Is your home overrun with reusable bags? You're not alone
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- Опубликовано: 23 янв 2024
- Reusable bags are living rent-free in closets and car trunks across the country. Most major retailers made the switch from single-use plastic bags about a year ago, but some customers keep forgetting to bring their bags, and end up buying more every week.
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Who was using "single use" plastic bags just once? I used them as trash bags, and dog waste bags, as stuffing for dolls, and as material for crafts and clothing. I wound them into yarn and knitted bedrolls for the homeless, heated them together to make tarps and raincoats, and insulated the gap under my door with them. I kept them in the car for those times when I find myself carrying more than expected, and to keep my phone dry when I get out of the car during a downpour, and I used them to carry my wet clothes and towel home after the beach or pool. I used them to line my boots or shoes when I have to walk through deep slush, and I use them plug the gaps around my window a/c. I used them as an impermeable boundary between raw meat and raw berries, and I used them as a lunch bag that I can fit into my pocket afterwards. These bags were never single use! What's more, I have had to buy more plastic bags to use for some of these same purposes!
Yep now I'm buying plastic bags just to throw out the trash. I love it.
Amen! Single-use plastic bags my arse.
You took the words right out of my mouth. Grocery store bags were the one thing they shouldn’t have banned
I stocked up lmao i bought a pallet for i think it was .18 cents a bag 😂😂😂. Bought 5000 bags got a price break ❤
Problem being that one hole can make a lot of those uses invalid, and there are non-plastic (or at least biodegradable) alternatives that can do the same for at least a handful of those situations. The persistence in the environment at end of life is the bigger issue. Unfortunately a lot of the common "reusable" bags aren't very biodegradable right now either. Recycled cloth and/or paper really needs to be more common.
I used my plastic bags to put my garbage in.... now I have to buy another plastic bag to out my trash in.
Ahh! I say that all the time! Plastic bags had multiple uses after a grocery run, now I buy kitchen garbage bags…in a cardboard box…for one purpose. Tragic!❤️🇨🇦👍🏼
I’m Glaad 😂
Both are bad habits.
@@dylanc9174 Any helpful advice?
So DUMB!
Bring back paper bags please!
They do double duty as compost bags afterwards. Plus no micro plastics as they break down.
Yes! I use paper bags from my shopping for my compost
Yes, plus they help the logging industry dispose of our planet's dirty trees to make nice clean paper.
Paper bags break more often. The problem is worse if you are walking or taking transit instead of driving.
Businesses are doing most of the damage when it comes to pollution and plastic, but they are not being limited at all. Heck, most of the products I buy at the grocery store come packaged in plastic! Drinks come in plastic bottles, meats are wrapped in plastic, veggies are bound together in plastic, and junk foods have plastic wrappers inside the box. Also, why have paper bags been eliminated?
You realize if they eliminate them they will probably charge you more. Businesses never pass their savings to customers unless they are selling commodities like gas or fertilizer. 😂
Doesn’t anyone remember cellophane? Some products still use it, though not many. Butcher paper works just fine. Wax paper works fine for sandwiches and fridge. Glass storage containers for leftovers are my go to, although the covers are plastic (but it does avoid plastic wrap).
they have not been eliminated where I live....but I was charged for one the other day. 58 cents
I think paper bags were initially discontinued because they were more expensive than plastic. Of course there was also the environmental reason that it killed trees, but the production process is carbon-intensive. They are heavier than plastic, and take up more storage space - this increases shipping costs when you consider the freight containers and trucks required to deliver the cartons of bulk bags to grocery stores. Plastic bags are waterproof, and won't split and spill your carton of eggs to the floor. And I remember the days when we used those paper bags for garbage and ooh what a mess. The petroleum/plastic industry sold us a big bill of goods...
@@maryclaremayo6157 The LCBO in Ontario just banned Paper Bags last year. Thanks Doug Ford.😆
People should return extra bags to the stores and anyone can use them if they forgot their bags, without having to buy new ones. But stores won't do it, it's more money for them to sell new ones.
Nobody would know how clean those bags were. They could have once held leaking raw meat packages or who knows what else.
That just would not be safe or sanitary unfortunately but they should just bring back the single use plastic bags since this isn’t sustainable and is too consumerist
Two words: Food Safety
@@LunafallsYep. Some people don’t wash their reusable grocery bags and the bags will look, feel, and sometimes even smell nasty (I work in a grocery store).
@@wintersprite even washed, pet hair just CLINGS to them, it's beyond annoying wanting to bring groceries home in fur covered bags. I often just bring things back out in the cart and have bins in the back of my SUV to bring the stuff into the house with now.
