How many plastic bags do you use in a week? (Whole Foods, packaging)

[robertjohnson]

I like everyone else uses the exact number of bags needed. No more, no less. I will use less if supplied an environmentalist that will carry my things to the car. I will contribute by making my lazy children carry those things in.
Worrying about such things is a symptom of affluenza. Like gout a disease of the pampered comfortable. Don't hate the bag.

[formercalifornian]

In a time of rising energy costs, it's worth remembering that plastic is derived from petroleum. It is tragic folly to treat plastic as disposable. In fact, there may come a time in the not so distant future when plastic is so valuable that only the wealthy will be able to afford it, and we'll have to decide how our remaining petroleum reserves should be used: fertilizing our food and protecting it from insects, running our vehicles, or encasing our garbage.

And, yes, I do hate the bag!

[plwhit]

Last weeks bag usage:

4 30 gallon plastic trash bags
9 large (scented) plastic trash bags
14 small plastic trash bags
26 plastic bags from the supermarket
18 zip lock sandwich bags

0 recycled

[totsuka]

I use my small bags for yard clippings and the city picks them up. They compost everything and I don't have to buy big bags. They won't allow paper bags because they bust all over the place.

[rfr69]

Originally Posted by bradykp

I'm wondering, on a forum where most people are eco-conscious and many people are probably doing their best to avoid plastic...how many bags do you use in a week? maybe count them up this week, M-Sunday, and see?

i did a 2010 resolution of no more plastic bags whenever possible and reduced my use of them substantially, but still found I had tons that I was bringing to the recylcing container. 2011 pledge is to reduce further!

How's everyone else doing?

People give the grocery store plastic bags a bad rap. Yeah I know some would like all of us walking around with reusable hemp bags or something like that but the grocery store bags always get reused at my house.

Use them to bring my lunch to work, use them to pickup dog crap, use them to bagg stuff up and store it in junk drawers like old screws nuts, loose pieces of stuff. I think they get reused quite a bit

[Three Wolves In Snow]

Originally Posted by bradykp

I'm wondering, on a forum where most people are eco-conscious and many people are probably doing their best to avoid plastic...how many bags do you use in a week? maybe count them up this week, M-Sunday, and see?

i did a 2010 resolution of no more plastic bags whenever possible and reduced my use of them substantially, but still found I had tons that I was bringing to the recylcing container. 2011 pledge is to reduce further!

How's everyone else doing?

I use plastic bags that I get from the store not only to carry my groceries but also for other uses.

I use them to store things in the fridge instead of buying plastic wrap.

I use them to pick up dog doo in the yard or on walks.

I use them to store things in like papers or miscellaneous items.

I use them as small garbage can liners.

I use them when moving.

I use them to dump old, dirty kitty litter in when the litter container becomes full.

I use one in the car as a place to put garbage.

I use them to wrap up engine oil containers in the trunk of my car. (I always carry oil with me.)

I use them to separate my recyclables since I don't have the room for bins, and then take the recyclables and the trash to the dump.

I use them to protect things when we go to the beach or the lake.

I use them to store wet clothing in after being at the beach or the lake.

The list goes on.

How many do I use in a week? It depends on what I'm doing.

[Three Wolves In Snow]

Originally Posted by kinkytoes

1. Skipping the litter pan liner? Are those just a hoax? My kittens would scratch through the liner, anyway. I got rid of the kittens (sorry I couldn't deal with the poo and destruction). I used natural kitty litter and I used to dump it in the woods. If you scoop all week then refill the pan once a week, you can just wash and dry the litter pan once a week. Use gloves and hot, soapy water. It's a bit more work, but it's not like litter pan liners are free, either.

2. Why not skip the bathroom cups? If you remove the cup dispenser, you'll be less tempted. We had them when I was little, but I've never had them as an adult. I think a cupped hand works fine while brushing your teeth. Plus you'll save some $$

3. I don't put liners in my bath, office or other waste bins. That's another hoax, too. If you're only putting in dry waste, why do you need a plastic bag? I used to think I needed one for the bathroom, but it turns out I don't. There's pretty much just balled up paper in the bin (which reminds me I need to start using biodegradable floss).

4. Recycle - I recycle and I save about 60-70% of the stuff I used to put in the trash.

5. Why are you using so much Ziploc? Those things aren't cheap. How about foil? You can reuse foil, and I just found out you can wrap it around fruit trees to deter insects. You can also try waxed brown paper bags. If I remember right, you live in a rural area, right? If you have woods, you can ball the bags up and throw them outside when you're done.

It's probably time to get off of your high horse since you "got rid" of the kittens. Were you completely unaware that kittens poop? I can't take anything you say, seriously.

You remind me of the lady in CA years back who wanted to berate me.

I was in the store, they asked if I wanted paper or plastic, I chose paper, and she went off on me, I don't know who the hell she was, for choosing paper and cutting down all "the poor trees".

I turned around, looked at her and asked, "Is that fur coat you are wearing real or fake?"

Oh yes, she wants to talk to me about killing the "poor trees" but apparently thought nothing of wearing a fur coat that killed "poor animals". Hypocrisy runs rampant in the greenie community.

So, let's not get all uppity with other people when you are not all righteous, either. K?!

[Mooseketeer]

I try to use plastic bags as little as possible. I absolutely loathe plastic with a passion and there is far too much of it in my life as it is.


We have cloth/hemp bags for groceries and also our supermarket does a "bag for life" scheme where you get those incredibly strong plastic bags and when they are completely "Kaput" ( which takes quite a lot) they replace them for you and recyle the old ones ( I think they go to making carpet liners etc...). On the whole though, when we go shopping we always have boxes and cloth bags in the trunk of the car.

If I could rid of every single bit of plastic in my life I would. I don't know why, even in the 70s as a kid I had this aversion to the thing. It always makes my skin crawl for some reason. Material of the Devil !! I think we have about 5 plastic bags ( the bags for life) in our life. And all get used as little as humanly possible.

And I always refuse them when I go to non supermarket stores. It is really quite easy to carry an alternative and no bother.

Some shops are starting to charge for plastic bags in the UK and I am all in favour. It makes you think before using somerthing you don't actually need. The shcme apparently worked brilliantly in Ireland the rate of plastic bags dropped drastically.

[plwhit]

Amazing how people instead of just answering the question the OP posed use this thread to stand on their soapbox and rant

Last week's usage:

6 large (scented, white) plastic bags
2 small plastic bags
8 plastic bags from the supermarket
7 zip lock freezer bags

[Osito]

I use about three of those in a month, for my car and smaller trash cans. I get a lot more of these bags than I use so I have a lot stashed, and if I'd ever remember my reusable shopping bags I imagine this problem would be solved lol.