I shop at Whole Foods and they have their own bags there. We love them because they are nice and big. Also, they do a seasonal bag as well, and we just have to have them.
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Do any of you use reusable grocery bags?
- Thread starter starryeyedtiger
- Start Date
We have only one grocery store in my small town which is where I buy almost all my groceries, and they seem to be behind the times again as usual.
The only thing they have is paper or plastic bags. I do reuse the plastic bags when I scoop cat litter, and I also use them to carry my lunch to work.
I use the plastic ones for scooping the litter boxes, too.
Then what would I use for the trash, cleaning guinea pig cages, cat litter, and cleaning of various other messes? I reuse as many bags as I bring home. I'd have to go buy something instead and it would probably be plastic since there aren't really any other options here without spending a fortune.
I am a major user of bags at the market. Most of them are canvas and decorated with things like "I love you Mom"or "Save the Earth." Okay, I have human children as well as a cat!
Bottom line is that I take all those bags, about 15 now, to my market. You do not have to even have any kind of special bags to be green. Just get your groceries packed in double paper bags and reuse them. You'll know when you have to replace them, trust me. p
My biggest problem was to try to remember to bring my reusable bags with me. So, now I unload the bags and put them in front of the door.
Bottom line is that I take all those bags, about 15 now, to my market. You do not have to even have any kind of special bags to be green. Just get your groceries packed in double paper bags and reuse them. You'll know when you have to replace them, trust me. p
My biggest problem was to try to remember to bring my reusable bags with me. So, now I unload the bags and put them in front of the door.
I do use the reusable cloth bags. All of my favourite stores have them, and I have four in the tote that I carry every day. Given that the vast majority of my grocery shopping happens on the way home from work, as long as I empty the bag and put it back in the tote, they will be with me, and I can select the appropriate one(s) at the cash. It works well.
Occasionally, I find myself without the bags, and end up with plastic, but that just maintains my supply for garbage and kitty litter. If I find myself with an oversupply, they go into the "doggy poo" collection, that we take with us whenever we visit Rob's family. A friend of his Mum's walks dogs at a large field, where the custom is to hang a bag of bags on the fence, for people to help themselves. There's an item on my checklist for when we make that trip: doggy poo bags.
Occasionally, I find myself without the bags, and end up with plastic, but that just maintains my supply for garbage and kitty litter. If I find myself with an oversupply, they go into the "doggy poo" collection, that we take with us whenever we visit Rob's family. A friend of his Mum's walks dogs at a large field, where the custom is to hang a bag of bags on the fence, for people to help themselves. There's an item on my checklist for when we make that trip: doggy poo bags.
I keep a reusable cloth bag in my handbag, and another in the backpack I use to haul my books, etc., back and forth to work. When I use the car to go shopping, I take a wicker shopping basket along.
We use the 'Green Bag for Life' bags that our local grocery stores sell.
They are $2 or 5 for $5 so probably work out cheaper in the long run than the 5-10c a bag they charge for the plastic bags and if it does get worn or rip / tear / handle comes off they replace if for free.
They are $2 or 5 for $5 so probably work out cheaper in the long run than the 5-10c a bag they charge for the plastic bags and if it does get worn or rip / tear / handle comes off they replace if for free.
Yahoo had a thing a while back where they were giving away free creamy jean like handbags for grocery shopping. One per person though, but I got one and it's a decent size for a quick trip. They were doing it for Earth Day.
There are places that recycle the plastic bags. I think one was Publix, but I'm not too sure. And paper bags can be recycled too.
There are places that recycle the plastic bags. I think one was Publix, but I'm not too sure. And paper bags can be recycled too.
I get the paper grocery bags the majority of the time!!
I always seem to forget to bring the bags (either plastic/paper or cloth) into the store when I go shopping however!! I must make that a new yrs resolution!!
My Whole Foods bag I usually use at the farmers market and my Trader Joe's bag is my library book bag though.
I always seem to forget to bring the bags (either plastic/paper or cloth) into the store when I go shopping however!! I must make that a new yrs resolution!!