I remember growing up the push to switch from paper to plastic. Now plastic is the bigger issue. Next will be totes, and here we are.
It's crazy all thru the 80,90s my father saved plastic bags in closets. When he grew up in the 40s and 50s there was no such thing.
Yup, I'm 27 and I remember it, I've told the younger kids and it's a meme.
Replacing plastic bags with thicker plastic bags probably wasn't the best idea. Something like hemp would make more sense.
Not so environmentally friendly either: did you know that to make one hemp bag replace single-use plastic bags you have to go through about 300 of the plastic ones to reach the same level of environmental impact? Similar to like the whole idea about a hey how about we shut off our lights for Earth Day and whatnot and we'll all help to find it out by making it a symbolic gesture well some simple gesture the moment someone likes candle there goes your CO2 savings and then some. People have to keep in mind that this is about the Energy Efficiency and the productive cycle efficiency on every single level. Yes there are missions of CO2 coal fueled power plants but the amount of light energy that we get out of a light bulb from an electrical grid is so many orders of magnitude more efficiently produced than a candle that it is a far better more environmentally friendly source in the long term. Look at the conversions of different types of energy right you have a chemical energy going to combustion going to light energy
and heat energy how much is going to which in which proportion. Burning a candle most the combustion energy is to heat (thermal output) and very little it is actually going to the light itself
@@yegfreethinkerthis is valid, but the subject is about the material characteristics. Hemp has little to no environmental impact, while plastic is an invasive material that doesn't fit nor break down well in nature.
Its the microplastic that accumulates in us that is the problem.
You people honestly believe this has anything to do with the environment? I swear critical thinking is lost to 90% of you npc's. It's all a money grab. From CFL bulbs to "reusable bags", to electric cars, plant-based "meats", oat "milk" and non-dairy creamer, - they're ALL objectively worse for the planet, human health, and society as a whole - but the profits are bigger and you get the feeling of doing something good so you can sleep better at night 👀
I never bring reusable bags to the grocery store and I never buy them. I look for empty boxes lying around the store and put my stuff in them while I am shopping then when I pay at the cashier I ask them if I can take the boxes and they are like no problem. Same thing happens at Costco and any grocery store I go to. This only works if you drive and have room in your car though.😂😂 And then I get rid of my boxes either in the recycling or storing my alcohol empties when I take them back to The Beer Store.
I always bring reusable bags to the grocery store. None of them were bought.
My local grocery store used to place a load of cardboard boxes at the front of the store in front of the cashiers for customers to use instead of bags. They stopped doing that a few years ago because their merchandisers had to take a little more care when opening boxes, when stocking shelves, to keep the box usable and it didn't look great with piles of boxes at the front of the store. For high-rise apartment dwellers, boxes don't work very well because they can only carry one or two at a time, as they move their groceries from level 4 underground parking, up to their 28th floor apartment. Plastic grocery bags with handles could be looped on multiple fingers and you could carry 8 or 10 at a time.
This is all the most suburban thing I’ve ever heard of lol 😂 i can’t imagine trying to carry boxes on the subway or in the city
I just use the free disposable fruit and vegetable bags from in the store, there is no rule that says we can't and I'm not going to pay $1 for a bag that's made with twenty times as much plastic.
@@geigertec5921 lol I seen people do that but it makes you look too cheap. And I bet the cashier judges you I’d rather use a free box lying around because if I’m done with it I can fold the box up or rip it into pieces and throw it in a municipal recycling bin later.
My Canadian fiance gives me all his extra reusable bags when he visits me in the U.S., and then I give him hundreds of plastic bags to take back for his bathroom trash. It's a win-win.
Isn't it illegal to send thin-walled plastic bags to Canada? There's a hefty fine and potential prison time for that I think.
@@geigertec5921 Well, border patrol didn't have a problem with it.
I had many reusable bags rip. I used the plastic grocery bags as garbage bags now I have to buy separate bags for garbage, how is that saving plastic going into the landfill. Plastic wrap keeps food fresher for longer that is the next target.
My wife and I found ourselves in a surprisingly challenging situation with reusable bags, leading us to accumulate over 200 of them. Eventually, this overwhelming collection forced us to clear them out as they consumed our entire storage space. Our predicament stemmed from not owning a car, meaning space is at premium for us; each time we shopped for groceries after work, we ended up purchasing new bags because the reusable ones took up too much room or we would forget bringing them before going to work. From our experience, while well-intentioned, reusable bags lack the versatility that plastic bags offer. Plastic bags are more compact and water-resistant, making them far easier to incorporate into our day-to-day lives. We've found ourselves reusing plastic bags significantly more often due to these practical advantages.
