Will you miss free plastic shopping bags?

[In_The_Wind]

9 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	maybe
	1 (11%)
	maybe not
	2 (22%)
	dog owners (like me) will dispair the lack of free clean up supplies ~ we gotta buy poo-bags
	6 (67%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[MADem]

1. Every now and again I have a need for a plastic bag. I save the ones I get and I do find uses for

them.

I usually keep the recycling grocery bags (and we have dozens of them) in the cars, just in case...

[Sherman A1]

2. Perhaps

I find them useful on occasion, but for the most part it is just to collect the recycle around the house as I head to the toter. I really prefer paper bags overall as I can fit them over my shredder and with a quick flip get the shredded paper into the bag without much mess, then stuff any other paper and recycle on top before I take it out.

For the most part they just go to recycle after bringing home the groceries and getting filled with more recycle.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. I take my own reusable bags to the store and carry one

one in my purse all the time. I don't miss having a mound of bags at the house and reuse any that I do get since our town doesn't recycle that kind of plastic.

[In_The_Wind]

18. That's great.

Yeah. Plastic bags aren't recyclable around here either.

[csziggy]

41. We use reusable bags most of the time but plan for a few others

The large paper grocery bags are the right size to fit our kitchen garbage and recycling cans. We reuse those until the bottoms fall out, but every so often we run out and have to plan to not take our reusable bags into the store to get the paper ones!

The plastic bags mostly come from non-grocery stores and get used to line the small garbage cans like in the bathrooms. Our other main use for them is to take returns back to the stores or to collect empty ink cartridges to take back to the office supply to recycle and for credit towards new cartridges.

We have four cans in the kitchen - one for plastic bags and foam containers (these days it ends up with only foam trays by the time we take it to be recycled), one for non-recyclable trash, one for plastic, metal & glass recyclables, and one for paper& cardboard. We also keep a small container under the sink for organics - those go out into the field for the critters to pick over and to rot.

About every other month we take the trash & recycling to the drop off. Three or four large cans of recycling, one of trash. My next step is to get more efficient about sorting out recyclable paper in my office trash - but I have to make room for a second can in there to collect it.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I won't miss them.

I wonder, though...are the bags being eliminated the ones you put your produce in? Those I would miss.

I use my own bags to carry the groceries in.

[In_The_Wind]

11. A basket full of mixed fruit would make checking out a problem.

Produce bags would seem to be a necessity.

[Arkansas Granny]

21. I want to try some of these reusable produce bags.

http://www.reuseit.com/reusable-produce-bags/reusable-produce-bags.htm

They look like they would do the trick.

[In_The_Wind]

23. They look light_weight.

Great find thanks!

[csziggy]

42. I've seen directions for making produce bags from old T-shirts

And I've thought about doing that - but the lightweight plastic ones are convenient to store things like garlic in the fridge.

http://www.ecouterre.com/recycle-an-old-t-shirt-into-a-produce-grocery-bag-diy-tutorial/t-shirt-produce-bag-2/?extend=1

http://www.deliacreates.com/greeneasy-knit-produce-bag/

http://barefootcrafting.blogspot.com/2012/02/make-something-monday-t-shirt-bags.html

Here are methods with no sewing:

http://www.mommypotamus.com/no-sew-t-shirt-tote-bag-tutorial/

http://makezine.com/projects/no-sew-t-shirt-bag/

I guess I could make one with no slits and label it just for garlic!

[fizzgig]

5. i use them for the bathroom trash can and scooping the cat box

i alternate between those and my reusable ones. our city just passed a bag tax and people are going ape shit over it.

[In_The_Wind]

8. It's great for the landfills but too-bad for those of us who reuse the bags.

We've been using the bags as trashcan liners too.

I already have canvas bags and cooler bags that I take to stores like the bread outlet and BJ's shopping club but I don't use 'em at grocery stores.

[A Simple Game]

27. I'm using one right now to cover a rising loaf of bread.

We use them for everything, small waste basket liners, reuse for groceries, send stuff home with the grandkids, etc. If we do acquire too many we donate them to the Amish for their vegetable stands in the summer and fall.

[antiquie]

6. Don't miss them at all.

[In_The_Wind]

17. Good for you! The earth is better off without 'em.

[femmocrat]

7. Other: Yes.

We reuse them for waste basket liners, packing and storing things, freezer wrap, etc. They have many uses. I don't go around throwing them into the road or into trees!

When I taught, I would collect them and use them to send home students' projects. Also great for wet items and indispensable for clay projects.

I wonder if we go back to paper bags if we will lose more forests to produce them?

[In_The_Wind]

15. What happened to the biodegradable plastic bags? Are they still out there?

I've noticed the plastic shopping bags seem to be thinner lately.

