So I'm at IKEA tonight, and here's how ridiculous some people

[cboy4]

are. (Or stupid, depending on your point of view!)

Anyway, as you may know, IKEA is trying to help protect the environment by charging people for nice reusable bags. (Yes, I know they're also trying to save money, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt considering the owner of IKEA hardly needs money.)

You can either pay 5 cents each for those harmful plastic bags or only 59 cents for one of these large, reusable, environment-friendly totes that you can use for other tasks in between trips to IKEA.



(more info about the program and harmful effects of plastic)

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/06/ikea_uk_will_ch.php&h=300&w=203&sz=13&hl=en&start=2&sig2=_bdyrfzOQdPP3Uaf_-86Tw&um=1&tbnid=MCLcvZGmxMK6-M:&tbnh=116&tbnw=78&ei=2e5gRoj8L8W4igGW18XQBA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dikea%2Bblue%2Bbag%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official

***Long story short, the lady in line in front of me decided to pay .25 cents for 5 crappy plastic bags, instead of paying 34 cents more for a nice bag that can be used over and over, and helps with the environment. :crazy:

What the hell is up with that?

I soooooo wanted to say something to her, but was like, whatever. :eyes:

She must have been a Republican!! And because Republicans have such a disturbing amount of blood on their hands because of Iraq.....I figured this pitiful woman has suffered enough. Ughhh.

COME ONE PEOPLE.....let's start taking care of our planet.

59 cents for a hard plastic bag that can be used over and over is a great investment.

[LSK]

1. Ikea charges for bags now????

I havnt been there since last December, is this a new policy?

[cboy4]

7. Relatively new......click on the link dude....that's why I posted it

;)

[Retired AF Dem]

70. Go German

Most stores dont supply bags at all. Bring your own

[K8-EEE]

87. In Spain also....

those little plastic net bags everyone carries are so handy -- they squish to nothing in your purse or pocket for small purchases, grocery bags are easy to keep in the car.

[Cleita]

2. Plastic bags are handy for sticking over the head of crazy

Republican women. *joking*

[cboy4]

9. Ohhhhh, good idea! :)

You're almost as evil as me!!

[sandnsea]

3. If I'm not going to use a reusable bag

Then in my mind, it's more eco-friendly to buy the other bags and recycle them, rather than throw away the big hard plastic bags.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

10. The idea is to not throw away..

the big Ikea bag, but to use it for other things as your resuable bag. I have several that I have bought, and I use them for grocery shopping, when going to the beach, and when shopping (again) at Ikea. :) They are great to have around, and I will use them until they fall apart.

[sandnsea]

13. You don't say, why didn't I think of that

:eyes: Duh. I know.

Some people are just not interested in being unpaid advertisers for whatever 'hot' company of the month. For them, buying the regular recyclable bags makes more sense. You know, the bags they use to make the hard plastic bags you're going to throw away eventually anyway.

[alittlelark]

25. They are so bulky when folded that few ppl would attempt to recycle.

I have 5 or so here. 1 has pasta in it and is hanging in the garage, 1 has misc. camping gear and is hanging in the garage, one has a comforter in it, and I have 2 outside, filled w/firewood.

[bluetrain]

33. Why do you have pasta hanging in a bag in your garage?

[alittlelark]

37. I like the Quinoa pastas... they are occasionally on sale.

I stock up w/ 20 or so boxes.

[Fire Walk With Me]

54. Only reading the reply subjects, yours gave me a laugh...

Context is everything. Report this suspicious pasta activity to Homeland Seurity...

[cboy4]

12. I didn't know you could recycle those thin plastic grocery bags.

:shrug:

[sandnsea]

15. They do here

The Girl Scouts pick them up at the grocery store. I don't know where they take them from there.

[sleipnir]

21. Back to their lair for EVIL deeds.

!!! n/t

[MilesColtrane]

59. "I don't know where they take them from there."

What do you think the "coconut" on top of those Samoas are made out of?

[AngryAmish]

76. Eventually, to the dump

The only thing it makes sense to recycle is aluminum. THat is why the homeless always are rooting through garbage, to get can to recycle.

[Tesha]

100. Polyethylene (bags, milk bottles) recycles nicely...

Polyethylene (bags, milk bottles) recycles nicely into
things like the artificial lumber that is used to make
deck planking and benches.

PET(E) recycles well into lots of things such as clothing.

Tesha

[AngryAmish]

136. They CAN be recycled

However it requires more energy to recycle than to just make a new bag. You see it is a petroleum product and since we are using the crude oil for gas and stuff something has to be made with it or it is leftover.

[Tesha]

148. Horsepucky.

> However it requires more energy to recycle than to just make a new bag.