You should donate to a thrift shop. They can use for their own customers. Ask first. I don't know if bigger ones would accept. The one I know of is a small Christian charity shop.
Lmao the reusable ones such as from Walmart fold into the size of earbuds case or phone and really also weigh nothing and are less likely to be torn off in public transportation especially with groceries. I keep 2 just in case I forget to keep 1 back in the bag. (Not trying to be arrogant) so so curious how we forget that but not our mobile phones or earbuds or water bottle or keys. Keys reminded me that some stores have bags that fit back into a cover that's a keychain.
Tldr: it's nothing different than your umbrella 🤷
@@kavigoranathis hasn’t been my experience. I keep two “reusable” new Walmart bags in my purse and they are HUGE, don’t fold up well at all, and take up so much space
The trouble with most of the grocery store bags are they are cheaply sewn/glued and don't stand the test of, sometimes, one trip home from the store.
Keep the bags in your car and load them with groceries at the tailgate if you forget to bring them in to the store with you; the baggers are going to pack everything wrong, anyway. 🤷♀️
Exactly! Just put the groceries in the cart without a bag, then bag them at your car. I don't know why people keep choosing to purchase more bags instead!
Seems like as long as its designed to last "for at least two uses", its not single use and then its the consumer's fault. Its terrible.
Not practical in cold, rainy, or steamy-hot weather.
This drives me nuts - grocery stores used to sell nylon reusable bags that folded into a tiny pocket and were actually practical. They fit in your jacket pocket or purse or backpack. Now they have these huge stiff things that don’t fold well and take up space. I have about 5 nylon ones in regular rotation - in use, in the wash or stuffed in something so I have one when i need it. No problem. Its been ages since i bought one other than as a gift for someone else.
But the strap is slippery. I prefer cotton which is also biodegradable. However, we're on the same page.
My brother brought me one of that style of bag from Germany. It is very strong and I have used it for years. It fits in my purse so I always have a bag. I love it!
I have a set of fabric envirosax bags - I can have 5 of them in my purse and doesn't add much extra weight - they weren't cheap, but I had them for YEARS (more than 5 for sure) - they are washable and if a seam starts to unravel, you can just run over it with a sewing machine
I have 5 or 6 nylon bags that I keep clipped to my phone case… I never forget them because they are literally clipped to the place I keep my bank cards.
For the longest time I was saving them from park bins because it was such a waste, plus they can be easily laundered. When I had more than 50, I gave them to the Salvation Army because they accept them for reuse in their stores. But it's endless! They are being used like the plastic bags were, so switching to these bags hasn't solved anything!
Once again, we were tricked into thinking banning plastic bag was for the environment.
When in fact, it was done, so grocery stores can sell re-usable bags.
And have YOU bag the groceries
Nobody was tricked. These bans are going through regardless of what people think. Rhode Island banned plastic bags on Jan 1st... Even though this data is around, its not stopping the bans.
the early designs for the reusable bags were so much more sturdier like some sort of woven platic. now it's super cheap and the handles always tears.
I think it’s worse since the move, I used to use free plastic bags for picking up after the dog and using for the pedal bins. Now I’ve just got loads of reusable ones, it’s just a way for shops to get more money
Grocery stores should be made to take the bags back and send them into to the bag makers for recycling that should be a must
The Beer Store does that with cans and bottles. lol people hate that system they call the deposits a tax on the poor.😂😂
Foodland and all affiliate stores take back any broken bags from their stores and will replace them for free.
@@Sam19509how is it a tax if u can get the money back
@@icantwiththis because poor people don’t have the storage space in their basements and apartments to store the empties. I have a garage and a car trunk.
or donate the reusable bags to food banks and other charities that can make good use of them
Plastic and bag manufacturers figured out that they could make more money and use more plastic by banning single use bags and therefore forcing people to buy garbage bags that are made of heavier plastic.
I use my backpack for groceries ever since being a student. That thing is now on 10 years plus of use.
33 years ago, I purchased a reusable cotton grocery bag from a little mom and pop natural food store. At that time it was rare to see reusable grocery bags for sale in most stores. Anyhow, the bag was so thick and sturdy, very well made. I still have that bag after all these years. I've used it countless times, and t's still in very good shape. Someone recently brought some items to my house in new, cheaply made 'reusable' bags. They're terrible - very thin and coming apart at the seems even though they're fairly new. It's crazy that people keep purchasing them over and over. We humans are weird. We have a problem - we 'fix' the problem - we make the problem much worse. :(
I don’t think it’s a “we.” Every civilian i know didn’t vote for this law and didn’t want this law. We all want plastic bags back. It’s only lobbyists and politicians who wanted this.
