Do any of you use reusable grocery bags?

starryeyedtiger

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I was curious is any of you use reusable cloth grocery bags? I have been doing a lot of my grocery shopping at our local Aldi http://www.aldifoods.com/us/html/com...r_ENU_HTML.htm
They really encourage you to bring your own bags/etc....i LOVE that a place like that is encouraging recycling/etc! I usually bring in my own plastic or paper bags i've had from other places and "reuse" them for my groceries. When i've worn them out- i take them to another store that lets you recycle plastic bags and take my paper ones to our recycling center.

Tonight Colin and I stopped by another grocery store to pick up a few things after we went to the gym. (Kroger) They now have blue cloth bags for groceries and some insulated ones as well that they're selling to encourage people to use them. I think the next time i go back i will purchase some and start using those everytime i go to the grocery store. I really think if everyone stopped for a moment to think about how wastefull not recycling store bags can be- it'd make a difference. I also like that it's one small thing i can do to help the environment. Also- the less stores have to spend on tons of plastic and paper bags- the more the savings directly go to consumers...something to think about!

Last year i worked at a grocery store for a few months between jobs and i can only remember one lady who brought in her own bags. Everyone else used plastic for the most part.Now that i think about it- i wonder what a difference it might make if everyone used the "reusable" ones ....it would be a dramatic difference me thinks! The lady, i'll never forget her, always used these big green cloth bags and it never failed- she always got some strange glances from nosy customers in line next to her- she would always just kindly say "it's one small thing i can do to help keep our planet nice" - I really admire that! I'm really thinking about starting to do that myself.
(the only bad thing is that i use those little plastic sacs to put kitty litter in and as trash bag liners for my small trash cans
)

Anyone else started using the "reusable" bags?
 

jenwales

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My Giant (well, I guess all Giants) sells reusable mesh bags for 99 cents each. I have a few of them but often forget to take them with me. I always take them when I go to Sam's so I don't have to run around looking for boxes.

I like getting plastic bags though too because I use them when I scoop the cat box.
 
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I use the plastic bags for cat litter too, haha.. but I have been thinking about getting some of the reuseable Kroger bags, I just haven't actually seen them yet to see if they looked worthwhile (or how much they cost?), or if I'd be better off finding my own..
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by wishiwas

I use the plastic bags for cat litter too, haha.. but I have been thinking about getting some of the reuseable Kroger bags, I just haven't actually seen them yet to see if they looked worthwhile (or how much they cost?), or if I'd be better off finding my own..
I also do that and use them for small trash cans ... the fabrics would be great but I would nt remember them
 

cinder

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I'd like to, but I need the plastic ones for litter too. I have several people who also save bags for me. I should probably get some mesh ones for when I shop at Safeway though. Their plastic bags are worthless and always have holes in them. They're the one ply toilet paper of plastic bags...
Surprisingly, Walmart has good bags. Home Depot too.
 

lunasmom

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We should, however we tend to bulk shop and like tonight (and $200 later) our cart was stuffed. So having our own bags isn't a possibility.
 

natalie_ca

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When I was able to bring my groceries home on my own I sometimes used canvas bags. However I now have to have them delivered and the courier won't accept responsibility for them. So they have to be packed in the store brand bags.
 

kiwideus

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I use the tote bags that the trade aid shop sells. I try to avoid plastic bags because of the amount of dioxins that the plastic releases.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by wishiwas

I use the plastic bags for cat litter too, haha.. but I have been thinking about getting some of the reuseable Kroger bags, I just haven't actually seen them yet to see if they looked worthwhile (or how much they cost?), or if I'd be better off finding my own..
When we went to Kroger tonight- they were on a rack near the front of the cereal isle (near the registers). The mesh totes were .99 each and the insulated ones were $2.99 each i think. They look like they'll hold up
My only complaint is that the mesh totes are a little on the smaller side.
 

rubsluts'mommy

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I have the cloth type bags from pretty much every grocery store I shop in (each has it's advantages), and keep them all in my car.

I do also use the plastic bags for used litter... so I'll hit up Target or Walmart every so often... or shop in some other store where I don't have those cloth bags.

Trader Joes has recycled heavy woven plastic/vinyl bags... with cool designs on them... I also have Whole Foods, Fred Meyers (local chain), and New Seasons (another local-ish chain). TJ's and Whole Foods have incentives, usually 5 cents per bag when you bring it back in, or a 5 cent token that you deposit in a bin for a local charity, and in TJ's case, each time you bring the bags back in, or buy one, they give you a raffle ticket that you put your name and number on and they do a drawing for a TJ's gift card. At least my local store does that.

Well, I was up late last night working on that vile project I've been mentioning in the SS thread. It's finally done and dropped off at the printers this morning... so NOW I can get back to all the other insanity in my life... like doing my SS stuff and another novel.