Horsepucky. Grinding, cleaning, and recycling LDPE, HDPE, and PET(E)
takes very little energy, and you certainly don't need the "fuel value"
that is represented in the petroleum from which they are made. Pre-
consumer, the vendors routinely capture, re-grind, and remold (extrude,
what have you) the waste from the production process.

Alternatively, if you don't want to make some sort of new plastic
product from them, you can also recover and burn these particular
non-chlorinated plastics, recovering most of the fuel value that
was invested in them in the first place. So capturing them through
recycling programs is *STILL* better than landfilling them.

Tesha

[Nikia]

109. Only if you as an individual are trying to get money

A couple months ago, we started saving our cans instead of putting them in our comingled recycling container. We sold them at 60 cents per pound. Other stuff probably could be sold too. In high school, we tried making money off recycling paper. Despite having a huge amount of it to recycle, we only made $20. We separate our recycleables from garbage though for our curbside recycling and put them in our city provided recycling container. I don't know whether the city makes any money off of the recycleables, but at least they don't have to put it in the landfill.

[Tesha]

150. Our city claims it makes money. But more importantly...

> I don't know whether the city makes any money off of the recycleables,
> but at least they don't have to put it in the landfill.

Our city claims it makes money. But more importantly, as you hinted,
anything that's recycled doesn't need to be put in the landfill and
landfill space *IS NOT FREE*; it's actually very expensive and becoming
more so with every passing year. Our city is trying to open a new
"cell" in the existing landfill and it wil cost us $millions.

So there's an imputed savings for every cubic foot of trash that gets
diverted to the recycling program.

Here in New Hampshire, we're headed towards making some of that
imputed cost more explicit: The Legislature is probably going to
pass a 2.00/ton *STATE* tipping fee that will be imposed on all
trash deposited in any landfill in the state. That's over-and-above
whatever the direct costs are to dump in that landfill.

Tesha

[MistressOverdone]

134. No, there are all kinds of really

cool stuff made out of recycled plastic bags. Go to Overstock.com and look at the World items. They are beautiful...made overseas.

[blogslut]

24. I do

Yes, I use cloth bags for the grocery store but it's just impossible to not collect three or fifty of those darned plastic things. Fear not, I reuse the nasty buggers for various household needs. I also reuse plastic containers and glass jars.

Look into Permaculture. IIRC, it's based on recycling within the home.

[kineneb]

43. been doing it in Cal. for years

groceries have containers outside where you can deposit your old plastic "grocery" bags. They get recycled somehow. Our garbage company will take plastic grocery bags in the big blue bins, if they are stuffed into a transparent bag. That is how I get rid of mine. I have started buying the fake cloth bags from our various grocery stores and leave them in my car for when I need to shop.

[tammywammy]

71. You can recycle them here too

Most grocery stores have a bin at the front for the bags.

I use mine for the kitty litter box.

[blondeatlast]

81. They make them into way overpriced outdoor furniture (I was considering buying

some until I saw the cost and quality recently). It's also fugly up close.

One of the reasons for the expense is the fact that the mfgs. have to pay for the bulk bags.

I'm on your side--I love those bags. I also have bought the very handy canvas book bags at Barnes and Noble. Very handy.

[renate]

95. our library collects them, for people who check out more books than they can carry

They get at least one more use that way.

P.S. IMHO, if Ikea REALLY wanted to help the environment, they could have made their 59-cent bag without the Ikea logos on the straps, or put just one in the corner or something. I wouldn't want to buy that one, either.

[Cant trust em]

29. I keep mine in the trunk of my car

I bought two canvas bags from Trader Joe's and I just use them when I go shopping.

[DKRC]

4. Would you quit texting on your phone & move up in the line! Geeesh - some people!

:evilgrin:

Okay, couldn't resist.

I agree with you about the big blue bag. We bought one as soon as they made them available. Love it and use our cotton string bags for other shopping. So much easier all the way around.

[cboy4]

11. I would normally make a smart aleck remark, but

I like your candidate too much. hehehe ;)

[DKRC]

32. Yeah, love the lil guys. They come in handy. Just pick'em up and use'em as shields.

Do I need to whip out the :sarcasm: tag here?

Actually Kucinich wasn't even on my radar til after the debates. He also impressed me with his being the only one standing up for impeachment of Cheney - first - and then G'Duh.

[TygrBright]

5. I just love those big tote bags...

...I wish I'd bought a few more before I moved away from an IKEA zone.

I'm watching the website for something I can mail order and then I'll beg them pretty please, please, please let me buy a couple of those.

They are great for awkward stuff like cannister vacuum hose and tools.

wistfully,
Bright

[cboy4]

6. DUPE

D'oh! :(

[blogslut]

8. No Ikea in my town

Too little. However, the local supermarket chain offers reusable bags made of some machine fiber stuff. They sell them for three bucks and the customer gets .05 off purchase total for every bag filled at checkout.