We need a better solution than these non-reusable "reusable" bags. Just telling everyone to not forget them isn't the correct solution. And they don't have any other uses. I now how to buy single-use garbage liners constantly, when I didn't before as an example.
A recyle bag lasts about 10 times before breaking. You can try to fix them, but most dissolve.
The old plastic bags were perfect for cat litter. Now I half to buy bags for that. So instead of 1, maybe 2 or 3 uses I buy single use plastic bags litter now.
my reusable bags have lasted me years. not sure what you're doing wrong lol
My problem is that the bags don’t last long, it defeats the purpose of being “reusable” when they only last a few months before they fall apart.
Weird. I’ve had the same reusable bags for years. The bags with no zippers never fall apart.
arent htey biodegradbale?
The last one I bought had the stitching come apart right off the bat. They are hopeless.
We use our backpacks and a canvas tote bag. Our good sturdy cotton canvas tote has lasted years now and still looks as good as the day we got it. We also have another hemp tote. Both work great.
Does anyone remember cellophane? Some products still use it, though not many. Butcher paper works just fine. Wax paper works fine for sandwiches and fridge. Glass storage containers for leftovers are my go to, although the covers are plastic (but it does avoid plastic wrap).
I think the "impact on the environment" metric is miss leading. The reason for moving away from single use plastic bags is that they ended up in the ocean and landfill. Paper bags or cotton bags, even though they might have more "impact", likely measured in GHG emissions, they will break down naturally and are ultimately better for the environment.
Except many of the reusable fabric bags are made from plastic composites or coated with a plastic waterproof resin, rather than natural cotton or hemp products. They are also brightly colored and loaded with dyes, which are harmful to the water table. These things rarely get thought through from all angles.
I have about 30-40 of these but I use them frequently. Some of the fabric bags I have I have been using for 10-15 years and mended them as needed. I keep at least a dozen in the car at all times to always have them on hand. So even with the considerable number I have I expect on average I have used each more than 50 times and continuing to use them.
Also, I specifically bought trash can the right size to use the disposable plastic shopping bags for trash and cat litter. I never buy bags for my trash. As I use my fabric bags most of the time I have to grab handfuls of plastic bags other people have tossed in the recycling bin so I have enough on hand for my trash.
I prefer the Buckets but .. If I do forget to bring them in ..I just load the Shopping Cart (without buying more bags) and load groceries in my vehicle where I keep all my Spare bags
I have around 10 of these bags and I didn’t buy a single one, my mom buys them and I take hers XD she’s the one that always forgets and buys more. I always make sure I have a stash in my car and one or two by my door in case I decide to walk to a store..
Get to the store and forget them in the car? No problemo, just put everything back in the cart after you pay then bag up at the car. I just hate having to pay extra for any bag single use or reusable, it all adds up at the end of the day. Groceries are expensive enough without bag fees.
One thing i started doing when i forget bags in my car is just to leave everything loose in my cart and bag it when i get to the car.
My trunk is over flowing with reusable bags. I miss plastic bags, I used them for everything...usually as garbage bags instead of buying actual garbage bags
After 4 uses, we throw these out. They become germ-ridden after a few weeks and we don't like to launder them as they are very flimsy, and also it's too much added inconvenience and expense.
Even the paper bags aren't true paper the ones IGA uses now have a coating on them. I know as I use the paper ones to light the wood stove and they changed a few months ago
LCBO in Ontario banned paper bags last year. They were killing trees. 😂
I have collapsible bins. I keep one in my car at all times. And I have two by my front door. I also have two good quality reusable bags that fold up small in my purse. I guess I was able to adapt from being a Costco shopper. They never had bags. Sometimes I forget my bags or bins. And then my stubbornness kicks in. I can carry an amazing amount of items in my arms. lol.
lol you can use boxes lying around the store in Costco for free to take your stuff but you have to tell the cashier apparently some stuff they sell have security tags embedded in the cardboard boxes and will go off even after your receipt is checked.😂
Yes, when I forgot my bags in the car, I just simply rolled out my grocery purchase loose in the cart and packed them into the bags once I got to the car. I even just piled them on my back seat when I forgot bags altogether and got a few bags from the house to carry them in when I got home.
The woman in this video who says she forgets her bags in the car so has to buy new ones. Not necessary, just go back to the car and get them or take your groceries to the car in the cart and pack them there. Sadly for most people convenience trumps good practices.
