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Paper Bags or Plastic Bags? Everything You Need to Know
treehugger.com — It's an age old question, when it comes time to check out when grocery shopping: paper bag or plastic bag? It seems like it should be an easy choice, but there's an incredible number of details and inputs hidden in each bag. From durability and reusability to life cycle costs, there's a lot more to each bag than meet the eye.
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- psud0, on 07/08/2008, -14/+20The fact that a plastic bag needs more then 100 years to break down always brings me to use paper bag.
- tjex, on 07/09/2008, -0/+9Not sure why they are digging you down, makes plenty of sense.
Forest are renewable and are farmed.
Paper is recyclable and can be turned into other bags.
Paper bags comes from pulp that doesn't need to be bleached or colored.
Plastic bag can be recycled but you wont find that to be true in many many cities that don't support that option.
We are running out of oil, I'd rather have fuel/oil for planes/cars then wasting it on plastic bags.
Plastic bags don't biodegrade, and stick around for ... ever!
Reusable bags is the way to go though! Option C- Pittance, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1Plastics are essential. We could not live in our society today without them. How exactly does someone who saves fuel and goes 2x a month to get a big load of groceries use reusable bags? I cant just have 40 cloth bags laying around.
Does it count as recycling when I use plastic bags to take my lunch everyday and to fill my little (5) trashcans around my house before tossing them? Because I get 2-3 uses out of every plastic bag. And if I wanted, I could wash them, which is impossible with paper.
Also I like how the article completely disregards its own issue at the end. Pussies. If they were going to do that, they could have said "we leave it up to you to make your own decisions given the facts for each". Instead they just pushed an near-impossible agenda. Maybe if I walked to work and the store I could use a canvas shopping bag. Maybe.
- Pittance, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1Plastics are essential. We could not live in our society today without them. How exactly does someone who saves fuel and goes 2x a month to get a big load of groceries use reusable bags? I cant just have 40 cloth bags laying around.
- mike17032, on 07/09/2008, -8/+3Good for you.
The fact that paper bags are 100 ***** times harder to carry always brings me to use plastic.- wonderbriefs, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1I don't see why you got dug down for that. Sure, paper is the wiser choice, but I think with this kind of comment, hopefully somebody out there will design an easier to carry paper bag.
Personally, I use the reusable bags they sell at Whole Foods. They zip up into a nice burlap pouch when not in use, and the proceeds of the sales of the bags goes to feed starving kids. One bag purchases 100 Meals.
- wonderbriefs, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1I don't see why you got dug down for that. Sure, paper is the wiser choice, but I think with this kind of comment, hopefully somebody out there will design an easier to carry paper bag.
- LogicBomB, on 07/09/2008, -2/+3Some high school kid came up with a bacteria that completely breaks down a plastic bag in something stupid like 14 days or 30 days or something.
They can also be recycled if I'm not mistaken. - darkciti2, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3I like paper bags because when I put them on the counter, all my ***** doesn't fall over.
- nowsamsara, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1I digged your comment up. I despise it when common sense gets Dedigged.
- tjex, on 07/09/2008, -0/+9Not sure why they are digging you down, makes plenty of sense.
- TheOtherOne135, on 07/08/2008, -5/+41Okay, so it's a lot of info. But I resent it (even when I knew beforehand) when an article presents itself as "A or B?" and then turns out to really be an advocate for C.
And given all the information you gave us about paper and plastic, how about a little information about the damage done by creating those reusable bags they advocate? Personally, I've had one (not a high-end one, true, but one of the ones sold by the grocery stores) start falling apart after just a few uses. So does that really turn out better for the environment, or might I have been better off with paper bags each time?- SmartfulDodger, on 07/09/2008, -3/+11You're probably right, the bag you used probably was not as environmentally friendly as a disposable bag. But bags aren't supposed to fall apart after a few uses. When it comes to choosing A, B, or C, it sounds like you chose "D" - the crappy-fall-apart-reusable bag.
Go with option C, and do it right. Spend the $5 on a canvas bag (or less at a Goodwill), and you'll be able to use it for years. - MrSketch, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6You must have just gotten a bad one. I've had the same 3 bags for the past year and they are still going strong. They would be considered the cheap ones for $0.99 at local grocery store. Then on earth day this year, they were giving out free reusable bags, and the one I got had a small hole torn in it within 2 or 3 uses. The hole hasn't gotten any bigger, but it's only been a few months.
Sounds like it's just luck of the draw, some are good, and some aren't. Either that, or the quality has plummeted in the past year.- mariecordona, on 07/09/2008, -2/+3I must have gotten a bad one too. I bought one of the more durable looking bags from Whole Foods and two soda bottles and a few canned vegetables tore the shoulder strap right off after the 2nd use. I wondered exactly the same thing--what do I do with this much thicker, broken, plastic bag?
