Grocery bags

MHesse · August 9, 2003

Just returned from our weekly major shopping trip to Fairway. Tips - go early, split up and multi-task, use waiting time at the deli counter productively, try to remain calm and civil.

For two people in NYC with no car, we fill the folding shopping cart with 6 bags (paper and plastic). Another 4 bags of stuff: pet food, paper products, etc come from other places.

I fold the bags neatly (doesn't everyone?) and store them under the sink. We then use them for our trash, which fills about 10 bags a week.

So, we're in bag balance. Do others run at a deficit or surplus? (probably a function of time spent folding and crushing).

Thank goodness for efficient checkers and packers.

Do you yearn for the wide aisles of the suburban market?

--mh

fifi · August 9, 2003

paper vs. plastic?

At my previous house, we had curbside recycling. I would get some paper bags for putting out the newspapers. These were folded and kept in the little space between the washing machine and the wall as this was on the way to the garage and the recycling pile. Our recycling did not include the plastic bags for some dumb reason. There are recycling boxes at the grocery stores so I would save up wads of the plastic bags and never remember to take them with me. When the wad approached the size of a small elephant, I would give up and throw the whole thing out when various species of critters would take up residence.

I am not an environmental fanatic but I do stay informed and try to do the right thing. I got used to the recycling and I miss it.

That said... From the environmental standpoint I would have to go with plastic. I know a lot about the manufacturing processes for both and the process for making and recycling plastic is WAY cleaner than for paper. We need to do a better job on the recycling end, though. They are making progress on plastics that will self destruct in landfills but we are not quite there yet. There are some interesting studies on garbage at the University of Arizona (I think) that shows that paper doesn't decompose in landfills as readily as some might think.

fresco · August 9, 2003

One pet peeve about plastic is that it seems to encourage baggers to use a ton of them, so if you aren't vigilant, you can wind up leaving with five or six bags for a small amount of purchases.

Another is they're no damn good for storing fresh mushrooms, which means searching around the house for a paper bag to switch them into, and paper bags are usually in short supply around here.

Edited August 9, 2003 by fresco (log)

tommy · August 9, 2003

plastic. i save them for the kitty litter.

Stop and Shop's bags have holes in the bottom, so they don't work well for this application. Kings' bags, however, are perfect. i sometimes make the decision on where to shop based on how many bags i have left for the kitty litter.

edit: boy, i can't type this morning. :wacko:

Edited August 9, 2003 by tommy (log)

KateW · August 9, 2003

I hardly ever get plastic bags unless I'm only picking up a couple things. When I ask for paper the baggers like to put it in plastic first and then paper, which defeats the purpose to me, so I have to say "JUST paper", and then I get nasty looks, and sometimes an "I KNOW"...well if you KNOW, teach your coworkers ;)

I usually end up reorganizing my bags in the trunk anyway. The baggers like to put alike things together, which is cute, but can get heavy when all the fruit is together, all the drinks are together, etc.

As for bag disposal we use the paper bags for kitty litter disposal and the plastic bags for returnable cans. We have a lot of extra bags :)

claire797 · August 9, 2003

plastic. i save them for the kitty litter.
Stop and Shop's bags have holes in the bottom, so they don't work well for this application. Kings' bags, however, are perfect. i someone make the decision on where to shop based on how many bags i have left for the kitty litter.

Me too. Kitty litter and dirty diapers.

If we don't have a big stash of plastic bags around, then we're in trouble.

marie-louise · August 9, 2003

Paper bags get reused to hold the paper recycling. One of my favorite haunts gives out really nice, large shopping bags. They put a brown bag inside. Perfect for cramming full of recycling.

The grocery stores around here all recycle plastic bags. I have a little trash can that has indentations to hold a plastic shopping bag. (I got it at The Container Store.) I keep it in my pantry, and cram all my other plastic bags and wrapping in it until it's full. Then I tie the top of the bag, and take the whole bag full bag to the store. They are making a lot of things out of recycled platic these days.

snowangel · August 9, 2003

Always paper at the grocery. Minneapolis won't take recycling in plastic bags any more. I get more than enough plastic bags from places like Target. Since these multiply like rabbits, I tend to take my old bags back to Target for re-use.

I think one of the biggest scams on the market is Glad and Hefty, etc. trash bags. They have people buying something for the sole purpose of throwing it away!

fresco · August 9, 2003

I guess it's worth pointing out that it's been years since supermarkets and most other retailers in Toronto used paper bags--the only choice is plastic.

elyse · August 9, 2003

I always have three or four plastic bags in my shoulder bag. They're over a year old. If you're having an environmental or space issue, I suggest you bring your own bags and not take any.

I use a paper bag for garbage, empty it into the can in the recycling room, and use it again.

Peter B Wolf · August 9, 2003

".......I use a paper bag for garbage, empty it into the can in the recycling room, and use it again......"

Definition: [n] food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)

Synonyms: food waste, refuse, scraps

Sure you don't mean 'Trash' (other than 'Garbage' ?) ?

Don't these paperbags get sort of 'moist', and will be hard to reuse?

torakris · August 9, 2003

There has been only plastic in Japan for as long as I have been here (about 13 years), though they do have small paper bags to wrap your "private" :blink: purchases in before you but them into the plastic. The Japanese find purchases of items like tampons and condoms to be very private and the cashiers will wrap them in paper for you.

Some higher scale supermarkets will also use small paper bags to wrap anything that is glass.

