<p>I wash my envirosax bags pretty often. I don’t really care about bacteria in the bags. If I buy unbagged fruit, I’m going to wash it anyway before I use it. I always have at least two bags in my purse at all times and bring more if I’m going to a place like TJ’s where I stock up since I don’t live close. I also keep one stashed in the cars consoles. </p>
<p>I found that once I got in the habit a few years ago, that it’s not something I even think about, but for me, I needed to have the nylon bags that folded up into very small sizes so I could easily fit them in my purse.</p>
<p>The $1 typical reusable bags sold in grocery stores are terrible - they are made in China (nasty chemical intermediates, environmentally unfriendly processes, child labor, etc.) and disintegrate after the first wash. There is nothing wrong with plastic grocery bags as long as people reuse them for other purposes instead of buying trash can liner bags. I pack my lunches in plastic grocey bags, then use them as trash can liners to dispose of the used cat litter. However, I do not get too many of them. We buy almost all groceries at Costco. No bags, no boxes - we just load everything into the crates we have in the back of the car. When people toss their empty plastic grocery bags into trash cans lined with other plastic bags - yeah, it is a problem.</p>
<p>When Im out of reused plastic bags and need to clean the cat box, I use compostable corn compost bucket liners. They look like regular plastic bags, but are supposed to disintegrate in a compost pile.</p>
<p>I have several re-usable bags purchased from various grocery stores, but I don’t always remember them. I’m in love with the “After Dark” Envirosax, and with the re-usable produce bags from the link near the beginning of this thread, so I may be buying more. </p>
<p>We also need paper bags for newspaper recycling. I’m tired of dealing with all the newspapers and trying to talk DH into getting a reader, but he and S1 are insisting on keeping the newspaper subscription. </p>
<p>I mostly shop at Trader Joe’s, and I always insist on bagging my own groceries. I never double-bag, as they do, and the bags never break. For one thing, I pack carefully so that the weight is not excessive, and I carry them smoothly so the handles don’t break (the weak point). The cashiers always comment on the single-bagging.</p>
<p>We have gotten into the habit of using re-usable bags. It does take time to train yourself to get those bags back in the car. Whole Foods sells their bags for .99 and you can replace them for free when yours become ripped, torn or too worn. (Although you may make up for the cost savings with the food prices…)</p>
<p>Our area has outlawed the crinkly plastic bags at stores. I use the biodegradable plastic bags for produce, and the re-use them for the poop patrol. I understand it takes 50 years or something for one krinkly bag to decompose… I find it amazing that the Farmers’ Markets use these krinkly bags (if you forget to bring your own, of course).</p>
<p>I do forget my green shopper bags on and off in the car, but we do re-use the tree-spending paper bags for lots of other things in our house. Also, you can re-use the kraft paper brown bags multiple times for groceries.</p>
<p>I have a whole coat tree in the garage full of reusable bags that I have gotten from stores, conferences, etc. I have even knitted some bags as gifts.</p>
<p>My problem is that I forget to keep them in my car to use when I am shopping! I will take a reusable bag, fill it at the store, then bring it in the house to empty out the items. Then I will forget to put it back in the car to use another time!</p>
<p>My husband does the grocery shopping and he has 4-5 sturdy, reusable bags that he takes with him every time, so that helps. Although that means that we never have the large paper bags for garbage, etc.</p>
<p>I am completely in favor of charging customers to use a plastic bag. Its what they do in Europe and it seems to work.</p>
<p>Our local Whole Foods gives a 5 or 10 cent credit for each reusable bag. They also offer the option to donate the credit to a charitable organization. Target also gives a credit for each recyclable bag you use. So I always use the largest number of recyclable bags possible. </p>
<p>People have already sung the praises of Chico Bags, so let me sing the praises of the Chico Bag backpack. We were biking at Acadia National Park, and bought some t-shirts mid-ride. The two adults had backpacks that were full. So we bought D2 a Chico Bag backpack to carry the t-shirts. She now uses it all the time for overnights at friends’ houses, and it’s small enough to stuff into a purse if you think you’ll need more carrying capacity. I bet all of the product designers at Chico Bags are really good at origami. :)</p>
<p>I despise getting the plastic bags at the store now. I now have an obsession for reusable bags like some women have for handbags - LOVE to collect them! By tried and true ones are 2 bags I bought at Ikea probably 3 years ago now - they still look great! Love the Whole Foods bags and TJ’s. </p>
<p>My newest favorite is one my D got me for my b-day. A Life Is Good Reusable - SO cute and unique! Simple pleasures.</p>
<p>Big shout out for Whole Foods bags. Those things are amazing. 99 cents to buy, and I get 5 cents off per bag at Stop & Shop and other stores. We have used them to move our daughter into college, to move our office, and to schlepp all kinds of stuff all over the place. They hold a crazy amount of weight and never break. Oh, and I use them for groceries too. When I remember to bring them into the store. Even tho they are staring me in the face because a few always live on the back seat passenger floor right behind driver’s seat. (When I forget to bring them in, I rationalize that I do still need some paper bags at home because we use them for recycling.)</p>
<p>We admit we like having plastic bags to contain trash which otherwise blows all over the place when it gets picked up. I do use other durable bags when I remember. I save all small & odd-sized the plastic bags for my friend for her dogs poop.</p>
<p>I don’t know how ‘green’ using the canvas bags is. I used to get paper grocery bags that I would reuse as wastebasket liners. So now I have to buy plastic wastebasket liners. No net gain there.</p>
Abasket, me too! I have a whole collection of reusable bags. In fact, my DH calls me the “bag lady.” I always get compliments on the canvas hieroglyphic bags that my parents bought as souvenirs on a trip to Egypt. I love telling clerks that the hieroglyphic bags are almost 30 years old & still going strong!</p>
<p>I will be sad if my state/city outlaws plastic shopping bags. I use them as trash bag liners (like several other CCers). I also use fabric bags - I take note to see how many plastic bags I have. If I have enough, then I’ll bring my fabric bags to the store. If I’m running low, then I’ll leave my fabric bags in the car. </p>
<p>If plastic were outlawed, then it would certainly be a win for the companies that make trash bags as we’d all be forced to buy them. Right now, I never buy this product. </p>
<p>I wish politicians would focus on more important things like solving the health care crisis (nationally) or reducing property taxes (locally) and forget about problems that consumers can solve for themselves.</p>
<p>OK, so I guess we should all buy paper liners instead of plastic? These are rather weak and messy when wet, which is what happens in our household (sometimes wet things are part of our trash). It would be a boon for those selling things for folks to line their trash if we have to pay to get them since many of us do like having some sort of lining for our trash containers. I guess we could go back to newspapers but then we won’t be recycling those either, tho we do currently.</p>
<p>We no longer use plastic trash bags for the garbage. We have large garbage cans that have covers, and the garbage is in paper bags. The trick is a good garbage can with a cover!</p>
<p>HI has a huge problem with roaches & insects so we try to empty the trash as often as possible. The government issued many of our households large garbage bins as well as separate recycling & green waste bins that we roll to the curb. It allows the automated truck to help lift them & reduces w/c & other injuries and requires less staff. Do like the plastic trash bags and they are SUPPOSED to be burned by our HPOWER plant to make energy with the rest of our trash. Not sure how well that’s actually working.</p>
<p>Am currently trying to decide which photovoltaic system to purchase.</p>
<p>If you are looking for ADORABLE reusable shopping bags that you would never forget because they are so cute , look at a company called BLUE Q . The bags aren’t cheap- large shopping bags are about 12 retail , but I always get comments on them because they are conversation pieces ! They are very sturdy as well!!</p>
</p>