I have a rule that if I can get my purchases to the cash register without a bag then I can get them to the car without a bag. I, too have collapsible totes that live in the car. I got some totes for my husband, too. He was the worst one for buying bags at the checkout and I basically had to put an end to that or our house would be riding high on the tidal wave of bags he kept buying. The totes come in the house to be emptied and then they are placed by the door so they are taken back to the car the next time we go out. I could see reusable bags becoming a problem years ago when I started noticing people being happy to hand them off and not expecting or even wanting them to be returned to them. My mom volunteers at a community run thrift store and she is amazed at how much stuff is donated in reusable bags that no one wants back.
@@amandahodgin9316 I like your rule and it makes sense. If you can carry them to the till without a bag or cart, you don't need a bag to carry them to your car. And remembering to put bags back in the car is not difficult. Just hang them from the door knob so you can see them next time you open the door to go out. I do this with a lot of things that I have to remember to take somewhere. I either hang it from the door knob or put it in front of the door when I go to bed. This way I have to basically trip over them to open the door. Easy reminder.
I have 10 and only use the same 4 cotton bags and an insulated freezer bag. I occasionally forget them at home but haven't bought new ones in at least 4 years.
I keep a couple of thin bags in my purse and that has helped a lot. (I understand not everyone carries a purse.) A sign at the entrance to the grocery store has helped me remember to run back to the car for additional bags.
I agree with many people who have commented here. I have to purchase plastic bags for my kitchen waste. When I have too many of the new 'reusable' grocery bags, I have used them to line outdoor flower pots.
I am totally saving the environment from plastic by remembering to bring one of my 20 or so reusable bags that's basically plastic, to carry my groceries that are mostly wrapped in plastic. My personal favorite, was not long after the bag ban, I bought a package of TP that was, of course, wrapped in plastic, but the rolls were divided into wrapped packs of 6, plus each roll was wrapped too.
Yep! Manufacturer's overuse of plastic packaging is the problem, not the grocery bag.
The single-use plastic bags are easily recyclable! reusable bags will be in the landfill forever!
I have about 30 of them. The brains behind the switch to reusable didn't do their jobs.
The should have designed a proper bag and made it a standard. Besides the materials used, some are a real pain to store as they are too rigid and take up too much space.
The old disposable bags I used more than once for a variety of things. Working retail I see a lot of over packaging with plastic and other materials. Plastic bags were banned because they were more noticeable but they don't produce the largest volume of waste.
Instead of blaming the consumer maybe these people should look in the mirror for what is now a much larger problem. No one is going to use these new bags enough times to offest the ecological impact it costs to produce them.
It's even worse if one uses a grocery delivery service - new bags every time, with no opportunity to reuse them. I keep, and re-use a few, but the vast majority of them just go to the recycling or trash. The old "single use" bags made great trash bags and thus mostly got used at least twice. But the new "reusable" bags are too stiff to make good garbage bags and too bulky to carry around in case you need one. The only alternative use I can think of for them is as a disposable recycling bin (but recyclable bag, like paper bags, are better for this).
If stores stopped having displays of bags for sale, people might start remembering to bring their own.
No Frills has those big bags so does Dollarama. You losing money when you don’t buy them rofl.😂😂
We don't want to bring our own, you know what's easy to bring a plastic bag in a pocket...
This! Maybe if it was a big hassle to track down a bag, we’d think twice before getting one.
These cloth bags are awful for the environment. Paper bags should be free then people will change. There needs to be a way to recycle these
In Calgary if you go to a fast food restaurant and order take out you have to pay 15 cents for a small paper bag or take the food without a bag. What is the solution, you cannot use reusable bags without causing health problems.
LCBO stopped giving out free paper bags they eliminated the option entirely.😂😂
We use our backpacks and a cotton or hemp canvas tote bag. Our good sturdy canvas tote has lasted years now and still looks as good as the day we got it.
@@christopherblack4520 they pull this bs at Subway in Ontario. Sometimes they charge you for a paper bag even if you don’t want one they are like you have to mention it before they put it in a bag. So I stop just going to Subway.😂
@@ljohnson2181and the cotton bags can be washed. The reusable plastic ones don’t survive the washer.
Jokes on them I can’t afford enough groceries to even need a bag😂
I'm disabled and rely on delivery. I have HUNDREDS 😳
when they deliver, send the old bags back with them. THINK
@@carlamcewen2361 yeah, like the Instacart employee will care about your recylining.
@@carlamcewen2361 lmfao yeah bc they want my piles of bags wtf 🤣 😂
@@carlamcewen2361be prepared to tip big if the Amazon Driver or Instacart courier is taking out your trash.😂😂
please consider donating your excess reusable bags to local food banks. thank you.
Didn't like every expert and person with common sense call this well before they decided to ban them...
I get the thin foldup ones and keep them in my belt bag, really helps me not to forget as long as i put them away right after i unload the groceries! I never remember those thick ones.
