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I have been using the thin plastic bags from the grocery for garbage bags. So I don't buy garbage bags. I save the plastic cat food bags for when I'm cleaning out the fridge or making stock and have a lot of wet garbage.
When at all possible I say no thanks to bags. I still end up with extra though.
I just bought some string net bags for buying small amounts of groceries so I will be cutting down on grocery plastic bags some.
I still use some ziplock's but try to keep that down too.
So I guess I try to dual use something I end up with anyway, and try to buy less to begin with, but am not at a zero level.
honestly...start a different thread. i was simply curious how many plastic bags people use. sure, it might divert to other things such as plastic bottles, etc. but it's not a debate on recycling merits. Moderator cut: personal attack
wilson not sure what i wrote in this prior post, but if it sounded like a personal attack i apologize. didn't mean it as such.
Wow the green movement is vicious ;D BTW I am sorry, my brain is a little fried, but it's my fault we digressed to plastic bottles. The thread's supposed to be about bags. I can feel good since I use few plastic bags.
None. We don't use any plastic bags at all since adopting a minimal waste/minimal plastic lifestyle.
Produce and dry bulk groceries go in mesh or cloth bags. Meat, wet bulk (e.g., olive oil, maple syrup, and peanut butter), and powdered bulk (e.g., flour and sugar) go into jars. I bake our family's bread and keep it in a traditional bread box. Groceries go in reusable cloth sacks that I launder regularly.
We compost food trimmings, so the small amount of dry garbage we create goes directly into the kitchen can, no liner required. The leavings from making the occasional beef/chicken stock are kept in a freezer bucket; I take it out when I hear the truck to prevent a slimy mess.
No pets or infants, so the diaper/cat litter disposal problem is nonexistent.
None. We don't use any plastic bags at all since adopting a minimal waste/minimal plastic lifestyle.
Produce and dry bulk groceries go in mesh or cloth bags. Meat, wet bulk (e.g., olive oil, maple syrup, and peanut butter), and powdered bulk (e.g., flour and sugar) go into jars. I bake our family's bread and keep it in a traditional bread box. Groceries go in reusable cloth sacks that I launder regularly.
We compost food trimmings, so the small amount of dry garbage we create goes directly into the kitchen can, no liner required. The leavings from making the occasional beef/chicken stock are kept in a freezer bucket; I take it out when I hear the truck to prevent a slimy mess.
No pets or infants, so the diaper/cat litter disposal problem is nonexistent.
That's a good idea with the freezer bucket for the meat particles. I can probably put apple cores and other stuff that I would normally put in a trash can in there so it doesn't smell! That's what I need bags for, mostly.
Since you're not supposed to compost seeds and meat, how bad is it if I just dump that stuff in the woods?
Apples cores are easily composted. If you compost inside, consider purchasing a worm composter -- it's not nearly as gross as it sounds.
Beef bones, like those you buy from the butcher for making stock, can be passed along to a neighbor's dog. Meat cannot be composted effectively, so save it in a freezer bucket along with other veggie trimmings for making stock. Chicken bones must be thrown out with the garbage, but again be sure to make soup stock with them first.
Apples cores are easily composted. If you compost inside, consider purchasing a worm composter -- it's not nearly as gross as it sounds.
Beef bones, like those you buy from the butcher for making stock, can be passed along to a neighbor's dog. Meat cannot be composted effectively, so save it in a freezer bucket along with other veggie trimmings for making stock. Chicken bones must be thrown out with the garbage, but again be sure to make soup stock with them first.
I actually usually "compost" my meat and apple/pear cores in the woods in the back of the house. MOO ha ha. I do have a compost pile, though and I'm loath to spend money on composting bins.
It seems like it should be free. Can I just put some worms in my compost? My new method for composting the "compostable" garbage is to put it in an old plant pot. Can I just drop some worms in there?
Do they eat the seeds or something? My issue is I'm too lazy sometimes to go out and throw away the meat leavings or the cores, so I put them in the trash. If I can safely put cores in the compost, I'd like to try that.
Anything that grows out of the ground can be safely put in the compost. The worms will eat the stuff and turn it into rich soil amendment.
Protein foods like meat, fish, and milk shouldn't be composted. First, the meat attracts omnivorous animals, and you don't want that. And the stuff I've read all says don't feed your worms too much milk products. While I might add the leavings from a bowl of cereal, I wouldn't add the bag of shredded cheese that is turning green around the edges. Put that in the trash and let the rodents at the city dump tear open your plastic trash bags to get to the stuff.
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I do have a compost pile, though and I'm loath to spend money on composting bins. 
