Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Grocery bags, sacks and totes


Dave the Cook

Recommended Posts

I wonder what a life-cycle energy analysis would say about the various reusable totes versus disposable plastic bags. Presumably, there's a lot more energy and such involved in creating a reusable tote. I wonder how many times you have to use it before it becomes better for the planet than disposable bags. 10? 100? 500? And I wonder how many times the average reusable bag actually gets used before it's retired and discarded.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder what a life-cycle energy analysis would say about the various reusable totes versus disposable plastic bags. Presumably, there's a lot more energy and such involved in creating a reusable tote. I wonder how many times you have to use it before it becomes better for the planet than disposable bags. 10? 100? 500? And I wonder how many times the average reusable bag actually gets used before it's retired and discarded.

Plastic bags are being phased out at a lot of supermarkets here in Brisbane. We are all being encouraged to buy re-useable totes. But - I recently read that cotton is not at all environmentally friendly - takes up a huge percentage of the world's pesticide use, and a lot of water.

I cant remember where I read about it, but there is some info <a href="http://www.i-sis.org.uk/GMCFATW.php">HERE<a/>

Happy Feasting

Janet (a.k.a The Old Foodie)

My Blog "The Old Foodie" gives you a short food history story each weekday day, always with a historic recipe, and sometimes a historic menu.

My email address is: theoldfoodie@fastmail.fm

Anything is bearable if you can make a story out of it. N. Scott Momaday

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder what a life-cycle energy analysis would say about the various reusable totes versus disposable plastic bags. Presumably, there's a lot more energy and such involved in creating a reusable tote. I wonder how many times you have to use it before it becomes better for the planet than disposable bags. 10? 100? 500? And I wonder how many times the average reusable bag actually gets used before it's retired and discarded.

In my case, well, the age of my oldest tote was, I hate to admit this, because I AM the original owner, 29 years- until a few weeks ago, when it was stolen from my car. I got it at a fund raiser in school! Most of my other totes were from 1987, 1989, 0r the early 90's. I have only ruined one tote over the years, it got overbleached and the fibers weakened. YRMV!

Edited by Rebecca263 (log)

More Than Salt

Visit Our Cape Coop Blog

Cure Cutaneous Lymphoma

Join the DarkSide---------------------------> DarkSide Member #006-03-09-06

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Death before the grocery-tote-on-wheels!  :raz:

Aw, the wheeled tote's not so bad ... especially when it's done up in faux zebra-skin. :biggrin: Actually, the thing can be a pain in the arse to load and unload, not to mention navigate down the street or up stairs ...

Ditto what everyone else has said about the current sorry state of grocery bagging. I regret to report that I have heard myself snap things like: "Would you please not throw my food around like that?" I get a lot of my basics at Food 4 Less not only because of the prices, but because they are totally bag-it-yourself.

The baggers and cashiers at the local 99 Ranch do take some nice care with their bagging. Like putting each glass jar in its own paper bag and then grouping those together in a plastic bag, so they're a little cushioned against each other. They do burn through a lot of bags that way, and in general, but at least there's some purpose to it. They also do a neat trick with lacing the handles of the plastic bags together so that stuff won't fall out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was an article in the Toronto Star recently about the province gearing up to do something about plastic bags. here

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My father won't buy the bags but usually has waxed cardboard boxes in his car and will put his groceries into his cart without bagging, then will transfer the groceries to the boxes at the car.

You've reminded me of how we transport our haul from Caputos, where we do much of our greengrocer and staples shopping. They offer the empty produce boxes as well as the standard bags, and we go for the boxes every time. They fit nicely in the trunk, hold a ton, don't break or buckle, and are easy to unload from the car.

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You want to talk about infestation, the worst experiences I've had have been with reused produce boxes, liquor cartons, etc. Not only do pests hitch rides on those things, but also the containers have often absorbed food odors and residues, so they're pest magnets for as long as you keep them in the home. I have a similar problem with reusable totes -- one of the reasons we don't use them (aside from the fact that I guess I just don't love the earth enough) for food is that we don't want them in the house the rest of the week, giving off food odors. Maybe if we kept them in the car it would be different, but we're in New York City so we don't usually shop with the car.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...