- biznatch11, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5I have a $2 bag bought from the grocery store, about a year old and no problems with it. I find it much easier and convenient to carry this one bag with decent handles then 4-5 plastic bags (about how many you need to hold as much as this one bag) with "handles" that can dig in to your hand when the bags are heavy and rip sometimes. So I use the reusable ones for both convenience/comfort and to help the environment.
- Tomchei, on 07/09/2008, -4/+22The article is laden with false info.
Logging companies do not go out and 'find' forests to deforest. They have a 30 year supply of tree farms that rotates so next year and the years after that, the 30 years supply will still exist.
Companies like Georgia Pacific, Louisiana Pacific, and any other lumber/wood pulp company that relies on wood for it's sustenance will 100% utilize a tree farm.
Oil is a renewable resource. Fossil fuel is not.
Plastic bags are not made from fossil fuels.
When you burn a plastic bag, it does not melt into a liquid that you can reuse, it vaporizes.
It appears that the author of the article would like you to believe that christmas trees are scarce and to not repopulate in order to either sell canvas bags or push some other agenda.
Throwing away paper does about as much environmental harm as eating bread.
Wheat and trees grow and are a renewable resource.- CrackyJSquirrel, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Hey, where do you get the information to back the tree farm situation. I was having the same argument with someone and they said it was a joke that I thought (knew) paper companies use tree farms. But when trying to research it all you see is a bombardment of articles and blogs about how the rain forest is the main supply of paper pulp. I just want to see what the truth is, because most of those articles are obviously written by tree huggers. I would except either answer, as long as its from a non-biased source.
- Narcism, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Not all paper companies are self-sustaining just like not all paper companies aren't self-sustaining.
Lumber also doesn't just come from North America... - tjex, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Actually many oils do come for fossil fuels and are a non-renewable resource.
- chadszinow, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1Oil is not a renewable resource unless you are willing to wait millions of years. Only recently there are advances in GE of algae which can produce oil quicker but the draw back is to meet current demand of the US it would take a plant the size of Texas. Citation needed I agree but I can't be arsed. Go look it up yourself on both points.
Growing Oil was on digg and you will find heaps of results saying Oil is not renewable. That is just fantasy.
- CrackyJSquirrel, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Hey, where do you get the information to back the tree farm situation. I was having the same argument with someone and they said it was a joke that I thought (knew) paper companies use tree farms. But when trying to research it all you see is a bombardment of articles and blogs about how the rain forest is the main supply of paper pulp. I just want to see what the truth is, because most of those articles are obviously written by tree huggers. I would except either answer, as long as its from a non-biased source.
- bdbr, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2A lot of grocery stores are selling some really crappy cloth bags. I didn't bother reading the article since the comments summed it up, but I have to say: decent cloth bags last a long time. We have some from 1991 that we still use. They're more convenient, since they hold a hell of a lot more and you don't have to deal with a whole bunch of bags.
I'm seeing a lot of people using cloth bags these days (at least in Portland, Oregon).
- SmartfulDodger, on 07/09/2008, -3/+11You're probably right, the bag you used probably was not as environmentally friendly as a disposable bag. But bags aren't supposed to fall apart after a few uses. When it comes to choosing A, B, or C, it sounds like you chose "D" - the crappy-fall-apart-reusable bag.
- duewydo, on 07/08/2008, -2/+9It gives a lot of insight on the production, disposal and recycling of both options. What killed me was the plot twist, Plan C, reusable bags. I am not much an early adopter, so I am waiting for other people to start doing it, but seems that making cloth re-usable bags isn’t solving anything, just creating more junk. Why not just re-use the 100s of plastic bags you have shriveled up in your pantry, closet, etc.
- OnShakedown, on 07/08/2008, -0/+7this is from the end of the article:
"From an energy standpoint, according to this Australian study, canvas bags are 14 times better than plastic bags and 39 times better than paper bags, assuming that canvas bags get a good workout and are used 500 times during their life cycle."
however, if you do have a lot of plastic bags saved up, lots of stores will recycle those for you. Or re-use those, but they aren't as sturdy. - kinerry, on 07/09/2008, -5/+1*****, you have to wash them, and thats killer on the environment
- krakelohm, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3Why are you washing your canvas bag? There is no reason it should be getting dirty enough to be cleaned more then once or twice a year.
- Narcism, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2How many times is your jar of pickles going to squeeze open? How many times are you going to drop your bag holding the eggs?
- deMonkey, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I've never had to wash my grocery bags. Most food people buy at stores these days is prepackaged. You could put it straight on the floor of your car and it wouldn't hurt anything, why would you wash the bag that only carries groceries...?
- chuckDontSurf, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Okay, so just use the plastic bags until they fall apart, then go buy a good canvas bag. Problem solved.
- OnShakedown, on 07/08/2008, -0/+7this is from the end of the article:
- bprager, on 07/08/2008, -5/+6This answer (as so many times) is neither nor. I prefer these things: http://www.manufactum.com/Produkt/0/1402356/Thread ...
P.S.: I am in no way affiliated with the product or company. I just like this approach.- Narcism, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Maybe if they didn't look like *****, and.. if you could put things that aren't round in them.
