Paper or Plastic? Grocery Bags......

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Bignuf

When I shop, no matter where, they automatically use plastic now...they don't even offer paper, unless I ask, and then I get "dirty looks". I thought paper was the "green...renewable" choice? Oh...and the "re-usables" they sell? Look as I might, I never see anyone using them.

SO...what do YOU use when YOU shop?

Answers (public voting - your screen name will appear in the results):

Plastic

Peggi , Bignuf , Rossie , DeliciousSurprise , slynch , PonyGirl Sin , Shellz31 , Kayla , Beck , tickle me pink , Lily Night , darthkitt3n , Taylor , GravyCakes , Yaoi Pervette (deleted) , guard083 , Breas , Pandahb , NuclearTeapot , The-IT-Guy-And-My-Secretary , K101 , awesomeness , Pink Jewel , Ryuson , froggiemoma , alliegator , married with children , RonLee , Silverdrop , Jul!a , jennifur77 , 1001 Pleasures , Jax Jackson , Kitt Katt , MK434 , Gone (LD29) , Msmueller , xxxbluexxx , Hummingbird , Hazeleyes2012 , Allstars316 , DawnStar , Lavendar , Martiniman , Vanille , Undecided

Paper

l'amour , Sunshineamine , Jul!a , butts , LeeBee , Lavendar , Wicked Wahine , Boyfriend , wanderer5964

Reusable

Peggi , l'amour , Kkay , Ghost , EJ , slynch , mandiegk , Kindred , PonyGirl Sin , catgirl9 , Wildchild , Kayla , tickle me pink , darthkitt3n , EvilHomer , Taylor , padmeamidala , P'Gell , eggiweg , Starkiller87 , DeliciousDrip , guard083 , daveysgirl , Breas , The Curious Couple , Sir , NuclearTeapot , Kissaki , Ace <3 , cheetahpita , Naughty Student , izy , dhig , dv8 , ThoughtsAblaze , Lummox , mizzmilla , alliegator , hjtee , Sunshineamine , RonLee , Silverdrop , JessCee , spiced , Airen Wolf , Lildrummrgurl7 , GONE! , Cosmonaut , butts , 1001 Pleasures , Beautiful-Disaster , Kitka , FlashFuchsia , LeeBee , KinkyKatieJames , DawnStar , Lavendar , tequilafish , gsfanatic , LavenderSkies , lana.banana , Marie Hanna , Wicked Wahine , XxFallenAngelxX , Vanille

Other?

Total votes: 120 (96 voters)

Poll is closed

08/28/2011

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Kkay

I have one sturdy reusable bag that I use at farmers markets or when I'm out walking to shop. I generally remember it for big grocery trips, but only have the one.

flip & tumble is the kind I have and I'd highly recommend it. More expensive than the grocery store ones, but if you are actually carrying it around, much better.

08/28/2011

Powder

I like to get the plastic, and then reused them as I see fit. I had a roommate who didn't understand why I had a stash of plastic bags laying around.

08/28/2011

Rossie

I like plastic, I always recycle and use them as garbage bags. A lot of people use reusable bags, but I swear I'll never do that, just imagine all the potential bacteria left in the reusables from previous shopping trips. People say reusables are the GREEN way to go, so what about spending extra money buying large plastic waste bags to dispose the garbage, is that GREEN too?

08/28/2011

Ghost

We use reusable bags.. and tons of people here do as well.

08/28/2011

mandiegk

Quote:

Originally posted by Rossie

We don't have a choice in what garbage bags we use in my town. Instead of paying a monthly or yearly bill for garbage pickup we are required to buy the special bags sold by the city to cover the cost of pickup. If you don't put your trash in these bags the city won't pick the garbage up. I have no use for the plastic bags you get at the grocery store.

I never used reusable until I lived abroad and they were charging me for bags at the grocery store. I still use them all the time and the local grocery store gives you a small discount for every reusable bag you bring with you.

08/28/2011

PonyGirl Sin

I use reusable if I have them with me. If I don't I get plastic so I can reuse them at home. I use them for garbage bags for the bathroom, lunch bags for on the go, and many more things.

08/28/2011

Shellz31

Ya won't find paper bags over here unless ya buy alcohol - they put that in a small paper bag.
The reusable bags are everywhere over here in stores. But I'd forget to take them if I had enough. I forget the cooler bags half the time...lol.