I use them because the store is three blocks away, I work at home and I don't drive anymore. They come in real handy when one is hoofing it.

[cboy4]

16. There's a grocery store where I live that sells reusable

canvas shopping bags, but they are way more expensive than the .59 IKEA bags.

[some guy]

35. They might actually be cheaper,

the canvas bags. I don't know about where you live, so I'll only say *might be* - but I bought some canas bags at a grocery, about fifteen years ago. They were about $3.00 apiece then. On the plus side, all the grocery stores I go to where I live, even if they're not the same company, deducts 5 cents per bag each time I use the canvas bags. So, by this time, my bags have probably cost about a minus $2.00 or more apiece.

They are very durable, washable, and roll up nicely for ease of storage.

:hi:

[FloridaJudy]

20. Absolutely!

I switched to the canvas bags because I was tired of washing spaghetti sauce and glass off my walkway: those flimsy plastic throw-away bags have a tendency to break if you attempt to carry anything heavy in them.

[wtmusic]

14. A well-intentioned effort that may backfire

Assuming the nice bag is 20-30x the amount of plastic by weight of the little paper-thin grocery-type bags, we have to assume the nice bag gets a lot more use than the little bags -- or the effort is detrimental instead of helpful.

Most of those nice bags likely end up far too quickly in the trash.

[cboy4]

17. Yea but people don't go to IKEA nearly as much as the

grocery store....

At least I don't.

It would be interesting to hear from other IKEA shoppers to find out just how long the IKEA bags last, but they look to be very durable for only .59 cents!

[wtmusic]

19. I would use it

and maybe it's worth giving up a little plastic at the start, just to plant the seed that "hey...you don't HAVE to throw shopping bags away."

[LSK]

22. theres an Ikea 10 minutes from me, I go there maybe 5 times a year

[Karenina]

49. I've had one for YEARS!

The thing is virtually indestructible. They're very popular for schlepping laundry and come in yellow too. :-)

[qdemn7]

50. Bought a couple

About 3 years ago. I use them anytime I go shopping at ANY store. I use them for taking clothes to and from the laundry, lots easier than a hard plastic basket. My only regret is I didn't buy more, but I'm not going to drive 150 miles round trip simply to get more of BBBs. The major grocery chains USED to sell cloth bags, but I haven't seen one on sale in a long time. Don't know what happened.

Also, just about every major store chain here in N. Texas a bin at the front door foe recycling regular plastic bags.

[K8-EEE]

88. I use the IKEA bag for the grocery store....

And for in general lugging stuff around, it's very handy!

[K8-EEE]

90. I'm typing at a $40 IKEA computer desk....I LOVE IKEA!

The kids room especially has so much IKEA stuff (mostly for organizing, shelving, CD racks, underbed boxes, etc.)

Since four of us live in a 2 br house, my girls have to share a room and that EXPEDIT room divider was a lifesaver -- it really creates a two-room effect and the coordinating baskets hold tons of school stuff and clothes and just STUFF stuff, frees up a lot of closet space. It was a bitch putting that thing together though!

[Lorien]

110. I'll get one when Ikea comes to my town

I use hemp shopping bags, but it would be nice to have one of those Ikea bags to bring to the grocery for items that might leak.

[napi21]

18. I got a nice canvas bag about 2 years ago so I don't have to pay

either the .25 or the .59! I am a Bichon dog lover and I got a great canvas bag with their logo on it. The few cheap plastic bags I still get at the grocery store I use for many other things, and if I ever get too many, I put them in the recycle bin at the same grocery store.

[pnwmom]

23. Pay for the privilege of doing their advertising for them? No thanks.

But thanks for warning me. I'll bring my own bag, if and when I ever go back there.

[cboy4]

27. Yea I can understand why you'd be so furious with them

charging an outrageous 59 cents!! :eyes:

The only advertising is the word IKEA on the handle.

Do what you want, but I'm more than happy to reward them for nice, green-friendly marketing move, while other stores waste paper and plastic.

[nam78_two]

128. lol

:thumbsup:

[petronius]

38. Reusing a bag you already own is even better than buying their bag

And you get to advertise for whatever you want...

[pnwmom]

45. Especially since I have cloth bags, not plastic.

[Scout1071]

92. I agree. Pay for one of their equally plastic bags?

Are they environmentally sound? Why aren't they selling canvas bags?

[aquart]

26. Manhattan's Jefferson Market used to have a large canvas bag

With a strap large enough to sling across my shoulder and use while riding my bike. I wore three to ragged shreds and then they insanely stopped selling them.

Should anyone choose to start selling them again, this time, BLACK canvas.