- JetMike, on 07/09/2008, -2/+0I'm thinking no. I'm no tree hugger and think global warming is a myth...however. Factory farming and the like contribute more waste than all the cars and plasic bags on earth and your fishing net bag thing has leather handles there pragemonster
- arraz, on 07/08/2008, -8/+9Just shop Whole Foods and we'll have no problem. Recyclable, Paper bags.
Where I live probably half of the litter everywhere is Wal-Mart bags...- Blitzwing84, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2Whole Foods? No thanks, they take way too much of that green paper from my wallet. I'll gladly take my reusable cloth bag to a different grocery store that doesn't charge me double.
- ulmedas, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Some Whole Foods' use wicked thick, super strong plastic bags (e.g., the WholeFoods on Union Square in New York)
Well, they used to anyway. You can, I am sure, buy the reusable bags from them for a couple of dollars, which, if you ware shopping there anyway, you can mostly likely afford. - mike17032, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Well except you are overpaying for everything in the store, like a huge huge sucker.
- gentlemanjack, on 07/08/2008, -1/+16Disclaimer: I've been brainwashed by my father who retired from Weyerhaeuser.
First off, Weyerhaeuser sold it's paper division back in March.
Second, I wonder which plants they get their numbers from. In upgraded plants the byproduct is recycled in other processes and cost goes up when there is waste. A lot of the older plants are shutting down because they're not cost effective. Also envelope clippings is mixed with the pulp to rely less on the bleaching process.
Personally I use reusable bags. I hate to see clear cutting but I'd rather use paper. The trees are replanted and hopefully weren't old growth. - elhaf, on 07/08/2008, -2/+25Cloth is the correct answer if you care about the environment at all. Otherwise shut up. Which of course is what the article ultimately says.
- kinerry, on 07/09/2008, -12/+3*****, do you have any idea how much energy a reusable bag uses in it's lifetime after washing it?
- tmbrwolf19, on 07/09/2008, -0/+10Are you seriously making that much of a mess in a canvas bag to have to wash it after every use? I rarely if ever wash mine (usually only if there is a spill or it gets noticeably dirty or sticky). So that comes down to about once every 3 months or so in worst case scenario. Add in the fact its being tossed in with the towels, so its not like I am doing an extra load just for the bag, and the impact is negligible.
- katiekatekate, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5Seriously? It's not like they need washing every time you use them. We still use the plastic bags for the meats (to avoid cross-contamination) and veggies (because if I tried to buy 20 limes separately I'd be shot). So the canvas ones are hardly getting filthy from carrying cans and boxes. We throw ours in with a load every few months. But if you're really worried about it, just hose them off in the driveway and leave them outside to dry.
- JetMike, on 07/09/2008, -1/+0hippies don't wash silly goose.
- enri, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4BYOB ;)
- kinerry, on 07/09/2008, -12/+3*****, do you have any idea how much energy a reusable bag uses in it's lifetime after washing it?
- DrNicole, on 07/08/2008, -3/+7I think someone needs to invent an environmentally friendly forcefield to hold my groceries. Until then, I think every option pretty much sucks. I can never remember to bring my cloth bags to the grocery store...
- Meursault, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6Paper or plastic?
The Force, please.
"Forget not that Watermelon, Luke."
"You want the impossible."- DrNicole, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Hhahahaahahahhaaha
- SmartfulDodger, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6Aw come on Doctor, it's not rocket science! Just keep your bags in the car.
- filmbandit, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1i used to have the same problem--then i made putting the bags back in the trunk of my car the final step of putting up groceries
- schmons, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I work at safeway and this is what I think
plastic bags are easier to pack groceries into because you dont worry about how much stuff you put in.
paper bags hold more but are a pain to bag groceries because you have to plan out where to put everything.
my suggestions: one customer brought in a small cardboard box and it was simple. i threw everything into the box and was done. he said he has used that same box for nearly 5 years. its sturdy, easy to carry, and lasts a long time. costco has it right with the boxes.- DrNicole, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Great idea. Love it.
- Meursault, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6Paper or plastic?
- DonSlice, on 07/08/2008, -6/+10000000
- jiqiren, on 07/08/2008, -8/+1buried for lame "pun intended" line…
- OnShakedown, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2what's the line? i'm missing it apparently.
- diggB, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2"Biodegradable plastic is a mixed bag (pun intended) as well ..."
- ShitStainedBall, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=pu ...
- OnShakedown, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2what's the line? i'm missing it apparently.
- TEHxINTERWEBS, on 07/09/2008, -2/+47Eat everything before you leave the market. Problem solved.
- TeamoSupremo, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Helpful Tip: Make sure to bring the whole family so nothing goes to waste!
- lschofield, on 07/09/2008, -3/+17If students never forget to bring their cloth backpacks to school for their books, how come we have such a tough time forming the habit of taking cloth bags to the grocer?