Back when paper shopping bags with handles were offered at some stores, I did most of my shopping there. Paper bags tend to slide out of my arms.

[kwassa]

9. Haven't been free around here for several years. $.05 apiece.

Maryland.

[In_The_Wind]

12. Are paper bags free?

[kwassa]

25. No bags are free, but ...

I discovered that $.05 a bag is cheaper than any plastic bags can be bought in a store, if I were to buy a box of them. I also have dogs and cats I need to have bags for.

[Crewleader]

10. I use them for the cat litter

or when I walk the dog...but they are not good for the earth I know.

I_T_W

[In_The_Wind]

13. I have several canvas bags.

Most of them make it back into the car on a preplanned big shopping day.

It's the last minute, 3 or 4 thing, stops that still get packed in plastic.

Crewleader

[lame54]

14. does the ban include the small produce/meat bags?

[In_The_Wind]

16. CaliforniaPeggy was also asking about produce bags.

I'm guessing they will be around unless the stores offer special fruit containers. No doubt: We'll be paying extra for those.

[lame54]

19. my trader joe's only uses paper bags that we don't charge for...

we still have the produce bags

[In_The_Wind]

20. IMO: The ban on plastic bags will spread across the country.

Trader Joe has always been ahead of the times for quality and service.

[Chan790]

22. No. I've been using my own bags for years.

Not because I get $0.10 off for every bag, merely because they're more durable.

Nothing is worse than walking 6 blocks with groceries only to have a thin cheap plastic bag split 50' from the front door, smashing the bottle of good wine, the hoisin sauce and the organic strawberry jam. Now you've got to make another trip, spend another $35 and then come home and wash the ant bait off the stoop before the neighbors call the co-op board and you get a $45 fine for making a mess of common areas and not cleaning up after yourself. $100+ repair if some dipshit parades through the mess then stains the carpet.

[In_The_Wind]

32. Sounds like the voice of experience.

I hate it when the bag breaks leaving shards of glass in the driveway to be cleaned up.


Your tale of woe tops mine.

[Arugula Latte]

24. I haven't used them for a long time and I still have plenty of bags

for pet poop (kitty litter stuff). I just use produce bags, cereal bags, frozen vegetable bags, the list goes on and on.

[Ron Obvious]

26. I've used reusable bags for years

Even during the time when baggers would give me dirty looks for it. I often walk to the supermarket anyway, and those modern, flimsy bags would never survive the 1/2 mile walk. Good riddance to them.

[WinkyDink]

28. The deal is about the store's saving money, IMCynicalO.

[Avalux]

29. Why isn't one of your options No?

I hate them, good riddance.

[irisblue]

30. Dogs, cat pan, bathroom can liner.

I do fold the dog walk bags into little triangles so all of my jackets/coats have them in pockets. Dog person behavior.

[LanternWaste]

31. Nope. Much as I hate to admit it...

Nope. Much as I hate to admit it, there are indeed, a handful of things a wee bit more important than my convenience.

[In_The_Wind]

33. Point well made.

[tabbycat31]

34. Hardly use them now anyways

I always bring my reusable bags shopping. I have bigger bags that I put out for trash.

[logosoco]

35. Maybe

I will have to get more creative when cleaning the cat box. I admit it cracks me up when i reuse the bag the cat food came in!

I've been using bags on a roll from the dollar store for walking the dog for a while. They are smaller and the roll comes with a bone shaped container to hook on the leash, so I can't forget a bag.

I WON'T miss the odd bag that ends up in a tree, unnoticed until the leaves fall off and then it bugs me all winter.

We know we can make bags from biodegradable sources, I don't know why we didn't go that route. I don't think the bags are so much the problem as people who throw trash ~wherever~ like it will just disappear. Chip bags, fast food bags, etc.

[narnian60]

36. Use brown paper lunch bag sacks for

scooping litter box. Very cheap.

[TeamPooka]

37. i'm a dog owner so, yes. But now I'll just steal more of the small ones from the dog park dispenser.

[Aristus]

38. Haven't used them in years.

I have a set of re-usable canvas grocery bags.

Use 'em every time.

[HeiressofBickworth]

39. The local waste hauler

requires that we use plastic bags for used kitty litter -- and we have to double-bag it. We have four litter boxes -- 4 cats. Re-using the plastic grocery bags is pretty much a necessity around here.

[nolabear]

40. We haven't had them for years.

It's natural to carry our own now. Once in a while I buy a paper one because we put the recycling in them but it's just part of life to schlep those bags in and out of the car. I'm proud of it. Although the bags get gross and you have to replace them now and then.