[Cassandra]

135. Try Eco Bags

http://www.ecobags.com/

They seem to have black canvas with long handles; take a look and see if they are long enough. I have some of their long handled string bags and they are great.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[EFerrari]

30. I'm designing canvas/hemp bags here because this town

just passed a law against plastic bags.

:)

[cboy4]

31. Yet another reason to love San Francisco!

:loveya:

[LeftyMom]

34. You post a thread about buying a bag in West Sacramento, I expect it to be more exciting.

:pout:

[cboy4]

42. Well, the CHP was doing a field sobriety test on someone in the

parking lot (not sure if it was Lindsay Lohan) while I was there -- but that's the best I can do LM! :pals:

[Omphaloskepsis]

36. Turn your computer off. Get rid of it.

It fucks things up much more. Get rid of it.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

39. Sssssshhhhhhhh. People Like That Don't Take Kindly To Being Called On Their Hypocrisy.

[cboy4]

41. You've really got your dishonesty down to a science, haven't you?

You've completely misrepresented the point in my OP, and you're so obsessed about it, you have to respond to people who are talking to me, before I even get a chance to say anything.

[nam78_two]

121. Yep.nt

[cboy4]

40. Excellent job comparing apples to oranges. My point is, if you

have (KEY WORD: H-A-V-E) to purchase a bag to carry 15 or so items to your car.......why not purchase the bag that you don't throw away?

Obviously, there are a lot of things that fuck up the environment, including my car.

So try not to be so much of an ass, when you know damn well what my point is.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

48. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nam78_two]

123. Agree cboy

Thank you for your patience in responding to the trolls.

(Yeah I know this will get deleted but you moles for CU don't fool a single person. Oh btw CU sucks and most of you over there can't spell.
You should spend the time you spend bashing DU over there in actually trying to learn the langwidge that you idiots think them Mexicans shud larn. CU sucks!)

[cboy4]

145. Thank you nam78_two! I don't think it's a coincidence

that CU are the first two letters of the word "cuckoo."

[Madspirit]

105. Every Little Bit Helps...n/t

[pansypoo53219]

44. well, i don't go shopping much, but

at the organic food sstore, i just pack it all in my african woven bag. and an plastic bags i come across i use for packing. like peanuts. newspaper too heavy.
i try not to get plastic. brown paper works well for my compost.

[Sanctified]

46. I would probably have opted for the plastic bags too.

I don't use Glad garbage bags but instead use the plastic grocery bags I get from my grocery stores for all of my garbage. I have not purchased a garbage bag in like 15 years and don't plan on doing it anytime soon.

[Matsubara]

61. Exactly what I said.

I use them for the bins in the house. But here in Japan, you have to buy special insignia trash bags to get curbside pickup - the tax is incorporated in the bag price. That's how you pay for trash pickup here, so the more trash you make the more you pay.

[tammywammy]

74. That's very interesting

I wish they did trash pickup like that here. Even when I lived with my parents, we had maybe 2 bags (the regular tall kitchen sized) of trash a week. But the neighbors had like 3 or 4 twice a week.

[gollygee]

79. I use those bags for my garbage too, but I was getting way too many

before I started bringing reusable bags. I would have tons of extra bags that never got used, even though I used some for garbage.

I still often get a plastic bag or two in my bags - they like to bag all toiletry items together and then put them in one of the reusable bags, for instance - so I still get enough plastic grocery bags for garbage.

If you use all the bags you get, it seems reasonable to just get the plastic bags.

[Scout1071]

93. I use a combo as well.

Reusable bags and plastic bags - which I use for trash bags. I live alone, so I don't need a huge garbage bag.

[Sanctified]

98. I have 4 people in my house and 1 of them is in diapers.

I never have enough of them.

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cboy4]

58. LOL.....I can't figure out whether you're talking to me, or someone

else.....and I don't know what you're trying to say.

Can you try one more time?

[NYCGirl]

77. IKEA's environmental record is very, very good:

http://www.alternet.org/environment/48578/

[anitar1]

52. My favorite market here in Eugene, Or, is selling special

bags for 99 cents each. they are attractive and very well designed. I bought some and love them. I use them for many things. It is a good feeling to know I am not using plastic or paper for groceries.I don't want trees cut down to supply me with paper bags. I also have canvas bags to use. Think of the millions of people who require paper and plastic. What a waste.

[cboy4]

57. Very cool!

:thumbsup:

[Decruiter]

53. One word comes to mind. TOOL. n/t well also, LAME!

[madrchsod]

55. i just realized why your plastic bag and shopping at ikea post

is so obnoxious..you are a giants fan and you think barry is ok. now i know your character and from now on i will judge your posts accordingly. i could put you on ignore but then i would not get the satisfaction of reading your insipid posts.the only redeeming thing you bring to the discussion here is that you do`t mention the giants or barry bonds...



by the way the next time you are at ikea could you pick me up some lamps, rugs,and a 100 of those 5ct bags?