Disposable shopping bags are the worst 'convenience' polluter. We use them for how long, about 20 minutes to 1/2 hour tops? I keep a stash of canvas bags in my trunk - they go back on the front doorknob as soon as I put groceries away. I also try to keep a nylon bag in my purse for quick stops to the shop - but I'm not perfect and sometimes do forget.
It is quite sad to see how infrequently other people are using reusable shopping bags though, and also to see the opposition to this totally sensible idea. You can fit more products in a canvas bag, and they're easier on your hands to carry anyways. Whats the problem?- coolshorty, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3Because you can decide at any time to go shopping for groceries. Students don't forget their bags because school is structured and happens on a established schedule. Grocery shopping does not have a schedule and people don't carry bags with them all the time.
Does that answer your question?- xNIBx, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Go to the supermarket once a week(or twice for milk/fruits/whatever). When you decide to buy something extra, you are usually at your house so you can bring the bag with you. And even if you arent at your house, you most likely have a car. Always have some bags in your car, they dont take any space.
The only reason that you would need a disposable bag is when you need to something to buy that you didnt buy when you went to the supermarket the last time and you arent at your home and you dont have a car and the supermarket is away from your home. That's a lot of "ifs". For 99.999% of the time, it is easy to use a reusable bag.
- xNIBx, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Go to the supermarket once a week(or twice for milk/fruits/whatever). When you decide to buy something extra, you are usually at your house so you can bring the bag with you. And even if you arent at your house, you most likely have a car. Always have some bags in your car, they dont take any space.
- bdbr, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1We're seeing cloth bags all over the place in Portland, OR.
- alach11, on 07/10/2008, -0/+0Am I the only person that shops at places with plastic bags, and reuses the plastic? Many stores offer small money back if you provide your own bag, and there's no point using the plastic bag once.
Maybe it's not as good as cloth/canvas, but it's better than nothing.
- coolshorty, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3Because you can decide at any time to go shopping for groceries. Students don't forget their bags because school is structured and happens on a established schedule. Grocery shopping does not have a schedule and people don't carry bags with them all the time.
- boardingal08, on 07/09/2008, -1/+15I wrote an article about this the other day with a solution I found while traveling through Italy, charge people fr the plastic/paper bags they use in the store. If you charge people 15+ cents for each bag they use, it encourages them to bring in their own bag. If people don't have their own bag, at least they might start putting more food into one bag to decrease the amount of bags being used.
- amightywind, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6Try shopping at ALDI, which is German owned food chain. You have to put up a quarter to get a shopping cart. You get it back when you put your cart away. You pay 10 cents for a reusable plastic bag, or you use no bag at all which is what I do. They easily out-cheap Walmart for basic food. Their stores are run by two hard working, and apparently decently paid, people who do the stocking and checkout. That's it. I wish they traded publicly. Outstanding company.
- Cerebron, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2At most places in England, you have to put an entire pound into the cart to use it.
- SmartfulDodger, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4Ireland did that and called it the PlasTax. It cut the countries plastic bag use by 95%! Seattle is trying to pass a similar law right now....cross your fingers!
- nebben, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5At my local grocers (Albertsons (Osco) and Smiths (Kroger)), they refund $.05 for each reusable bag we bring in. Not much at all, but my Trader Joes bags have held up to the point where I've got more bag refund for each bag than I paid for them in the first place.
And for the reusable bag haters out there, I've used my Trader Joes bags many times even when completely filled to the tops with canned goods. Heavy as hell and it feels like they're going to break, but they're still not unraveling yet.- mike17032, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1That is a much better solution than charging for bags. The people that save the money are happy, and no one is pissed off.
- f4nt0m4s, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I just wonder how well your solution would hold up in America...we have enough competition as is. There is literally a Dominicks and a Jewel within 1000 feet from each other in my town, and people do gravitate towards the most insignificant sales to save money. I wonder if one store charged for bags and the other didn't if it would reflect in the store's popularity. It would almost have to be a national or state-wide "bag tax."
- katiekatekate, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1The thing to do in that case would be to charge for the bags, but price the groceries slightly lower than the competitors to keep the volume of customers coming in. Eventually most people would learn to use the tote bags and the competition would be forced to adjust their pricing in response and things would even out again.
- AdamPieniazek, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2The Stop & Shop near my house gives a $.05 discount for not using their bags. Up that discount to $1.00 and people will start bringing in their own bags.
- SmartfulDodger, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Or buy 20x as many groceries every time you go shopping!
- mike17032, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1And the second a ***** store charges me for their god damn bags, me (and a lot of other people) start shopping somewhere else.
- SmartfulDodger, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1That's what smokers said about no-smoking bars.
- robslo, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0I think this is a good way to go, because a small charge is better than nothing because it makes people think. But with a small charge you can still use the bag if you need to.
- amightywind, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6Try shopping at ALDI, which is German owned food chain. You have to put up a quarter to get a shopping cart. You get it back when you put your cart away. You pay 10 cents for a reusable plastic bag, or you use no bag at all which is what I do. They easily out-cheap Walmart for basic food. Their stores are run by two hard working, and apparently decently paid, people who do the stocking and checkout. That's it. I wish they traded publicly. Outstanding company.
