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I do NOT like the reusable bags. I have had three of them break at the handle, usually with bad consequences as grocery clerks try to overstuff them with heavy items. Besides, most of them are NOT washable and they soak up chicken and other meat bloods.
I do NOT like the old brown kraft bags. We used to call them "roach coaches' as the adhesive in the bags appears to be a roach's favorite foods. Once we disposed of them, we never saw another roach.
I like plastic bags and I carry them in with me to the stores when necessary. I have a supply of bags from Mitsuwa, H-Mart and other Asian markets as those places have some of the heaviest plastic bags that can be found.
If people REALLY want to reduce waste products from the retail supply chain, why not attack the product packaging itself. For example, if I want cranberry juice, I have to buy it in a 64 oz THICK plastic bottle. Ocean Spray USED to sell concentrate in a 11.5 oz aluminum can and a 8 oz tetrapak but NOW, they only use that in product that they sell to food banks.
Usually when I grocery shop I have a choice of paper or plastic. I have noticed at the higher end grocery stores the check out staff is more likely to suggest paper bags first. At the lower end grocery stores the staff always seems hopeful that I choose plastic. Maybe I am reading too far into it.
I usually get paper bags if it is a large grocery order. I choose plastic bags if it is a small order and/or it is raining outside. I re-use both the plastic and the paper bags for different purposes. I like to have both handy. I don't use reusable bags. I would feel uncomfortable shopping somewhere if I saw a lot of people with their own reuseable bags to be honest. I would feel like they are all judging me lol.
Most grocery stores (at least here anyway) still give you the option. However, I know in a lot of cities (Chicago for one) is now charging a 5 cent tax for each plastic bag you use. They are trying to force people to go green and use reusable bags.
now that you mention it a couple very liberal towns have imposed a tax on bags... in maine..
I carry several washable cloth bags for groceries and, for heavy items, and Bolga basket from Ghana, but I've never had any trouble getting a paper bag if I make an unexpected stop at the market for a few items. And, yes, the Bolga basket is hand washable.
Having been around for both, I thought plastic bags replaced paper because they're better in nearly every respect (except recyclability)? And now that most stores take them back that's not much of an issue anymore.
The ones that I don't recycle I use as trash and cat litter bags, which saves me from buying as many actual trash bags.
Paper bags requires multiple trips, because, if they have handles at all, you still can't carry nearly as many at once as plastic. They're also susceptible to having the bottoms fall out, useless if wet, and not nearly as "re-purpose-able."
Seriously, what is so great about paper bags?
I dislike keeping those plastic bags until we remember to recycle them.
It's only plastic here. We are glad for them, as they fit in our smaller trash cans so we never buy liners, like we did back home. We have to shlepp the trash bags down 2 flights of stairs and out a gate to the trash stand (raised to get away from dogs) so are glad for the smaller size.
We have a backpack for bottles and just tie the plastic bags in a knot for the taxi/bus ride home. Then carefully untie them for trash can liners.
I'm trying to remember now, as a kid in the 60's, if my mom even used trash can liners at all. They didn't in the old metal outdoor cans.... Gross and stinky!
It was awful about that dead whale found with dozens of plastic bags in his gut.
We can still ask for them, but we dont. We bring cloth bags or get a few plastic ones for the doggy doo. Before we moved, we took our own recycle to the recycle center. Then, we always requested paper bags to contain newspapers and magazines.
I live in California. They sell you recyclable bags now. You do not get any bags if you do not buy them. We keep bags in our cars now.
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Gross and stinky!
