reduce waste by not taking a bag?

Question

For the rest of this week, I would like everyone to be consciously aware everytime they go shopping to try to reduce plastic bag usage. For small items, put them in your purse or pocket. Shopping at more than one store, put the items in one bag only. For the real enthusiastics, bring your own bag. Everyone respond with how many bags you saved from waste this week. It all adds up.

Answer 1

This is a great idea! Too bad we can't tell the world. Luckily I heard that Ikea is now using canvas bags too. All stores should switch.

And even if you can't use other bags it is always good to keep the bags for other things or even stuff them in your purse or pocket they are so small.

Again AWESOME idea!

Answer 2

You should be able to get a 'bag for life' - very tough plastic bags than can be reused for years before needing replacing.

Stores here in the UK sell them, they're only about $0.20 each and if they do wear out the store will replace them for free. One of these bags shoudl save hundreds of the ordinary plastic bags.

Another scheme in the UK is to give customers points on their loyalty cards if they bring their own bags to the store. This seems to have gone down well as everyone benefits - less bags given out by the store, money saved, less waste, more bonuses for the customer.

As for how many bags I've saved this week - haven't done the weekly shop yet so maybe about 5 or 6 so far, by the end of the week perhaps 15 or 20.

Answer 3

Simply by not taking a bag or bringing your own bag can save a lot of energy. Think about it, the gathering of the plastic materials, the making of it, the transporting of it, etc. Plastic bags are not free as we are led to believe. By reducing the amount of bags we use we help prevent global warming. Plastic bags are generally used just to get your stuff from the store to the car to the house. Is it needed that badly? Carts are used in most stores anyway and can do the same job.

There is a joke about the weird things that happen in American society:
We purchase a waste basket and carry it home in a plastic bag. At home we take the waste basket out of the plastic bag and put the plastic bag in the waste basket.

Answer 4

Bags saved from waste: Loads! Did my big grocery shopping today... used nothing but cloth!
Some of the previous writers are right... the UK and Germany are so ahead on this! I've got 15 cloth bags that I bought at Aldis 10 years ago that I use constantly. And I do have two Tesco's Bags for Life There are times when I forget to grab them, but never on big shopping trips. The few plastic bags we get, we use for cleaning out the cat litter and the trash.
There is even a town here in the UK, sorry I can't remember the name or the county, that is going plastic bag free!
Personally, I love it!

Answer 5

Ok I will but, what if I forget to take the item out of my pocket and set off the alarm.

Besides I use the small plastic bags as trash bags. Does this mean I have to buy bigger trash bags like Heftey?

Answer 6

Ikea in the US has now switched to charging for plastic bags, so bring your own! Even if you reuse your plastic bags as small trashbags, doggie bags, etc., I doubt you ever run out. When you can, be sure to use bring a canvas tote with you, even if you can only fit half of your groceries in it. Also, if you can help it, don't put your produce in the little plastic baggies at the grocery store. Most of the time its unnecessary!

Answer 7

The concern is with plastic bags, correct? I agree with the idea of bringing your own bag, but people can also ask at the grocery store for paper bags instead of plastic. Most grocery stores I have been in have paper bags, they just dont use them unless the customer asks for them because they cost more. Paper degrades a lot faster than plastic, so if you wont bring your own bags, request paper.

Answer 8

I wrote a letter to Wegman's Markets in Rochester New York about their waste. I bought 8 items and left with 4 plastic bags!! My letter was featured in their weekly advertisement as an article introducing their new reusable bags.

I hate plastic bags, they are dangerous to my pets and small kids, they are wasteful and they are horrible for the enviornment.

I can fit my regular weekly groceries in 2 of the reusable bags compared to the 10-12 plastic.
AMAZING!!!

Answer 9

We reuse bags... We also shop at Save a Lot and there you have to box your own groceries or bring your own bag and we usually box our own groceries there!! We also sometimes don't put 2 liters of pop in bags (you can only fit 1 in a bag) so thats saves about 10 bags right there lol!! I guess it all does add up!!

Answer 10

The grocery store I shop at uses 99% paper bags to save money. I recycle all those bags through my business, either for merchandise or if the bag got wet or torn, for bird cages.
We not only recycle my bags but a few of my neighbors also.
I thoroughly detest plastic bags from any store and generally avoid taking them at all. If I get any anyway, all the white ones go to Wal-Mart for their recycling program.