- leerayIG88, on 07/09/2008, -5/+16I usually carry things in my ass. I do anything to help the environment.
- serif69, on 07/09/2008, -0/+13Can I go shopping with you for Thanksgiving, just for the spectacle?
- Narcism, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1so he hid it, in the one place he knew he could hide something: his ass.
- themonkman, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Clearly you took that episode on South Park far too seriously.
- serif69, on 07/09/2008, -0/+13Can I go shopping with you for Thanksgiving, just for the spectacle?
- zyl0x, on 07/09/2008, -2/+5Canvas all the way, baby.
- sooch, on 07/09/2008, -4/+24I usually ask for a paper bag with a plastic bag liner.
- inigomntoya, on 07/09/2008, -1/+14I do the same. And then I ask them to put that into a larger plastic bag with a handle so I can carry more bags at once.
- MScrip, on 07/09/2008, -2/+11Then I put it all in boxes, place them on a pallet, shrink wrap them, then back my 18-wheeler to the loading dock in the back of the store.
Too far? :) - inigomntoya, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6No - not too far. As long as you allow them to use a forklift...
- MScrip, on 07/09/2008, -2/+11Then I put it all in boxes, place them on a pallet, shrink wrap them, then back my 18-wheeler to the loading dock in the back of the store.
- Raz4Life, on 07/09/2008, -2/+3Do you know who the worst people are as a cashier/bagger? People who want paper bags inside of plastic. It's the inconvenience of the the tall, rough paper bag with the added frustration of getting a rather large paper bag into a plastic one. Yours doesn't sound too bad, it just brought back memories of Econofoods...
- inigomntoya, on 07/09/2008, -1/+5You're serious? People actually do this? Of course - I once worked with a guy who tied the plastic bag handles in an overhand knot. He was yelled at by a customer because he was making the bags "too heavy"
- chuckDontSurf, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1And the put the whole thing in a styrofoam container.
- darkciti2, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1And don't forget to double bag the bags.
- inigomntoya, on 07/09/2008, -1/+14I do the same. And then I ask them to put that into a larger plastic bag with a handle so I can carry more bags at once.
- EGGN, on 07/09/2008, -5/+3Buried for having to scroll down through a wall of text and pictures to find an answer on which would be better, then getting a fence-sitting answer.
- Crucible1001, on 07/09/2008, -4/+4Or just shop at Sam's club or similar places. No bags there due to mostly bulk purchases. Less material used in the purchased goods per volume too.
- mBrutis, on 07/09/2008, -1/+40I prefer my groceries carried in the tanned hides of baby seals. Though I'm thinking of switching to panda.
- MScrip, on 07/09/2008, -0/+7I'll club a seal to make a deal!
- f4nt0m4s, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5You're not a true Patriot to America if you do not kill a seal every time you go shopping.
- mike17032, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Hell I would run my car on Baby Seal Slurry if it got me an extra 20 HP.
- Goombellaofgoom, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1But your CHA would drop through the floor... No girl would look twice at you ever again. You'd be considered the lowest scum in the world. Axe murderers would stare at you in total horror. Is it really worth it?
- staffa, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1That would have worked better if he meant hitpoints and not horse power.
- wjlaw100, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Aldi in the US charges for paper bags. Chain stores Jewel, Dominicks, Meyer, and even Aldi now offer a "cloth type" bag at a reduced rate... I think $1. They hold up VERY well, assume they offset the cost due to the fact that their name and logo is on the bag. These bags have held up very well with many uses... Now if I can get better at remembering to put them in the car before I go to shop every time!!!
- MacEnvy, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Hannaford offers bags for 99 cents, and ours have held up very well. They're kind of like reinforced threaded vinyl or something (plasticized canvas maybe?), but they hold a ton of stuff. Plus they give you a few cents off for each reusable bag you use. Don't know why anyone wouldn't use them - 3 reusable bags carry as much as 10 plastic ones used to and they're easier to carry to boot.
- wheelsoffire, on 07/09/2008, -2/+10"Ultimately, neither paper nor plastic bags are the best choice; we think choosing reusable canvas bags instead is the way to go."
Now none of you will have to read that article. Woo. - tcpip4lyfe, on 07/09/2008, -2/+6I use radioactive burning tires
- Euangelion, on 07/09/2008, -7/+9We are using plastic bags because your environmental whackos demanded we use them instead of paper bags.
- seandfeeney, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5I would be more likely to use paper bags if they didn't break so easily and had handles. Lugging paper bags up to a third floor apartment sux hard
- nicc, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1your grocery store doesnt have paper bags with handles?!
I havent seen a non-handled paper grocery bag in about 20 years...
- nicc, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1your grocery store doesnt have paper bags with handles?!
