So who brings their own grocery bags to the store with them?

person

When I lived near a co-op a long time ago I would bring my bags with me. Then I moved gas went up and organics started being sold in the big chain stores so it didn't make much sense to travel so far to shop. At first I stopped bringing my bags with because I felt like a weirdo but a year or so ago I started to bring them with again and also I've noticed other people doing it too. I've had a couple comments from people in line with me that they should start bringing them in too, so I hope maybe my actions can inspire others to conserve a little bit.

Anyone else bring theirs with?

My mom used the rebate and gave me two of her free ones.

federica

always.
We use ours for all kinds of different things too... collecting re-cycling, carrying wood home for the fire....

person

I should add their very nice to use. Really durable, so you don't have to worry about them tearing open while carrying them and easy to carry too with the longer, flexible handles.

Dakini

Oh, you got me, @person! Old habits die hard! I had a couple of bags around the house, and have tried for months to get in the habit of taking them to the store. They've now made it as far as my car. I have one in the car. But most of the time, I forget about it when I get out of the car in the grocery parking lot. Occasionally I do remember to take it.

Sounds incredibly lame, no? But I prefer them, because otherwise, all those paper bags clutter the kitchen and have to be recycled. I like the way they eliminate clutter.

person

Most stores also give a 5 cent credit for each bag. One could literally save a couple bucks a year! :rolleyes:

RichardH

There was a by-law passed here (Toronto) compelling all retailers to first ask customers if they want a plastic or paper bag, then charging 5 cents for each one. They also have to sell reusable bags. There was some grumbling at first, but after a while it settled down to a new normal, with most people bringing reusable bags.

AMH

Yes!! Okay I forget sometimes.

When I worked at Target I shocked some of the younger cashiers because one of my reusable bags was older than them, LOL.

It is much better than doing this 20+ years ago because they thought I was trying to shoplift or they would tell me I was required to have a plastic bag for certain things, or they refused to put my groceries in my backpack to bike home because they thought it was wrong. Who knows, I am trying to get over it now being a trend because it really is better.

Dakini

20+ years ago they thought I was trying to shoplift

I'm still trying to get the hang of how it's supposed to work. If I have the bag in my hand, I automatically start putting groceries into it as I shop. But I found out you're not supposed to do that (?)--they find it confusing, and may suspect shoplifting. You're supposed to use the store's basket or cart for your groceries, then pull out your bag for the bagger at the cash register.

Sabre

Tosh

I live in Wales in the UK. By law, shops have to charge you for bags, per bag, so everyone here - just about - uses their own. I think it's a great idea. Occasionally, we buy plastic bags, when we've went shopping on an impulse, but for our planned weekly 'big shop', we take our own bags.

Zayl

I do. The biggest reason is because they do not rip and tear when you're carrying the groceries out to your car in the pouring rain forcing you to try and pick up whatever isn't ruined while the rest of your stuff gets soaked.

All of the other benefits are just bonuses.

AMH

I crochet my own string bags which are the perfect vegie/farmers market kind of bag. But the grocery stores cannot figure them out. I even made a custom one for a friend who is addicted to diet coke, she carries a 2 liter with her a lot of the time. So I made one the perfect size to carry a 2 liter bottle, I am sure it would work for more healthy drinks as well.

lamaramadingdong

Habits take practice- our bad ones we practice a lot.

Lady_Alison

Can you pm me the pattern? Or send me a link? @AHM

I crochet my own string bags which are the perfect vegie/farmers market kind of bag. But the grocery stores cannot figure them out. I even made a custom one for a friend who is addicted to diet coke, she carries a 2 liter with her a lot of the time. So I made one the perfect size to carry a 2 liter bottle, I am sure it would work for more healthy drinks as well.

AMH

I will and it may take a little time, I have a copied one that I keep on losing so I may have to find it and type it in. I cannot seem to find the same pattern online that works so well

MsJeni

For as long as I can remember I have used our bags in the all the small waste cans, in the bathrooms, bedrooms, and by our desks instead of buying those small trash bags. Now that we are in a small apartment, I hang one off a cabinet in the kitchen every morning (not enough room for a trash can in there), which is just right size to carry out every night so we don't attract any unwanted insects or anything. The 13 gallon trashcan stays on the patio now, but I've only bought one box of trash bags for it in 4 years for it.

