San Francisco to ban plastic grocery bags

[Caladan 19]

I use canvas tote bags (one from TJ's) for groceries a lot of the time. To me it just makes sense. They're sturdier, they don't cut into my hands on the walk home (I live about a half mile from the store) and can hold more.

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

I use canvas tote bags (one from TJ's) for groceries a lot of the time. To me it just makes sense. They're sturdier, they don't cut into my hands on the walk home (I live about a half mile from the store) and can hold more.

do you hand it to the bagger when shopping at a non TJ? any negative reaction from non-TJ baggers? there shouldn't be any.

Daniel

:energetic:

[Caladan 19]

They haven't said anything about that or the canvas bag I got from the local photocopier.

[amwo 0]

Yet again the US is behind the times.....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2205419.stm

http://voanews.com/english/archive/2006-12...FTOKEN=55392139

http://www.planetark.com/avantgo/dailynews...fm?newsid=40452

http://www.azom.com/details.asp?newsID=638

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/...8392600187.html

the list goes on and on........

[William33 110]

I agree with the idea that plastic bags are much more convenient.

When we lived in Italy, the supermarkets charged 5 cents Euro for each bag, which prompted most shoppers to re-use them over and over.

Of course, the bags they use are much sturdier than the cheap ones you get here.

My wife wants to buy a plastic bag dispenser, because we have hundreds of these bags lying around.

Maybe the US stores ought to take a tip from the Italians, and charge for a sturdier bag. We would all then keep the empty bags in the car for re-use.

[Jenn! 918]

I agree with the idea that plastic bags are much more convenient.

When we lived in Italy, the supermarkets charged 5 cents Euro for each bag, which prompted most shoppers to re-use them over and over.

Of course, the bags they use are much sturdier than the cheap ones you get here.

My wife wants to buy a plastic bag dispenser, because we have hundreds of these bags lying around.

Maybe the US stores ought to take a tip from the Italians, and charge for a sturdier bag. We would all then keep the empty bags in the car for re-use.

Yup, same here. We always reused our Di Per Di bags in Italy, either to bring to the store again to fill up or as trash bags. Much sturdier than the kind you get here. I wouldn't mind paying 5 cents a bag here. Although the difference was also that you bag your own groceries there so you could say I want 5 bags. Here they seem to use way too many bags as it is - if they charged you, they'd probably use even more!

[Ladylethal 12]

I use my groceries's bags to linen the trash can, instead of buying garbage bags.

[peejay 327]

I use my groceries's bags to linen the trash can, instead of buying garbage bags.

My wife and I do the same thing. I used the paper bags for the same thing in the old days of paper.

But it is worthy to note that Belarus and Russia also charge for the sturdy plastic bags and people there tend to reuse them. When consumers have to make a choice they tend to make the wisest economical choice. Some of my relatives there have purchased sturdy cloth bags for toting groceries.

As for me...I go through the self check-out at the market and put the items back into the basket without putting them in bags. I keep several laundry baskets in the back of the car and transfer my groceries from the store's basket to my laundry baskets to transport them to the house.

Personally I think there are much worst offenders to the environment than these plastic bags.

[cmartyn 0]

Plastic bags are perfect for cleaning out the litter boxes!

[yogib37 3]

:no: Only in San Francisco will they come up with something like that.

Height Asbury.. Peace love and the greatefull dead

[cmartyn 0]

[quote Maybe the US stores ought to take a tip from the Italians, and charge for a sturdier bag. We would all then keep the empty bags in the car for re-use.

In the US you would need the government to impliment it. If one chain started to do it their customers would leave them and go somewhere else. The state governments even in blue states still argue about raising bottle deposits from 5 to 10 cents because people will travel out of state to buy beer in cheaper cans. Id like to see a one dollar deposit on water bottles personally.

[ELW 5]

I think it’s a great idea. I always keep several heavy plastic and cloth bags in my car, which I bring into the store whenever I go shopping. What about all the plastic that goes into the packaging of products we purchase, I wonder?

[PlatyPius 5]

I buy the 10 cent plastic bags from Aldi. They're super-strong and the handles don't hurt as much as the cheap plastic ones at other stores. I hate paper bags. When Sian and I go shopping, we usually have 6-10 bags. That's a lot of carrying (while trying to keep 4 cats in the house) if we used paper bags.

[Reba 2]

I use canvas bags when I do my grocery shopping. And, if you ask your grocery store manager, they may even have a 5 cent credit for every re-usable bag you bring in of your own.

I use them because I can fit in 25% more stuff into each bag. I use 6 to 8 of them rather than 50 plastic bags, some of which will hold only one item because they're so flimsy.

I think I'm currently the only one in town who does this, but the cashiers all know me now, and they've all figured out the bag credit on the register now.

When I do happen to go to the store and forget my canvas bags, I take the plastic back to the store to recycle. We do not have curbside recycling of any kind in this town. (they say its too costly ) and they've even taken away one recycle drop off depot. There's only one now for a city with population 17,000+. I'd say half those people didn't even know there was recycling depots here until it was on the front page that they'd closed one This city seriously sucks. They raised taxes, and then they keep taking away services.

Ah well...back to topic...go canvas! Its really a lot easier, and won't break half way home

[Widge 0]

I've been known to take my Tesco Bags for Life shopping with me here. In 18 months as a cashier at Walmart I have only had ONE customer bring in her own bags for re-use, I actually wanted to hug her! But I have to say that what I find worse from a landfill point of view (and cost wasting) is the fact that we throw out every single clothes hanger that isnt given to the customer and in a wally superstore that is a hell of a lot of hangers going to landfill.