- Quickdood, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2They actually had a segment on CNN about this today. They said if you live in the mid section of the country go plastic and if you live on the coasts go paper. This is because making paper bags are more harmful to air quality but plastic can do more damage to the environment as a whole if they get into the oceans.
- iCoty, on 07/09/2008, -6/+4Reusable bags over paper/plastic. It's a no brainer, unless you're a lazy bastard that feels entitled. If so, then go watch Wall•E.
- MomentOfClarity, on 07/09/2008, -3/+2You're a tool. Go hug a tree hippie.
- swrostmore, on 07/09/2008, -6/+1I support a taxpayer-funded propaganda campaign to influence people to use the most economically friendly solution. You know, just like the anti-smoking campaign.
- reaper527, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1i don't want my tax dollars being wasted on that. i'm glad your so eager to spend MY money though ;) why not start an organization based on private donations to get the message out.
- swrostmore, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I hope you're equally upset about the billions of taxpayer dollars paid to tobacco companies to produce antismoking propaganda. But hey, its effective! Smoking is way down!
- filmbandit, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2it's real interesting to always read about these resource saving methods and see folks make some political thing out of it.
my grandmother, like many of yours, grew up in the depression. her entire life she saved foil, twisty ties, coffee cans, bread bags, saltine tins, damn near everything. she scoffed at the idea of ziplock bags. 30 years ago she was bringing her own home-sewn grocery bags with her on every grocery trip. while it might have been her economic disposition that initially made her recycle she kept these practices her entire life.
making an ad campaign might be a good reminder of what your grandmother taught you, i agree with that, but i also wonder why we don't have the memory (or values) to remember recycling used to be just plain good ol' common sense.
you want to make the practice of recycling political, and a lifestyle choice, go ahead. i'm going to do what my grandmother did well before all the red-blue nonsense.
- reaper527, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1i don't want my tax dollars being wasted on that. i'm glad your so eager to spend MY money though ;) why not start an organization based on private donations to get the message out.
- yoda17, on 07/09/2008, -2/+12I can re-use plastic bags half a dozen times before going to a landfill.
1. carry groceries
2. food storage (saving ziplock sandwich bags that would end up in a landfill). Note this can be done multiple times.
3. Carrying lunch
4. Doggie cleanup in the park (end up in the trash after this, but then so too would one of those $0.20 blue pet bags
5. Yard trash containment
6. Misc garbage that has to be bagged, saving a separately purchased trash bag.
The way that I see it is that I currently get 'free' trash bags that will have to be additionally purchased with the same to worse net environmental result as most purchased plastic bags are much more durable.- f4nt0m4s, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4I'm with you...I've used the plastic bags to pick up after the dog, to carry lunch, to line the garbage cans in my house, to store cleaning products, to store toiletries when traveling so that they won't leak into my luggage....there's a nice long list of useful things you can do with plastic bags. As far as paper bags go, most of the ones I bring home get recycled.
- Cerebron, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Yep, I use them for picking up after the dog too.
- mike17032, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1I try to recycle plastic bags by using them to smother ***** hippies that bitch about people using plastic bags. Paper and cloth are just not nearly as effective.
- chuckDontSurf, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1"Paper and cloth are just not nearly as effective."
??? WTF are you using the bags for? Okay, maybe paper bags I could see, but cloth not being as effective as plastic?
- chuckDontSurf, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1"Paper and cloth are just not nearly as effective."
- JetMike, on 07/09/2008, -1/+0Exactly. Good point. Except that the ***** a PETA say you shouldn't have a dog OR plastic bags you ***** commie! Let those dogs free! (seriously, it's not their main focus but they are anti-pet)
- chuckDontSurf, on 07/09/2008, -0/+37. Makeshift condom.
- f4nt0m4s, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4I'm with you...I've used the plastic bags to pick up after the dog, to carry lunch, to line the garbage cans in my house, to store cleaning products, to store toiletries when traveling so that they won't leak into my luggage....there's a nice long list of useful things you can do with plastic bags. As far as paper bags go, most of the ones I bring home get recycled.
- ricksite, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3I don't think I am alone in that if I didn't get plastic grocery bags, I would end up having to buy a box of bags to pick up dog poo, line small trash cans, etc...
- JetMike, on 07/09/2008, -1/+0commie
- ricksite, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I think the commies are the ones trying to ban the plastic bags.
- JetMike, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1I know. It was an attempt at humor. Sarcasm isn't that easy to convey here, esp. with my lack of writing skills.
- JetMike, on 07/09/2008, -1/+0commie
- Shoegaze99, on 07/09/2008, -4/+6It's a wash when it comes to groceries. Like others have said, go canvas.
What drives me bonkers are little convenience stories and pharmacies that insist on giving you a bag (usually plastic, sometimes paper) for small little purchases like a bottle of soda or a candy bar or some other tiny item. I always refuse the bag, and half the time the clerk looks at me like I have two heads.
"You don't want a bag?"
No, I don't want a bag. It's a bottle of Snapple. I'm walking 30 feet to my car and I'm going to open it. What do I need a bag for?