Make biobags for groceries the same as compostable bags we are now forced to buy .
"oh christ" LOL
Disposable paper bags were just fine
What a hassle reusable bags are. As some who walks the reusable bag get left behind, unless it is a planned trip. Who wants to walk around town with reusable bags because you need to stop in the store for a few items? The thing is we still use plastic bags. We switched for the plastic bags from the store to garbage bags. That was a win! A new solution is need.
I just wear a backpack everywhere to work and shopping like I do when I went to school. The backpack also has some reusable bags stored inside.😂😂
I keep non store bags in a brand name pouch, one on the side of my cart, another in my backpack. So when I get delivery grocery bags, they are of no use.
Exactly plastic bags became garbage pail bags
Go to the dollar store and buy a couple of reusable bags that fold up into themselves. My wife has 2 that are smaller than a tennis ball that she has in her purse at all times. They're soft and squishy, so they aren't in the way in a purse or pocket.
Worse is people that don't own a car like myself or when you get grocery delivery they always come with new bags. My neighbor across the hall has mobilty problems and pretty much 100% of his food gets delivered he asked me if I needed any reuasble bags a few months ago and then showed me his closet there were 100's of bags from grocery delivery accumulated. I really try to remember to bring bags to the store but that isn't possible if I am stopping after work as I really don't want to carry bags with me on the bus and to work every day just so I can have them in case I decide to grab a few things after work.
Remember when grocery stores would have a bin full of cardboard boxes you could use to bring your groceries home for free?
My local grocery store used to place a load of cardboard boxes at the front of the store in front of the cashiers for customers to use instead of bags. They stopped doing that a few years ago because their merchandisers had to take a little more care when opening boxes, when stocking shelves, to keep the box usable and it didn't look great with piles of boxes at the front of the store. For high-rise apartment dwellers, boxes don't work very well because they can only carry one or two at a time, as they move their groceries from level 4 underground parking, up to their 28th floor apartment. Plastic grocery bags with handles could be looped on multiple fingers and you could carry 8 or 10 at a time.
Like Costco dose lol
Stuck using the shopping carts now and forgoing bags altogether. It is more inconvenient moving the groceries from my car to the house as I need to make multiple trips. But that beats paying the grocery stores for reusable bags each time and having a million of them at home.
You could keep cardboard boxes in the car into which you could place the cart's items so unloading at home would be quicker. Similarly, you could bag what's in the cart at the car for fewer trips unloading at home.
Perhaps more businesses should offer empty grocery cardboard boxes?
This is the true solution
Costco dose
Yes, and cardboard is great garden mulch.
ok so real question: if you have a bag of bags in your car, forget to bring them into the store, and then buy a full cart of groceries… why not put your items back into your cart, go to your car, and then bag your items at your car??
Sure, if the weather is good...
I use the reusable bags to drop things off at my son's house and they just don't come back. They are good for sorting things in the freezer.
Ideally we could use a nice shopping basket but most stores have signs that they don't want you shopping with your reusable whatever.
The old plastic shopping bags had so very many uses!
Good grief! What is wrong with so many people?! I bought 6 cheap grocery bags and have used them for nearly10 years now. The foil lining of 2 of the 'insulated' ones has torn, but the bags are still holding up just fine. Those people who keep buying them are probably not very high income; such practices keep them poorer than they'd like to be because they make many other such wasteful decisions in life. I simply leave them handy in the car and always remember to take them inside the store. I also always self-checkout so the bags can be loaded properly. I like the idea of simply checking out the cashier way with no bagging; just put everything back in the cart and let me bag it at the car on clear days.
I have 30 plus reusable grocery bags. Half in my kitchen and half in my car. I have gone into the grocery store, only to realize that I've forgotten to bring bags in with me. The more common problem is when I pop into the grocery store with just one bag with the intention of quickly picking up one or two items, but then, I spot several items that I use on a regular basis and they are on sale. I then need to choose whether to forgo buying the sale items, or buy them along with another reusable bag or two to carry them in. Remembering to bring a bag when grocery shopping is one issue, but I'm far more likely to not think about bringing a bag when entering other stores, such as a hardware store, or a clothing store.
