<p>CBBBlinker, they recently cut our sorting down to only two categories (all paper/cardboard stuff, then all plastics/cans). But just two categories still requires sorting 
And we have so darned many newspapers - - my dad thought I need the Wall Street Journal once he figured out my political views were leaning liberal last year, so he got me a subscription :)</p>
<p>We have single stream recycling here, too. This includes cans, glass, plastic bottles and tubs/lids, juice boxes, milk cartons, aluminum foil and pie plates, paper, newspapers, flyers, magazines, catalogues, brochures, phone books, soft and hard cover books, box board and corrugated cardboard. It’s picked up every week, along with our greencart. Other trash is picked up every two weeks. We can also put out large articles once a month and there’s a regular schedule for several weeks in spring, summer, and fall for garden materials, leaves, grass clippings.</p>
<p>I’m getting better at remembering my bags–I have a mix from A and P, Shop Rite, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes. I use them interchangeably.</p>
<p>I do “forget” every few weeks, because our paper recycling has to be either tied or in a paper bag or box. They won’t just empty a container. So I can tie the newspapers/magazines, but I need something for all the more random paper–junkmail, food boxes, etc. I’d love to be able to put it out in a container that they empty.</p>
<p>It took a while, but I finally got into the reusable bag habit. Our local store helped out by placing signs at the entrances “Did you remember your Reusable Bags”? I made a number of trips back to the car at first, but not anymore. And I have no qualms about “bag brand loyalty”. Most trips after unloading and putting everything away, I’ll put the bags right back into the car.</p>
<p>I’m going to have to check out that Enviro Bag that fits in the purse or pocket. I find it a bit maddening to go shopping at a mall, make a smallish purchase and end up with a gigantic paper shopping bag advertising the store. Not that I’m making trips to the mall these days, but occasionally a person does need to replace a thing or two.</p>
<p>I am glad to see that many communities are embracing the idea of the re-use bags with signs in/out of the stores, discounts for using them, and most of all the fact that it seems very common place for people TO use them …guess I’m just not seeing that much use of them in my town, but I VOW to get better myself!</p>
<p>Another fan of Baggu! I gave them as Christmas presents.</p>
<p>I am a faithful user of my envirosaxs. I keep 3 in my purse at all times. I also gave them out to my D friends with college dorm supplies in them as graduation gifts.
I try not to use paper or plastic.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.envirosax.com/products/[/url]”>http://www.envirosax.com/products/</a></p>
<p>I love the insulated reusable bags- Whole Foods has them, and Trader Joe’s I think. Everything stays fresher , and I don’t feel like grocery shopping has to be the last stopwhen I’m running errands… I’ve left the bags in the car for over an hour in the heat, and food stays cold.</p>
<p>If you forget to take the bags into the store, put the stuff back into the cart after you pay for it, and put it in the bags in the car, then take the cart back. No rule says you have to put stuff in bags.</p>
<p>Found this thread after searching forum.
Recently, our Go Green Community showed the movie **BAG IT! <a href=“only%20in%20limited%20release,%20our%20library%20system%20owns%20two%20copies,%20and%20community%20organization%20showed%20it”>/b</a></p>
<p>Fantastic movie- entertaining, and boy was it enlightening.
So folks, now that’s it’s been two years since your posts, I’d like your thoughts about this.
Communities are attempting to ban plastic bags.
The** American Chemical Council** has spent millions and millions to stop efforts to ban plastic bags, which are springing up nationwide. </p>
<p>Your thoughts.</p>
<p>Oh, the recent study which made headline news,from Univ of Arizona,** Dr Gerba, finding bacteria in reusable bags, funded by the American Chemical Council.**</p>
<p>Hmmm. I’m guessing there’s bacteria everywhere, if we start testing. I’m not going to start worrying, though I won’t bring this up around the OCD person i know.</p>
<p>The ones that I use are some type of cloth and can be thrown in the washer and dryer. When they start to get thin in areas, I take them back to the store and they replace them for free.</p>
<p>What garland said. </p>
<p>I use mine every time I shop. As I gift from a friend for keeping an eye on her house she gave me a one which folds up to the size of a cell phone. I keep this in my bag for the times I forget to bring in the others (usually when I’m only going in for a few items.)</p>
<p>I too have started putting them on the seat of my car so I remember to use them. I probably have purchased 20+ Whole Foods over the years…my Mom and daughter keep stealing them. My daughter has used them for moving and I have seen her use one as a weekend bag when she is going to the beach. When we go on vacation (we usually drive) they are a great size to pack with books, wine, dry goods and whatever.</p>
<p>I like that the Whole Foods and similarly designed bags have enough density to stand up on their own when full though I keep meaning to buy a Baggu type bag to keep in my purse for when I don’t have WF bags with me.</p>
<p>Alwaysamom -** I take them back to the store and they replace them for free.**</p>
<p>Are you still in Toronto? Is there more awareness about reducing plastic bag usage? Have you seen Canada’s PSA video blurb about washing reusable bags? Seems like US is WAY behind on this issue, and I’m concerned that recent “bacteria” news will scare public.
As ** Garland ** said, there are bacteria everywhere-however, using bags to transport dirty clothes (hello daughter), or shoes, and mixing produce and meat not a good idea. </p>
<p>Most of you wash bags?</p>
<p>SJMom, yes, I’m in Toronto. From my limited exposure, I would say, yes, there’s more awareness here than in other areas where I happen to do grocery shopping. There’s a bylaw here that requires retailers to charge five cents per plastic bag. It is unusual today to see people in grocery stores without reusable bags. We have a place in Hilton Head, and although I do see people with reusable bags there, it is a much smaller percentage of shoppers. I have not seen the psa about washing bags. The ones I prefer happen to be those that you can wash. Not all of them are washable, as far as I know. As I mentioned, the ones I have are made of some type of heavy cloth but those available at most stores are the heavy plastic-y ones. I’m not sure if those can go in the washer or not.</p>
<p>I would have no problem with a ban on plastic bags. I’m still using my envirosax and actually wash them once in a while! Since we just moved from the suburbs to an urban location, I’m doing a LOT more walking/public transportation. I can easily walk to a grocery store, and just bought a reusable bag that has a longer shoulder handle to make carrying easier. [HOME</a> - flip & tumble - shopping bags](<a href=“http://www.flipandtumble.com/]HOME”>http://www.flipandtumble.com/) </p>
<p>I also have a “green tag” from CVS (Drugstore) – by using my own bag, I earn $$$ to use on future purchases.</p>
<p>We get paper bags and bring them back to the store and reuse them multiple times. We also have a few cloth/synthetic bags that were car show give aways, but we mostly reuse the brown paper bags.</p>
<p>I cleaned out our luggage closet 3 years ago and pulled out 20+ canvas tote bags from conferences that are far sturdier (2 gallons of milk - no problem!) and have shoulder straps that most grocery store bags don’t have. I keep a stash in each car. In the beginning of re-using bags, I tended to leave them in the car, but now it’s a part of my routine. (The checkout folks at Trader Joes often comment on my designer collection of ‘Morgan Stanley’ and ‘Goldman Sachs’, but it’s the ‘Lehman’ and ‘Bear Stearns’ ones they ask if they can have). </p>
<p>I’m finding lots of groups/companies are handing these bags out for free advertising instead of pens, etc at expos and conventions.</p>
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<p>I got them for xmas many years ago (20ish). I use them ever since.</p>