[cboy4]

56. How bout I pick you up an extra large size bag of

shut the fuck up instead? ;)

I'm not sure what brings me more joy....

The Democrats winning elections or Bonds hitting mammoth shots to silence all of the jealous loud mouth assholes at visiting stadiums!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Matsubara]

60. I ALWAYS take the crappy plastic bags...

Why? Because they make great liners for the trash cans in my house. I'm always using them for all sorts of things, which is recycling of a sort, isn't it.

I separate and recycle all my aluminum, glass, styrofoam, milk cartons, etc, but I use the plastic supermarket bags; and I'm sure as hell no republican.

Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to make sweeping assumptions about people based on such tiny things?

:shrug:

[cboy4]

102. Why don't you calm down. I'm not accusing you of being a

Republican.....I'm talking about someone at IKEA who chose the wasteful plastic bags
as opposed to the 59 cent environment-friendly bag.

I understand that you don't have a choice at the grocery store.

I don't think the advocation of trying to save our planet step by step is a "tiny thing."

[WinkyDink]

62. (1.) Don't argue with a stranger over $.34; (2.) Carrying 5 separate small bags is

EASIER than lugging one heavy tote bag.

Man; what's the store equivalent of road rage?

[cboy4]

111. I didn't say a word to this stranger and I wasn't outraged....

I simply made an observation. Didn't I?

Arguing about the environment with wasteful people like you is really futile, so I won't even bother.

[truth2power]

63. Just one small point...

The grocery stores here sell cloth bags. That seems better than the plastic reusable.

I have about a half-dozen of the cloth ones. They sell for about $5.00, but they're really sturdy. Some of mine are about 10 years old. Can be washed, and used for many other purposes. :)

[K8-EEE]

86. I love the Trader Joes big plastic grocery bag --

I never use the canvas ones anymore, they fall over in the back of the car, these wipe clean and they have a slightly more expensive insulated one for ice cream and stuff.

[AlCzervik]

97. i love those bags, i have 5 of them and now i just keep them in the trunk of

my car, really well made and a total bargain.

[JCMach1]

64. Bags are great, but the furniture sucks! They are the Walmart of home furnishings

Selling plain cheap crapola dubbed with supposed Scandinavian chic...

:puke:

[NYCGirl]

66. Then you haven't seen the Stockholm line:

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/stockholm_launch/campaign/index.html

And, BTW, their environmental record is very good:

http://www.alternet.org/environment/48578/

[Sanctified]

68. Thats great they are green...

It's still too bad they are the WalMart of the furniture world.

[NYCGirl]

69. I disagree. WalMart is the WalMart of the furniture world. IKEA has been lauded for

its remarkable design.

[bicentennial_baby]

75. Really? Because we have a lovely bed from there...

That is very sturdy, massive and comfortable. Built it myself, has held up great for the past year, even when there were 3 people sleeping in it. Huh....guess I got lucky.

[tammywammy]

78. I've bought a couple of things there

I have a bookcase, and it was like $20. It's worked fine, and it's exactly what I was looking for.

I also bought a night table for my bedroom, it's got 2 shelfs and a drawer. So it's good for piling up my books that I read in bed.

I don't think Ikea is "all that." I know it's all particleboard stuff, but it fit my needs in those instances.

[distantearlywarning]

103. I like their stuff.

We have a few pieces from there. They've lasted years and they still look great. Having bought furniture from Wal-Mart in my very distant undergraduate past, I can tell you that IKEA furniture is head and shoulders above Wal-Mart furniture. They're not even in the same league.

Now, IKEA isn't a "real" furniture place by any means. But their stuff isn't crap, either.

[JCMach1]

122. Our whole villa was fitted with IKEA when we got here... the stuff DOES NOT last

every day I look at the dirt brown and plain wood I want to chuck-up...

Minimalist Scandinavian is taste... quality is not.

From almost day one if you sat/brushed against the sofa or chair arms you would find yourself stabbed by sharp metal pieces...

I hate this stuff...

[distantearlywarning]

129. I'm sorry you had that experience.

My experience with IKEA is different.

[bicentennial_baby]

130. A lot of it is who puts it together...

If you have poor assemblage, you have crap furniture. :shrug:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

65. It would be nice if IKEA used biodegradable plastic bags for those who don't want to pay for a tote.

With some people, every cent counts. My parents had friends who reused tea bags. People go to IKEA, not only because of their cool designs but because they're cheap.

[flvegan]

67. I keep 3 or 4 canvas totes in my car.

I like the idea, and I wish more places would try this. You'd think that they would, considering it's free advertising when it's used elsewhere.