I very rarely used a plastic "single use" grocery bag only once. They were used for dozens of various uses around the home and workshop and you could stuff 5 or 6 in a coat pocket when going out to stores. They usually ended their life as garbage bags used in the kitchen, bathroom and office. The grocery store charged 5 cents per bag (20 bags for a dollar), or you can buy a box of 20 Glad kitchen bags for about Ten dollars...and they continue to be readily available at stores for purchase. In December of 2023, before the official ban of plastic grocery bags, I went to a restaurant supply store and purchased a case of 1,000 plastic grocery bags (3 cents per bag). That case of bags represents about 0.5 cubic feet of plastic and with a use of about 10 plastic bags per month for garbage, the case should last about 100 months, which is 8.3 years. Finally, I am an avid recycler of all household materials.....so, why can't plastic bags, cutlery, food containers and thousands of plastic packaging materials be made from a fully recyclable plastic? I would be happy to gather these plastic items in a separate container for recycling. Banning these products is a lazy solution.
I used to recycle my plastic bags, use them for garbage, give things away in them.
I have the same problems as the consumers in this video with the new bags
"Oh Christ" I felt that in my soul. She is my spirit animal.
I keep them in the car. I have too many lol. If I forget now, I just pack the groceries back into the cart and bag them at the car. Keep your receipt handy. When they wear a bit or get dirty I use them to grow potatoes in. Easy to hill them, just add soil and easy to harvest, dump them out. Give yours to a gardening organization or city plots. Lots of people use them.
I have loads of reusable bags, most of them I saved from the trash room in our building or off the streets. They were on their way to the landfill and I took them in. The thing is, if you get groceries delivered, and sometimes even when opting for curbside pickup, you're getting new reusable bags, whether you want it or not. I've had it programmed into me to bring reusable bags for years before the bag laws came into force, because those plastic bags wouldn't survive half the journey home on public transit. These laws really weren't thought through like they should have been. In 20 years, everyone will be screaming "the oceans are full of plastic AND reusable bags."
Only useful thing I have found out about for those bags, for a whole 6 of them is as bags for your deep freezer. As a quick way to sort your frozen items and get to them fast. Outside that, I have 20 more sitting in the closet never to be used.
I do that too. One for hamburger. One for baking supplies rarely used.
I am not sure how this evolved but I use one of those non-woven grocery bags as a purse.
Can they have a donation bin in the store?
I work at a food bank, we can always make use of donated reusable grocery bags. please consider donating any extra bags you may have to local food banks in your area. Thank you.
I think biodegradability should be a consideration for whatever material reusable items are made from. If a paper bag takes weeks to decompose, that's better than the never that plastic takes.
There are hundreds of different types and formulations of plastics and many of them are fully recyclable. I don't understand why government did not mandate that plastic bags, plastic packaging, plastic straws, plastic utensiles and food containers be manufactured only from fully recyclable plastics.
One time, I was one time fooled by the wal mart cashier.
"Did you want bag with purchase this day?"
"Yes", I said and after I had paid he handed me three cloth bags and I stood dumbfounded. Realizing I would then have to stand in the overcrowded return line to return these products I did not want, I resolved then and there that the only answer to the question "do you want bags", or any variation thereof, is "NO".
Those three bags went straight into the garbage when I got home. Too small for groceries, too big for little things. Useless.
If the Grocery Stores really cared about this and not just making money, they should offer a bring back your reusable bag program. I have tones of bags that are clean and only used once that I would much prefer to bring back to the grocery store so that if someone forgot theirs they could just take them for FREE. Pay it forward. Eventually it will become second nature to bring the bags, but until then offering free exchange bags is a better option.
Health food stores tried that in the past, but they weren't always clean ones donated. Recently they also tried in fancy Hong Kong supermarkets, but no one donated.
Phone, keys, wallet, bags. Phone, keys, wallet, bags. My mental checklist before I leave the house, and before I exit my car. Repetition is key to remembering.
♻️Have big stores recycle your old ones for discounts or like refund %.♻️ If you have to many. ♻️That would create extra more jobs for people with out jobs. That would also keep costumers% involved and have them coming back happier. ♻️
It's been tried. They need to bring that back.
My family have few in each car and when we go to the supermarket, even if we forget it in the car, we take the trolley to the car and pack the groceries in the bags by the car so still we use them. Most of mine personally are cotton made
You can purchase mini ones from Sea to Summit and Envirosax. When rolled up they take the space of a kiwi but hold heaps are very string and water resistant.
I have four in the car and two on the motorcycle, been using them for years. Not a problem at all, mainly for economic reasons, but also for the environment.
One of the No Frills in my area takes them. I have lots. Sometimes I put them in recycling bins when I have too many.
Given how little free time most people have, it seems unreasonable to expect people to go home to get a bag before going back out for shopping. If groceries were walking distance from home, that would be a more realistic expectation.
I don't even try to remember anymore, I spend spend a couple extra bucks every visit for 5-6 new bags and toss em whenI get home.
SO MANY! There needs to be a bag return service
I reuse, but I have dozens of them. Then I don't bring enough to the store with me, so I buy more. I store things in them at home. My backseat in my car is literally full of them. But I love them.