Sleep... man, I so need sleep tonight.

Amanda
 

catkiki

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I have 4 canvas bags I got at Winco where I do my shopping. Hubby and I love them! I bought then for 99 cents and the store gives us credit of 6 cents per bag when we use them. They hold more than the plastic and can be packed much easier. Mike has the bags on the old trunk we use as a coffee table along with our coupon holder for when we do our shopping tomorrow.
 

fwan

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As aldi is a german company, and currently im living in germany, you cant get free bags from the supermarket, over here you have to pack your groceries your self, and you have to pay for the plastic bags. I my self have about 10 wooly bags that they sell in each supermarket, and alot of people use baskets. It is sometimes annoying though when you forget the bags home! the only time they give you free bags is when you go clothes shopping and such.
 

missymotus

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I use the re-usable bags, soon as the groceries are unpacked I put them back into the car boot so I can't forget them the next time.

Originally Posted by fwan

you have to pay for the plastic bags.
I like that idea
 

catnip

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One of the best things that happened in this country is a plastic bag levy of 22 cent (euro) so we always bring reusable bags with us. We were in the north shopping one time and they don't have it as it's part of the UK. We had our own bags and the guy behind the till looked at me strangely and said 'you don't have to pay for the bags you know'. I just replied with 'I know but I'm thinking of the environment!' People's attitudes are funny.
 

gailuvscats

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I have used my own, but I usually forget to put them back in the car.
Besides that, I need the plastic bags because that is what I tie my trash and garbage in to put in the can for the trash collection. What do others use for that? IF you are purchasing plastic trash bags(the black or white ones) aren't you defeating the purpose of taking your own grocery bag?
I am all for being green, but I really need those [plastic bags for my trash, and litter.
I am baffeled.
 

catnip

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Originally Posted by gailuvscats

I have used my own, but I usually forget to put them back in the car.
Besides that, I need the plastic bags because that is what I tie my trash and garbage in to put in the can for the trash collection. What do others use for that? IF you are purchasing plastic trash bags(the black or white ones) aren't you defeating the purpose of taking your own grocery bag?
I am all for being green, but I really need those [plastic bags for my trash, and litter.
I am baffeled.
We use big biodegradable bags for our rubbish. All I can tell you is prior to the plastic bag levy being introduced, we had plastic bags coming out our ears at home. Plus I bring all my excess plastic bags and packaging to the recycling centre. You could argue that the use of petrol to get there also defeats the purpose!
 

marie-p

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Always! (or almost always) I have a few cloth bags that I use all the time.

I also use plastic bags when I scoop up kitty litter, but so far I'm still using the reserve I accumulated years ago
and bread / bagel bags.
I need to see if I can find some biodegradable bags for kitty litter and for garbage. Then I'll just recycle the rest of my plastic bags and banish them forever.

Funny thing is, a couple weeks ago I was at the fish store buying a new fish for my tank, and realized I forgot my cloth bag. I felt bad when I had to ask the cashier for a plastic bag. But then I was really happy to see they had biodegradable bags.
 

margecat

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I should, but I use the small plastic bags every day when I scoop the litter, and also use them to line the boxes under the trash bag liner (if the cats claw through the top bag, the shopping bags keep the gooey liitter mostly off the actual litter box bottom, making scrubbing them out a LOT easier; I have 9 boxes every week to scrub out!).

I have one of those wall dispensers for the bags. I also use the bags for tote bags in a pinch.
 

pookie-poo

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I've never tried any of the re-usable grocery bags. Actually, I rather like the plastic grocery bags. I don't recycle them at the grocery store, but I use them for so many other things. I carry my lunch to work in them, I use them in the yard when I'm just picking up little sticks and stuff before mowing, I use them to store fabric scraps when I'm quilting. They make excellent packing material when I mail stuff to my sister in California, because they are so light and flexible (and I think they're a better alternative, and more pet friendly than styrofoam peanuts.) I store them in empty Kleenex boxes, so they're always handy. I never seem to throw them away unless they get so torn and tattered that they no longer are useful for carrying stuff.
 

katachtig

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Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

When we went to Kroger tonight- they were on a rack near the front of the cereal isle (near the registers). The mesh totes were .99 each and the insulated ones were $2.99 each i think. They look like they'll hold up
My only complaint is that the mesh totes are a little on the smaller side.
I have some canvas bags that I try to remember to take with me. I do have to watch the baggers though because they tend to fill them very heavy so that may be why the Kroger bags are on the small side.

We still get enough plastic bags for the litter box duties when I forget to take the reusables inside.

And charging for the bags would be the biggest incentive here in the US for reusable bags.
 
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