I bet most people take them simply because they don't bother to speak up, yet their bags end up in the trash within five minutes. Maybe it'd be better for such stores to have the bags on the other side of the counter, let people self-serve their bagging just like in grocery stores.- kinerry, on 07/09/2008, -6/+3well aren't you just mr high and ***** mighty
- Shoegaze99, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Yes. Yes, I am.
- Cerebron, on 07/09/2008, -3/+0Retail clerks are just trying to be nice, you know.
- Shoegaze99, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Ummm, so what's your point? I'm never rude. Not even close. I politiely decline the bag by saying "no thanks, I don't need a bag." Doesn't mean I'm going to accept waste I don't need just because they're "trying to be nice" (or more accurately, doing what their manager tells them to do). Is that so hard to understand?
- marx2k, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4I have the same issue. I travel via scooter so I just usually put the stuff in my backpack. One time I told a cashier that I didn't need a bag, that I would just put the stuff in my bookbag. She nodded, proceeded to scan the items, and then proceeded to place the stuff in a plastic bag anyway. I told her again that i didn't need a bag and she looked at me like I a grew a dildo out of my forehead and asked me am I sure twice.
What the hell - executorzz, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1Don't know where you live buddy but clerks usually ask me if I want a bag when i make a small purchase like that.
- kinerry, on 07/09/2008, -6/+3well aren't you just mr high and ***** mighty
- f4nt0m4s, on 07/09/2008, -6/+1Cloth bags are nice...but they aren't convenient (in the sense that you have to remember them). And they smell weird after you use them a few times.
It all comes down to convenience. I worked at a Jewel-Osco for a year and a half, and if the customer wanted their groceries bagged in paper they had to specifically ask. I'll jump to the conclusion that it's cheaper for these big stores to mass produce the plastic bags. So, plastic is cheap and convenient for the stores and a lot of the customers. There's your problem. Plastic bags don't biodegrade and most of them don't get recycled, that is also a problem. Plastic bags do make awesome linings for your garbage can.
My next conclusion is that paper bags are more expensive for the big stores. Some customers do ask for paper. Paper is nice because you can put more groceries in one bag. Paper is also recyclable and biodegradable. We have a big pile of old paper bags sitting at my house, we recycle most of our used paper bags.
So, paper bags are easier to recycle, but plastic bags have more practical use, at least in my home. And, for the sake of convenience, both paper and plastic beat out cloth.
I like Sam's Club...they don't use bags. It's not practical if you are buying little items, but more stores should do that. There's no reason to bag something that you can easily carry. Maybe more people would use cloth bags if they were offered at the stores for a fee.
The solution is never as simple as you think, which is the underlying dilemma with this issue.- marx2k, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2"Cloth bags are nice...but they aren't convenient (in the sense that you have to remember them)"
I imagine wiping your ass after you take a dump must be pretty inconvenient.- f4nt0m4s, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I'm not speaking on behalf of myself, I'm speaking on behalf of what I saw working at a Jewel-Osco in a large city with over 100,000 people. I see that I'm getting dugg down, but that doesn't change the fact that maybe 1 in 1000 shoppers would bring in cloth bags.
go back to your hippy jamfest
- f4nt0m4s, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I'm not speaking on behalf of myself, I'm speaking on behalf of what I saw working at a Jewel-Osco in a large city with over 100,000 people. I see that I'm getting dugg down, but that doesn't change the fact that maybe 1 in 1000 shoppers would bring in cloth bags.
- deMonkey, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1They are convenient if you leave them in your car. After that it just comes down to laziness and being wasteful, which is the real issue here.
BTW, what kind of bag are you using that smells weird after using it a few times?- f4nt0m4s, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I had a couple of cloth bags. I think the meat and produce is what did me in. The meat needs to be wrapped in a plastic bag otherwise you make a mess....obviously, problem solved if you wash them, but even then there is a breaking point where they get grungy looking.
I am pro-cloth bags, I just understand why retailers and consumers enjoy plastic and paper. And, the solution is not a simple "do what's good for the environment," just like making the transition from gas to green emissions isn't as simple as "do what is good for the environment." There are financial hurdles and convenience hurdles, and most people don't care how there groceries are bagged; they're more worried about the cost of gas to get to the store.
- f4nt0m4s, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I had a couple of cloth bags. I think the meat and produce is what did me in. The meat needs to be wrapped in a plastic bag otherwise you make a mess....obviously, problem solved if you wash them, but even then there is a breaking point where they get grungy looking.
- marx2k, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2"Cloth bags are nice...but they aren't convenient (in the sense that you have to remember them)"
- jetblackz4, on 07/09/2008, -1/+5I can re-use and do all plastic bags I get from the grocery store as a liner for smaller wastebaskets. This uses no additional resources and saves me money. Paper bags are far less reusable.
- reaper527, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4tell me how much more durable a paper bag is when it rains, or it goes into a slightly moist shopping carriage.
- theadvinci, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2So much for choosing paper bags...