As much as I hate it when they charge 10 cents/ plastic bag here, it’s a good reminder to bring the reusable bags to the grocery store.
The struggle with a bad back, so I use grocery delivery, and every time I end up with more bags from each delivery. No idea what to do with them. At least back in the old days I used the delivery bags as bin liners
I never bought a single one, but I ended up with tons of them since each time I order from Uber for groceries... I get 2-3 of them... when I go shopping in person, I always have my own bag... it took 5 years for one I kept using to break... so I don't know what to do with the rest of them
Maybe see if a food bank can use them.
You could also donate to thrift shops. Their customers also forgot bags. I don't order food. Where I live, only pizza is vegetarian among delivery services.
More expensive bag, worst than single use.
So stores are profiting on this purchase, while piling on the waste,
The original intent is to reduce the waste, how oxymoronic.
But if you forget the bags in the car, can’t you just take the groceries out to the car and pack them when you get there? Or depending on what you’ve got, just not use a bag at all?
I rarely use a shopping cart, just those handheld thingies, and I don't know if they'd want me going to the parking lot with it :) I've given up and if I forget a bag I buy a paper one as they are at least useful.
You want to reduce the number of reusable bags at home... start charging $10 a bag and people's memories will magically get better.
Who’s really benefiting from these bags? They cost Penny’s, yet they charge .35
I have 7 bags that roll up and in my purse. I cant go anywhre without my purse (keys, money etc) so i know i have my bags. If it is only a couple of things, i just carry them, instead of using a bag. You just need to want to do ir badly enough.
I don't have those bags I use cotton bags and they where bought in a second hand shop because I was guilty of forgetting to bring a bag with me so now I keep a couple in my rucksack and bike bag that sorted out my forgetfulness which is easily done
I always bring my own bags when shopping for groceries and I keep a neatly folded plastic bag in my purse in case of unexpected purchases. People just have to make an effort to get into a habit, like as you are leaving your car just grab a bag from back seat.
Years ago I was at the dry cleaner and saw that a customer had brought one of those bags in to be repaired! I'm sure it cost him $5 or more to have it mended.
Wow. It pays to sew. I've repaired a few cotton ones. Once I saw an old man with a hand repaired bag older than mine. I know for sure because it was an offer from Circle K about 15 years ago. The equivalent of 80 US cents with a purchase. I was like "Dam. Uncle, you rock."
I tried using reusable bags once. Not only are there issues the self checkout machine thinking I was stealing from moving my bags around but also they rip very easily and defeat the purpose
Why no discussion on what a paper bag breaks down to in the landfill?
Instacart and uber grocery delivery always brings more reusable bag at home! They are everywhere
Give them to a thrift shop or food bank.
Get the "Foldable Box-Bags"! They're so good that I WANT to remember them because they're way better than the regular "bag-like bags".
Someone needs to invent a craft that uses these bags, the way we did for plastic bags.
I was lucky enough that I started using reusable cloth bags when I first started shopping for myself. I didn't have any ingrained bad habits of always using the bags of what stores gave me. Sometimes, if my purse is big enough, and I only have a couple of items in my hand, I would just put the items in my purse. People who has bags in their car can roll their shopping cart full of paid grocery and bag it in the car. I know it's extra work. But it is better for the environment. Or just learn new habits.
For me, I always use a backpack to carry my reusable bags in. And as for people who forget to use their bags - put a sticky note on your dashboard to remind you to use your bags‼️ For that lady who forget that she had bags in her vehicle- she must have alot of things on her mind. ❗️🤯
It’s not a matter of forgetting. I am so sick of these people in their high horse. I sometimes stop at the grocery store when I’m out doing something else or after I go for a walk. So I don’t always have bags on me. I have so many of these it’s ridiculous.
Also, I used to use grocery bags as garbage bags in my bathroom. Now I have to buy garbage bags.
I used my plastic bags for trash bags, and collecting deposit cans to donate to people in need. The ones I didn't use I recycled in soft plastics. Can you put these polypropylene bags in soft plastics? I don't think so. I get them from food delivery services as they are needed for the delivery drivers' they're not going to handle your box of takeout, so turning down a bag is not an option. What do I do with all these bags??
Give to thrift shops or food banks.
You just have to value them more, to remember to use them and make it a habit. I have no problem reusing the only two reusable bags I own.
Can't we make it returnable and give back refund, like for plastic bottles.
My local independent grocer sells a good quality burlap bag for about $5.00. The cost is the incentive to reuse them. Anything cheap iw going to be wasted and landfilled. I have about five of these and keep them in the car.