My brother manages a supermarket. I should ask him how many plastic bags they go through in a week. I'll bet the number is staggering.

[gollygee]

72. I always bring bags with me when I go shopping

they're stronger, carry more, are easier to carry (I can put them over my shoulder), and it's such an easy thing to do. I realize there are changes that make more of a difference in the environment, but bringing your own bags to the store is so painless. Why not do something, just because you can't do everything. If everybody makes a few changes, it will count for more overall than if a few people change everything.

[K8-EEE]

85. I Know! IT'S SO MUCH EASIER!

The only hard part is always having to go, I HAVE A BAG, DON'T NEED A BAG because the clerks are so auto-bag. Pet peeve of mine especially when buying small single items, Like wtf you go in and buy a toothbrush or an apple and it needs a BAG?

[tammywammy]

91. I don't get that either

Or you go to a bookstore and just get one book and out comes the bag. Or a CD at Best Buy. And the clerks always look surprised when I say "No bag, please."

[sniffa]

73. did she spit on you too?

true sign of a repubLican.

[leftofthedial]

80. wow! you mean you can actually still afford to buy stuff in a store?

I'm impressed. I remember what that was like.

And yes, it is incomprehensible that someone who can afford to shop at Ikea would balk at 34 cents for the reusable bag

[K8-EEE]

82. The 59 cent bag ROCKS!!! I keep it in the trunk of my car...

you can fit like 6 bags worth of groceries in that thing....I take my own bags everywhere and for the life of me can't figure out why other people don't. IT'S NOT THAT HARD....it's easier actually, the little plastic bags fall over in the car and they back 20 things in 20 different bags, it's annoying!

[Lorien]

114. Amen, my hemp bags rarely tip over and won't tear

like that cheap plastic crap. I hated having to recycle so often before I got the hemp bags-the people bagging stuff for the grocery would put only an item or two in each bag! I might get one of those Ikea bags for the grocery too-just for the stuff that would leak. Plus, it looks like the perfect thing for trips to the beach (wet towels, shoes, etc. ).

[K8-EEE]

115. Oh I never thought of the beach bag aspect!

The IKEA bag is good for taking to Costco too!

[blondeatlast]

83. Why I love DU number 274--flames over shopping bags!

:rofl:

FWIW, I'm on your side, cboy4.

[Kajsa]

116. Isn't that the truth?

We can argue about anything.

:rofl:

[cboy4]

146. Too much!!

:rofl:

[Dorian Gray]

84. I don't think that means she's a republican....

just because she didn't want to buy a bag from Ikea. That's a huge jump.

And that's coming from me... I've bought four bags from my supermarket so that I don't have to use the plastic bags.

[orleans]

89. good for ikea. i take canavas bags with me to the grocery store, etc

and -- naturally -- i think it's a GREAT idea!

[Misskittycat]

94. It happens to be a great bag. I reuse it all the time. Really strong.n/t

[A HERETIC I AM]

96. On a side note, if you want a few good laughs, type "ikea" into YouTube

and have a look at some of their TV ads. They are hilarious.

[distantearlywarning]

106. You're not kidding! Here's a great one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2_tBBNrqCw

Very appropo to this thread, I think...

[dysfunctional press]

99. thank-you, no. those reusable bags from ikea are god-awful fugly...

i'd never buy one either...i use the small plastic bags for LOTS of things, and fully intend to keep doing so for as long as they continue to make them.

[cboy4]

101. You do realize that the 59 cents for those "ugly" bags go

to Community Forests, right?

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/press_room/press_release/national/plastic_bag_campaign.html

All of those plastics bags you prefer is wasteful.

[nam78_two]

125. kick.nt

[Madspirit]

104. I like IKEA and I use re-usable cloth tote of my own...n/t

[Lorien]

107. Me too, and I use heavy duty hemp grocery bags:

http://www.reusablebags.com/store/heavy-duty-classic-hemp-shopping-bags-p-20.html



As big or larger than the paper bags from Whole Foods, plus the wide handles make them comfy to carry.

[nam78_two]

126. Me too

I got mine from the Nature Conservancy-it is really cute :). Actually I never bought any-I got all of mine from environmental groups :).

[Lorien]

108. Amen cby4. Here's a few reason why the cheap bags suck:

Facts and figures regarding the true cost of plastic bags
Printer Friendly

Want to know more about Ireland's wildly successful PlasTax? How about numbers on consumption? Think paper bags are better than plastic bags?...Think again, and be in the know.

Top Facts - Consumption

# Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.

# According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year.

# According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion)

# According to the industry publication Modern Plastics, Taiwan consumes 20 billion bags a year—900 per person.

The Numbers…Believe It or Not
Printer Friendly

Introduced just over 25 years ago, the ugly truth about our plastic bag addiction is that society's consumption rate is now estimated at well over 500,000,000,000 (that's 500 billion) plastic bags annually, or almost 1 million per minute.