08/28/2011

catgirl9

I have a bunch of reusable bags that we take with us. I have some stashed in the truck too because I forget my bags at home sometimes. They don't get nasty; I wash them once a week usually.

08/28/2011

Beck

Plastic, we use them in bathroom garbage!

08/28/2011

tickle me pink

We usually just get the plastic, and I'll keep all the ones that don't have holes in them. Besides using them as little trash bags for the bathroom and a little trashcan I have in my room there have been plenty of times when I just needed a small bag for something. Back when we had cats I also used them when I was cleaning their litter box.

We have a few reusable bags and when we actually remember we'll bring them to the grocery store. We're both pretty forgetful about that, though.

08/28/2011

darthkitt3n

I use plastic mostly. I have a large bag in my kitchen closet that I put all of my plastic bags in. When that bag gets full, I take them back to Walmart to recycle. If I am going to Save a Lot or something, I will bring reusable bags.

08/28/2011

Taylor

I try and use the re-usable bags, but I only remember to take them with me about half of the time. I do like getting the plastic bags too because I use them to pick up after my dogs when I take them for walks. I also use them in the bathroom trashcan like others have mentioned. If I get too big of a stash of them built up I take them to be recycled.

08/28/2011

padmeamidala

Quote:

Originally posted by Bignuf

I try to use reusable whenever I can

08/28/2011

P'Gell

I always try to keep reusable bags in my car. Sometimes, I forget them and then I ask for paper, because it doesn't sit around and take 10,000 years to degrade. The people who work at our Jewel always immediately start putting your food into plastic bags, even if you have your own reusable bags right there. They use, like, 12 bags for 14 items, and if you ask them to please use your bags, they lazily just put the plastic bags they have already started loading your groceries into right into you own reusable bag! I also get kind of upset, (because I have my reusables right there and they can see them) and kind of abruptly rebag my own food mumbling things about "this defeats the purpose of bringing one's own bag, if you just put the landfill bag INTO my bags!"

I found out most places that have those bins that "recycle" plastic bags you bring from home simply bring them into the back of the store and throw them out with their garbage. So, trying to "recycle" plastic grocery bags AT the store is useless.

08/28/2011

Starkiller87

Reuseable always, especially since ill walk to the store most of the time. They are comfortable to hold for a few blocks walking.

08/28/2011

GravyCakes

i like the plastic ones b/c then i can use them as trash bags for my small trash cans that i have in my room & bathroom.

08/28/2011

Yaoi Pervette (deleted)

I get the plastic ones, but I reuse them for all sort of things around the house.

08/28/2011

guard083

Reusables, but if I dont have them then I use plastic

08/28/2011

daveysgirl

Reusables

08/28/2011

Breas

Quote:

Originally posted by guard083

Reusables, but if I dont have them then I use plastic

same here

08/28/2011

The Curious Couple

We use reusable bags.

08/28/2011

Pandahb

I just use plastic, I don't have any reusable bags.

08/28/2011

Sir

I use reusable bags that I got for free from certain events.

08/28/2011

NuclearTeapot

I try to use reusable bags, but sometimes I either forget them or I buy more than I have bags for. However I do reuse the bags either for trash or to make plarn.

We have a pretty big farmers market where I live so I see a lot of people using reusable bags there, and then also at the grocery stores. I would not say they are the majority, but they are visible.

08/28/2011

The-IT-Guy-And-My-Secretary

Quote:

Originally posted by Bignuf

we reuse and reuse the plastic bags from the supermarket.

08/28/2011

Ace <3

i love reusable. it makes me feel a lot better about pollution...

08/28/2011

potstickers

I get paper when I forget to bring my reusable bags. I use the paper bags for recyclables.

08/28/2011

cheetahpita

reusable - you can just throw them in with the laundry when they get dirty. Only inconvenient part is remembering to bring them!

08/28/2011

Naughty Student

I am in Quebec Canada and the groceries make you pay for plastic grocery bags if you didn't bring your own reusable ones. So tote's are REALLY popular here. Everyone is carrying reusable bags with them, in their car and so on.

Some cities are more intense than others in their Eco friendliness. I miss my hometown, it was uber eco friendly, we had recycling and compost that came by each week. Where I live now, the recycling only comes once every two weeks. Our bins get so full, it's crazy. Plus we have no compost here I should make a call to the city to ask where I can bring my compost and what could be done!

08/28/2011

Total posts: 79 Unique posters: 72

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