When we spring cleaning, I hang one off of every door knob for trash (it always amazes me how much trash there is when we do it), and I'll use them to sort the donation stuff to better organize what's what.
I have 10+ of the fabric bags, but they always get snatched up and used for something else, after the first trip up from the car.

etherea

I always use my own bags. I have a rucksack for heavy goods and cotton ones for veg fruit etc. - I hate it when I purchase something relatively small that will quite easily fit in my pocket and assistants want to give me a plastic bag. Most supermarkets here have very recently started charging for carrier bags so more people are bringing their own, but there are still those who will pay for a plastic bag for a loaf of bread which already comes wrapped...... duhhhh!

vinlyn

In my community, trash is to be put in dumpsters only in some sort of bag. I can either buy trash bags, or I can put the trash is the grocery bags. I do the latter.

Telly03

I opt for plastic bags from the store... Like Msjeni, we reuse them for waste baskets, picking up dog waste and such.

ginab

I would, but I use the plastic bags to clean the litter box. When the days comes that the stores start charging for the plastic bags, I'll start bringing me own!

zombiegirl

I forget sometimes, but I usually keep a bunch in my trunk. Trader Joe's lets you enter a weekly drawing for a free bag of groceries if you use your own bags.

Although, I admit, when going to regular grocery stores, I get the plastic bags because I reuse them for scooping cat litter.

Just an fyi for people who forget, at least around here, both paper and plastic bags are recyclable.

andyrobyn

Legislation was passed where I live a few years ago ( Australia ) and we are now charged for plastic bags at supermarkets etc. The sale of bin liners and plastic bags in supermarkets has reportedly risen. Overall it has been a good move forward from all I can see.

DaltheJigsaw

I do! I think this is a good idea!

Dakini

Trader Joe's lets you enter a weekly drawing for a free bag of groceries if you use your own bags.

What do you think of all the plastic packaging on veggies at Trader Joe's?

nanimo

I bring my bags most of the time, and I'm sure the HEB folks mutter under their breaths at the fact that I'm using SPROUTS bags, but the SPROUTS bags hold up better.

zombiegirl

Trader Joe's lets you enter a weekly drawing for a free bag of groceries if you use your own bags.

What do you think of all the plastic packaging on veggies at Trader Joe's?

I'm confused by this question. Perhaps I don't buy enough veggies from TJs because I haven't noticed an inordinate amount of plastic? I mean, not any more than any other grocery store for items. The last veg I bought there was a bunch of asparagus which was only tied together with a rubber band. Farmers markets are always the way to go if you don't want plastic packaging.

Bekenze

I reuse the bags from the grocery store. I use them as bags to take things places, as garbage bags, as bags to put kitty poop in, etc.

Dakini

@zombiegirl At my Trader Joe's, the veggies are all in plastic containers of some sort--on a little cardboard tray, then shrink-wrapped, or in plastic boxes, or something. It's impossible to buy veggies there without plastic, so I don't buy veggies there.

zombiegirl

@zombiegirl At my Trader Joe's, the veggies are all in plastic containers of some sort--on a little cardboard tray, then shrink-wrapped, or in plastic boxes, or something. It's impossible to buy veggies there without plastic, so I don't buy veggies there.

Hm! They don't have any open stock vegetables? I mean, at my TJs, they do have SOME veggies shrink wrapped (like mushrooms and certain vegetable assortments that have already been chopped), but they still have a large open stock vegetable and fruit area. How strange... I wonder the reason for the discrepancy.

Dakini

There's open-stock fruit, but not veggies, unless you count avocados as a veggie.

zombiegirl

I think I will need to pay a little more attention. Honestly, they tend to be more expensive for items like that so I typically shop elsewhere anyways. I'm kind of a spend thrift and know the prices of all the items I typically buy and go to certain stores for certain things, so I really only buy specific items at Trader Joes.