# Single-use bags made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are the main culprit. Once brought into existence to tote your purchases, they'll accumulate and persist on our planet for up to 1,000 years.

# Australians alone consume about 6.9 billion plastic bags each year, that's 326 per person. According to Australia's Department of Environment, an estimated 49,600,000 annually end up as litter.

# In 2001, Ireland used 1.2 billion disposable plastic bags, or 316 per person. An extremely successful plastic bag tax, or PlasTax, introduced in 2002 reduced consumption by 90%.

# According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags.

# Four out of five grocery bags in the US are now plastic.

# Plastic bags cause over 100,000 sea turtle and other marine animal deaths every year when animals mistake them for food.

# In a dramatic move to stem a tide of 60,000 metric tons of plastic bag and plastic utensil waste per year, Taiwan banned both last year.

# According to the BBC, only 1 in 200 plastic bags in the UK are recycled.

# According to the WSJ Target, the second-largest retailer in the U.S., purchases 1.8 billion bags a year.

# As part of Clean Up Australia Day, in one day nearly 500,000 plastic bags were collected. Unfortunately, each year in Australia an estimated 50,000,000 plastic bags end up as litter.

# The average family accumulates 60 plastic bags in only four trips to the grocery store.

# Each high quality reusable bag you use has the potential to eliminate an average of 1,000 plastic bags over its lifetime. The bag will pay for itself if your grocery store offers a $.05 or $.10 credit per bag for bringing your own bags.

Top Facts - Environmental Impact

# Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.

# Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photodegrade—breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest.

# As part of Clean Up Australia Day, in one day nearly 500,000 plastic bags were collected.

# Windblown plastic bags are so prevalent in Africa that a cottage industry has sprung up harvesting bags and using them to weave hats, and even bags. According to the BBC, one group harvests 30,000 per month.

# According to David Barnes, a marine scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, plastic bags have gone "from being rare in the late 80s and early 90s to being almost everywhere from Spitsbergen 78° North to Falklands 51° South .

# Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation.

Top Facts - Solutions

# In 2001, Ireland consumed 1.2 billion plastic bags, or 316 per person. An extremely successful plastic bag consumption tax, or PlasTax, introduced in 2002 reduced consumption by 90%. Approximately 18,000,000 liters of oil have been saved due to this reduced production. Governments around the world are considering implementing similar measures.



http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php

[cboy4]

112. EXCELLENT information Lorien!

It's shocking that there are people (including some in this thread) who refuse to buy the reusable bag because it's "ugly" or they don't want to advertise for IKEA.

As if the grocery stores don't put their names on their bags. :eyes:

Great post and thanks!! :)

[Lorien]

113. I never knew that cheap plastic shopping bags were a fashion statement!

Well, I guess that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. :eyes: Personally, I've gotten quite a few complements on my hemp grocery bags-gotta wonder how many here can say the same about the cheap plastic ones with the store's name all over it. :shrug:

And hey, if the Ikea name on the handle is so offensive then just take a Sharpie to it!

[cboy4]

119. Well said, and thanks again,

:pals:

[nam78_two]

127. Very well said

Sadly every enviro thread these days attracts the attention of a certain kind of DUer, who alays shows up dissing the idea proferred, while loudly proclaiming that they care about the environment :eyes:.

[Lorien]

132. Unfortunately they've always been here

I think most are really Libertarians.They come with the attitude that they'll do whatever they damn well please and don't you dare suggest otherwise or else your a Liberal Fascist!! It's about choice and Freedom, dammit!! Well, once upon a time living simply so others could simply live was a common liberal belief. We used to want to do the things, both small and large, that would make life better for EVERYONE. Not anymore. It's a very sad shift that seems to have come about when the Right started grabbing the bullhorn and framing / spinning all the issues. Traditional liberal voices are rare anymore, and so, too, are traditional liberal values. I suppose that's why this has become the "big tent" party; we agree on nothing except our dislike of the other side.

[cboy4]

147. !!

LOL :)

[nam78_two]

124. kick.nt

[Kajsa]

117. Confessions of an IKEA addict.

I'm with you, cboy4.

I live very close to a huge IKEA.

Most of my house consists of IKEA furniture and stuff.

I have a serious IKEA addiction, cannot leave the store
without buying 5-6 items " because they're so damn affordable".

I visited the original IKEA outside of Stockholm on my first trip
to Sweden in 1958 to visit all my relatives.

My son works at IKEA.

I love that place!

And yes, I have a couple of those IKEA bags.