I use the bags for dirty diapers (hope to be out of this soon!) and for the raw garbage in the sink, there are no disposals in Japan instead there is a little bucket in the drain that catches all of the food and it needs to be cleaned daily. :wink:

elyse · August 9, 2003

".......I use a paper bag for garbage, empty it into the can in the recycling room, and use it again......"
Definition: [n] food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)
Synonyms: food waste, refuse, scraps
Sure you don't mean 'Trash' (other than 'Garbage' ?) ?
Don't these paperbags get sort of 'moist', and will be hard to reuse?

No, nothing terrible wet goes in there. If it does, I put it on something which will let it air out. I also compost. I generate little garbage. Trash or otherwise.

nightscotsman · August 9, 2003

Canvas - with nice soft cotton handles. :smile:

britcook · August 9, 2003

Recycle? Of course I recycle. I use what we call "trolley bags", heavy duty reinforced plastic with decent wooden handles, two fit in an average supermarket trolley. They get used week in, week out, with a thermal bag for chilled stuff (also re-used). I can never understand why north American supermarkets use these paper/plastic bags that you then have to do something with.

edit to add that I have lost more than one paper bag because of an insecure grip. I'll stick with my wooden handles.

Edited August 9, 2003 by britcook (log)

NeroW · August 9, 2003

plastic. i save them for the kitty litter.

Word.

But, even with two cats now, We. Have. So. Many. Bags.

NeroW · August 9, 2003

The Japanese find purchases of items like tampons and condoms to be very private and the cashiers will wrap them in paper for you.

Good thing I don't live in Japan, then.

Whenever I buy condoms, I take out a full-page ad in the paper, and just in case anyone misses that, I also dance up and down the grocery aisles waving the box.

Just so everyone knows *I'm* getting laid.

:wink:

maggiethecat · August 9, 2003

The Japanese find purchases of items like tampons and condoms to be very private and the cashiers will wrap them in paper for you.
Good thing I don't live in Japan, then.
Whenever I buy condoms, I take out a full-page ad in the paper, and just in case anyone misses that, I also dance up and down the grocery aisles waving the box.
Just so everyone knows *I'm* getting laid.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Damn near wet my pants. Oh my, she says, wiping her eyes.

thebaker · August 9, 2003

Paper or Plastic

I have not had a paper shopping bag in a grocery store since I was a teenager

Out in queens it's plastic only and I have a hard time stopping them from doubleing them and putting only 3 items in each bags,

Once a month i throw out huge garbage bags full of those darn plastic bags...

its such a waste... :sad:

MHesse · August 10, 2003

Paper bags do add a little structure to the stacking in the shopping cart and prevents losing things from the cart during the 7 block push back home. Otherwise, the plastic is better at holding in the cat litter clumps and whatever wet stuff there might be. I'm sure it happens, but I can't say I've seen many reused or canvas/string bags at Fairway - maybe in the express lane.

When I was in school, all my book covers were made out of paper bags. (though there probably weren't plastic bags then). We were poor, but brown paper book covers were middle class; newspaper covers were poor. Do school books still get covered?

---mh

elyse · August 10, 2003

The Japanese find purchases of items like tampons and condoms to be very private and the cashiers will wrap them in paper for you.
Good thing I don't live in Japan, then.
Whenever I buy condoms, I take out a full-page ad in the paper, and just in case anyone misses that, I also dance up and down the grocery aisles waving the box.
Just so everyone knows *I'm* getting laid.

Oh my GOD, I do that too!

Paper or Plastic
I have not had a paper shopping bag in a grocery store since I was a teenager
Out in queens it's plastic only and I have a hard time stopping them from doubleing them and putting only 3 items in each bags,
Once a month i throw out huge garbage bags full of those darn plastic bags...
its such a waste...

Then don't take any bags.

fifi · August 10, 2003

When I was in school, all my book covers were made out of paper bags. (though there probably weren't plastic bags then). We were poor, but brown paper book covers were middle class; newspaper covers were poor. Do school books still get covered?
---mh

OMG! I had forgotten all about that. I remember covering my books with the brown paper the evening I would get home from the first day back at school. It was sort of a ritual. That was in the 50s, elementary school. I don't remember doing that when I got to high school.

Another use for the paper bags was the Thanksgiving turkey. For years, my mother's favorite way to bake a turkey was in an oiled paper bag.

luckyzoe · August 10, 2003

plastic. i save them for the kitty litter.

Word.
But, even with two cats now, We. Have. So. Many. Bags.

See, I have two dogs and need to encourage all of my friends to get plastic and save them for me. I can never have enough plastic bags for those two little poop machines!

maggiethecat · August 10, 2003

I remember covering my books with the brown paper the evening I would get home from the first day back at school. It was sort of a ritual.

This took me straight back....thank you.

I am a paper geek with a paper cutter. When I have a little free time, I cut brown paper bags into neat squares, stack them, glue the spines with rubber cement, clamp ...cool memo pads.

(I did say I was a paper geek!)

Marmish · August 10, 2003

Paper bags do add a little structure to the stacking in the shopping cart and prevents losing things from the cart during the 7 block push back home. Otherwise, the plastic is better at holding in the cat litter clumps and whatever wet stuff there might be. I'm sure it happens, but I can't say I've seen many reused or canvas/string bags at Fairway - maybe in the express lane.
When I was in school, all my book covers were made out of paper bags. (though there probably weren't plastic bags then). We were poor, but brown paper book covers were middle class; newspaper covers were poor. Do school books still get covered?
---mh

Yep, books still get covered. But now they usually buy stretchy fabric covers at a couple of bucks each. We also get tons of free paper book covers from cereal and candy companies with their advertising all over them. They aren't big enough and tear easily. I save all my paper bags and take them to school at the beginning of the year to teach my kids the "old fashioned way". They last longer. But the very best is wallpaper.

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