth was of a tougher material. If it wasn’t so expensive, I would buy light to medium weight canvas and make my own bags. They would last longer.
fishbulb239 over 11 years ago
Personally, I find that it’s a lot easier to bring my own bags than to go through the hassle of returning plastic bags. I also have had no problems with durability – they last a long time and are less likely to break than the plastic things. Perhaps using them doesn’t have that great an impact, but using them is also not exactly a hardship. It seems like the naysayers are complaining for the sake of complaining – they must have more bile than blood in their arteries.
fishbulb239 over 11 years ago
P.S. – The principal reason that some jurisdictions prohibit or charge for disposable bags is not so much to reduce waste, but to decrease pollution. The great thing about the plastic bags is that they use very little plastic and are therefore very lightweight; the bad thing about them is that they’re SO lightweight that they’re very easily swept away in the slightest breeze. As a result, they represent one of the biggest sources of trash in our storm sewers and waterways: http://green.dc.gov/publication/anacostia-river-trash-reduction-plan
trekkermint over 11 years ago
I’ve found that neither the WalMart strength cloth bags nor the bags made from recycled bottles last than a few trips for me.I use heavy cloth or jute ones.
xSigoff Premium Member over 11 years ago
One interesting point about the plastic bags; They deteriorate in the (Georgia) heat pretty quick. After Christmas we often take decorations up to our attic for storage until next year…in plastic bags. Well the next year when we retrieve them the bag they were in turns to powder when you touch it. Now, I fully recognize that this effect took an entire hot summer to achieve but they do deteriorate faster than given credit for. I use plastic bags for cleaning cat boxes (Clumping litter), and I use a lot.Each type has its proponents and uses. Just use wisely. You know what to do, just do it.
steelersneo over 11 years ago
Sadly this is where most of my reusable grocery sacks end up. I have bought probably hundreds of them in the past couple of years, they hang on the wall until they fall on the floor and get in the way and then we toss them. Just can’t seem to remember to take them with us when we go shopping.