Monday, September 14, 2009

Fun Monday - What's Your Bag?

Chris B from the UK is our bag lady Fun Monday hostess this week and she would like to know if we prefer paper, plastic or fabric shopping bags?

Well Chris, I usually shop for groceries about once a week and most of the time, I shop at the local Walmart because I feel they have competitive prices. In 2007, Walmart launched a "Reusable Bag Initiative" by offering customers the option to purchase reusable shopping bags in order to cut plastic bag waste by one-third by the year 2013. Along with giving out fewer plastic bags and helping customers recycle existing bags, Walmart expects to eliminate more than 135 million pounds of plastic waste globally.

While I realize that the best solution to a greener Earth is to utilize the reusable bags, I have to admit that I have a convenience addiction to plastic. I know, shame on me. The problem is that when I shop for my weekly groceries, my cart is overflowing. I would need to purchase about 50 of these reusable bags and then have a special tote just to tote my totes. I am the proud owner of about two reusable bags just like the one pictured above, but I have yet to use them.  They are in my car, somewhere.  In the meantime, I have made a conscious effort to use fewer plastic bags. When the clerk asks if I would like my milk in a bag, I always say, no.

Won't you join us for Fun Monday? Click here to play along and to see what bags the other participants are sporting today.

11 comments:

willowtree said...

I find the more groceries you have, the better they work, an overflowing cart only takes about 6 to 8 bags, and about 10 for the larger carts. And all mine fold up and fit in one or two of my reusable bags (no extra tote necessary). It's not that hard not to be be resource wasteful.

margaret said...

Hello my friend! Pfft...the day I decide whether I like a person based upon what they carry their groceries in, is the day that I'll really need to get a life!

Each of us needs to do whatever works best for ourselves and our unique situations. And now that plastic bags can be recycled anyway - it's really a matter of choice. There are definitely pros and cons for plastic and reusables alike!

Thanks for playing Fun Monday, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the fabulous Jan! I will scoot over there now and give her my best.

jill said...

Something else that doesn't need it's own bag, a 3pk of tissues, why they insist on doing that when you can't even hold the bag closed with it in there is beyond me. I've taken to just telling them NOT to put my puffs with aloe in a bag. Now if I could just switch to hankies instead. Sigh. I agree that about 6 bags would be okay, or you could do like we do when we go to Aldi and that's take a cooler or plastic totes and 'bag' ourselves in the parking lot. Wish all stores did that. I bag better than the cashiers most of the time and I've never worked at WalMart.

Janis said...

I despise plastic bags, the old paper bag holds way more. I know we should help our environment and I do recyle the plastics. I am with you about buying the bags...why should I give the store money for one of their reusable bags, that would give them free advertisement and I paid for it.

ChrisB said...

A lot of my bags have been presents so I haven't needed to buy many. The plastic ones are often bags for life (means the store will replace if they rip and they recycle the plastic) which is another good idea.

Sayre said...

I've had bags from Publix, Winn Dixie and Albertsons. WD and Albertsons bags quickly got rips in them (along the bottom where there would be the worst consequences). The Publix and Wal-Mart bags I've had were terrific though - pretty strong and they hold a lot. I think I want to make my own though...

wendishness said...

It's a shame that we have to pay for them, I think to encourage people they need to be giving them away!

quilly said...

I don't mind using the cloth bags. I even made a couple of my own out of scrap material. I just never remember them. I am at the store. They are at home. Pft.

BS said...

I haven't paid for a single bag - whenever I come across a freebie - I take advantage of it.

Faye said...

I always ask the teens who bag the groceries to pack them heavy and always tell them the tired old story about it being less eventful to get in the house around the dog if I have to make fewer trips--like they care. Plus, don't want to be the senior citizen who can't pack heavy bags until absolutely necessary. I actually like to bag my own groceries--rather sort in the store than when I get home.

Gattina said...

If you have to pay for each little plastic bag you get quickly used to the new system, lol ! in the beginning I always forgot to take bags with me, and had to buy new once, now I always keep some in my car ! I think it is a good start what Walmart does, sooner or later you will also to pay for plastic bags.

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