;-)

[cboy4]

120. LOL. Well thanks for helping me realize not everyone at DU

has gone completely insane!! :)

[Kajsa]

137. You're welcome!

:pals:

[K8-EEE]

138. I'm SO not an IKEA snob!

Getting picture frames and a white board for my daughter's room, some planters and some closet organizing stuff -- I LOVE IKEA! I love in particular their organizing products, since my kids share a small-ish room, all the hooks and wall-mounted CD holders and shelving anc closet stuff REALLY makes it easier for them to keep their act together -- I learned when they were little, the andecdote to sweaters on the floor is eye-level IKEA hooks! I just keep moving them up as their eye-level rises, LOL.....

Also I have a couple of teenage artists so constantly needing framing materials, you just can't beat it, and the little picture lights look so gallery-ish!

Also their SWEDISH COFFEE is the BEST!!! And only $1 a cup!

[Kajsa]

143. I like you, K8-EEE!

You get what IKEA is all about;

affordable, practical things for everyone!

And yes, I love their coffee. :9

:hi:

[piesRsquare]

118. When I shop

I use fabric bags. Made them myself. Washable, strong, good sized, no advertising---and they're my favorite color, too! I get lotsa compliments!

Use them for stuff other than shopping as well.

I've made bags for friends (sets of three or four)...made some with lining for "wet stuff", like frozen food, fresh veggies (which are sometimes wet), etc.

If anyone wants a set, PM me... :)

[Mountainman]

131. You seem to be a part of what I call the left wing fascists. As much as what you want is good, your

methods are bad. You need to convince people they should do the right thing but not by calling them out or by force. This is still a free country and coercion by the right or the left is un-American.

[Kajsa]

141. What the hell?!?

I think you're on the wrong thread.

This one is about IKEA, recyclable shopping bags and such.

:shrug:

[cboy4]

142. Yea, I'm a fascist and un-American because I care about

conservation.

Maybe you should look in the mirror :eyes:

[MistressOverdone]

133. Here's my take on it

I LOVE the little nasty plastic bags and use them over and over to take my lunches to work. I can store quite a few in a jar. That big bag is going to take up my closet space, is way too large for me to take to work and totally useless to my personal life.

But I never really knew you could discern one's political leaning by what they buy at Ikea. Imagine that! LOL

[K8-EEE]

140. I actually heard one awful Freeper lady say

at the store that she would never buy "free range eggs" because she thinks they must "fund left wing politics" or something like that....she went on to say anything lableled "cruelty free" probably supported "Michael Moore type loonies."

Call me crazy but I pegged her as a nutty Freep-ette right at the egg cooler in the market!

[Kajsa]

144. Aren't they a trip?

Yes, range-free eggs are subsidized by Michael Moore, himself.

I heard they were the major source of funding his new documentary,
' Sicko'.

:sarcasm:

Actually, that's a good name for the Freeperette you described.

:hi:

[MistressOverdone]

152. Ha!

I do believe you were well within your rights to peg her then and there as a freeperess. I'm surprised you didn't peg her with an egg!

[Vinca]

139. If the IKEA bag wasn't free advertising, I'd be all for it.

I go out of my way to avoid anything with a brand name or logo prominently displayed. If Tommy Hilfiger wants to pay me to wear one of his shirts, fine, but I refuse to be his human billboard. If IKEA wants to give me a discount for schlepping their logo bag around the grocery store, fine. Otherwise, I'm sticking with no name canvas bags.

[DaveJ]

149. If Ikea isn't using biodegradable bags (and that includes the big 59 cent ones)

Then they do not care about the environment. It's just another behemoth fooling people into thinking they're different.

[Kajsa]

151. Check it out---

http://la.apartmenttherapy.com/la/news/ikea-to-charge-for-plastic-bags-018762

Regarding the non- biodegradable bags;

Since when aren't plastics recyclable?

That's re-using them, and putting them back into circulation,
not in some landfill.

You don't know much about IKEA.

[K8-EEE]

153. Well right on -- I'm not too worried that my one resuable IKEA bag

will clog up the landfills when I die....hey I'll just put it in my will and pass it on, LOL!

Seriously I take that thing to all the stores I go to and probably DON'T use 50 plastic bags a week, because if you buy 20 items in the grocery store they manage to pack them in 10 of those wretched little bags!

[Kajsa]

155. I like your style, K8-EEE,

They are so practical and useful for many things.

LOL- I"m picturing the reading of a will---

----and my IKEA bags go to--

;-)

:hi: :pals:

[KoKo]

154. Are both bags "MADE IN CHINA?" If so...I'd just bring my own bag

that I got before GLOBILIZATION that I bought from a Thrift Shop. :shrug:

[Rosa Luxemburg]

156. I take my old cloth tote bag!

It has a few holes but it's nice and big and the old backpack. Had them for years!

Great post by the way!