- MomentOfClarity, on 07/09/2008, -4/+0You're a tool.
- egthareal, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3You know they used to use reusable bags people brought from home in grocery stores. Then the grocery stores started noticing the ***** people were bringing into their stores like fleas from animals, misc. other bugs and rats. The grocery stores decided the only sanitary way to give groceries was to distribute new bags....
Now I'd love to think that we are a "cleaner" society that wouldn't dare bring our filth into the grocery store. But, comeon I've seen how some of you live. Ya, I'm talking to you with the 6cats that live outside. Please don't bring your filth into my grocery store.- marx2k, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3Using that logic, people should come into the grocery stores naked since clothing can have germs on them too.
- revnoah, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2Easy choice in Canada. In a country full of trees, we usually don't get the option of paper bags. Instead, we export all our paper to America.
- c130commnav, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1My wife got us these Chicobags they are nylon I think and they fold up into these little pouches, so they are easy to store. We have about 10 which is plenty for us. At first we got strange looks when we would use them, but most people think they are cool, and now it seems to be more common.
- AdamPieniazek, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2Umm how about you just bring a backpack or other more permanent bag with you to the supermarket? Is it difficult? No. If you're buying 40 bags of groceries you're doing it wrong anyway. Sure you'll have to make 2-3 trips to the supermarket per week but you should do that anyway so that you're eating fresh food.
- SpiceWare, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3From the article - "First, the trees are found, marked and felled in a process that all too often involves clear-cutting, resulting in massive habitat destruction and long-term ecological damage."
Found, Marked and Felled? My grandfather worked at a papermill in Wisconsin and all the trees they used were they were grown on tree farms, specifically to be used in the creation of paper. This would be like saying that "Corn is found, marked and felled before it can be brought to your table, resulting in massive habitat destruction and long-term ecological damage".
While I understand the benefits of reusable bags(I use them for grocery shopping), lying about the paper making process makes me wary about their agenda. - Infidelcastr0, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3Using canvas bags is just logical, if you care about the environment, they are the obvious choice. If you don't, hey they don't break and there's less trash to deal with.
- Cyrock, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3What about the endless receipts? Buying a pack of gum should not result in a three foot long receipt of my purchase.
- alberonn, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0Yours are only three feet?
- Cyrock, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1not including the coupon reel that prints off as well, lol. ;[
- salinemist, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2No *****, when did this ***** receipt trend start?
- alberonn, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0Yours are only three feet?
- AbsurdParadox, on 07/09/2008, -4/+51. Plastics are a by-product of oil refining... if its not used, it would be wasted. The fact that plastic bags exist is being resourceful. They can also be reused over and over (personally I used them as packing material for shipping).
2. Trees are a renewable crop. I don't see anyone harping to end cereal production to save the wheat.
3. ???
4. Stupid.- JetMike, on 07/09/2008, -3/+2why don't you go back to Russia you Nazi? We don't like no big city double talk here in The States (tm). Some people and their logic....the nerve.
- starbuxadct, on 07/09/2008, -1/+31. What about landfills?
2. Wheat grows on trees?
3. ???
4. You're stupid.
- Aurakle, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2I try to avoid using bags at all. I only use them when I can't carry things any other way. My mother and I both keep cardboard boxes in our trunks to put groceries in instead of using new bags everytime we shop.
- zmigliozzi, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1sensational sensationalists piece I must say. Why don't the compute the amount of energy is used for the server that hosts this website.
- chopstick2000, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3i used to work at a dollar store, and one time this lady asked me to please fit everything into one bag... "and don't make it heavy."
what?? - Tessela, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I always use reusable bags..even to go grocery shopping. They are stronger and hold more. They are also very portable!
- CaseyB, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Does no one here shop somewhere that uses the reusable rigid plastic boxes? They're easily the best mechanism.
They can carry a ton and last forever. The place I shop even has carts designed to accommodate them, so you don't even have to bother with transferring items to the checkout belt, you just fill them as you shop, them put the whole box on the belt.- Coffeedemon, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1Then I suppose you have to take the heavy box full of groceries to your car for a net benefit of zero.
- carbonneutral, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2I'm fond of the designs on these reusable bags http://totebags.filetap.com/
:)- humbled, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2You totally spammed your own cafepress store. Boo. (Nice designs, btw. A bit pretentious, though.)
- starbuxadct, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Nice designs, but lose the 'become carbon neutral'. I think taking the bags themselves are statement enough without it.
It would just look strange for those of us who drive to the store to hop out with a bag claiming carbon neutrality.
- MomentOfClarity, on 07/09/2008, -5/+0How ***** biased is this article? Treehugger.com? Why not make it any more blatantly obvious.
- whatthefu, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I worked as a bagger at a grocery store. Environmentally speaking I didn't mind at all what kind of bags people preferred, and was happy to use the re-usable bags to bag items. But geez, if you're going to use re-usable bags, PLEASE pick quality ones that aren't really annoying to pack :(
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