My Whole Foods bag I usually use at the farmers market and my Trader Joe's bag is my library book bag though.
As with Fran in Germany, here in France no grocery store or supermarket gives out free bags, and some don't even sell them! So you have to take your own, or keep and re-use the ones they sell. For trash and litter, I buy large degradable ones that are left out for the collectors. In France you have to recycle your plastic and glass bottles, paper and cardboard in the special recycle bins in every village. The garbage collectors won't take them. All garden rubbish has to be taken to the tip. The French take disposal and recycling very seriously, and it takes a while to get into the right mindset and habit.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #33
I wish the US would catch on more and hop on the "recycling wagon" a bit more intensely! The only thing we have to loose is our planet's beauty and resources.
Here in my city (bartlett, tn- near memphis) - they won't pick up recycling, but they do have centers you can bring your recycling products to. So that's what we do. We have 2 seperate bins for our recycling products -one for plastics/glasses/etc and the other for paper products. Once a month we load everything up and haul it to the recycling centers and sort them out ourselves. We don't mind making a little extra effort because it's soo worth it!
Now in the city of Memphis where i used to live- they would have recycling pickup every week when the trash pickups would run. I wish Bartlett offered pick up service- i think a lot more people would recycle if it ment they didn't have to drive their rubbish all the way to the centers.
In the past I've used the cloth reusable bags but I got away from that since I use the plastic grocery bags for lining small trash cans and scooping the litter boxes. In fact I had to raid my Mom's stash of grocery bags because I ran out!
I still use the cloth ones if I go to Borders or Barnes & Noble.
That really sounds like Germany. In our county, we have standardized "Eurobins" for trash (I think they're called "rollies" in the UK, as they're wheeled), which is collected every two weeks. There's a basic price everybody pays, and then a surcharge which depends on the (inside) volume of your bin. You can opt for monthly collection. There's a separate yellow bin for plastics and foils that's emptied once a month, but that has to be shared with your next-door neighbors. Plastic and glass bottles are now deposit only, so they have to be taken back to the stores. Beverage cans are very rare nowadays. Other glass and paper or cardboard have to be taken to igloos (public recycling bins). Garden rubbish and garbage either have to be composted (which has caused a rodent problem), or put in a special "biodegradable bin" (extra charge), which is emptied every week in the summer, and otherwise every two weeks. Batteries and light bulbs have to be disposed of at supermarkets. Many cleaning products and laundry detergents are available in plastic "refill" bags, so you can reuse the original plastic bottles for years.
Our trash collectors actually look in every bin/can before emptying it, to make sure you've separated properly. If not, your bin isn't emptied.
We have a three-part trash bin in our kitchen, for "dry trash", "recyclables", and "biodegradables", plus a wicker basket where we stash bottles and paper to be taken down to the cellar, where we sort things to be disposed of properly every weekend. It sounds complicated, but becomes second nature after a little while.
I use at least one of those bags a day for my litter scooping
I can't live witjhout my plastic bags! what else would I use???
I do like the idea of a basket though, I could use that at the stores that have the cheap bags
I do like the idea of a basket though, I could use that at the stores that have the cheap bags
I've got a Litter Locker.Originally Posted by katiemae1277
I use at least one of those bags a day for my litter scoopingI can't live witjhout my plastic bags! what else would I use???
I do like the idea of a basket though, I could use that at the stores that have the cheap bags
I don't think they make a litter locker big enough for 15 cats
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lol... I was worried about one for two or three cats ...lol.. you would needOriginally Posted by katiemae1277
I don't think they make a litter locker big enough for 15 cats
Most of the stores here sell reusable cloth bags, the problem is remembering to bring them with me! I don't do much grocery shopping anyway, mostly just greens for the bunnies. I rely on the bf to feed me most of the time.
I like to use plastic bags for litter here, too. I also have a litter locker, but I still use bags for the rabbit's litter boxes, the hedgehog and hamster cages, they're not so easy to scoop, lol.
I like to use plastic bags for litter here, too. I also have a litter locker, but I still use bags for the rabbit's litter boxes, the hedgehog and hamster cages, they're not so easy to scoop, lol.
