05 Nov
Please, No Paper or Plastic
This past week I did something I have been wanting to do for a long time. I bagged my items in the grocery store into reusable shopping bags instead of the plastic or paper options.
Ok fine, you can see one plastic bag there. The lady made me take it, and it was actually a really good idea because the chicken she put inside leaked all over inside the bag.
It was hard because I chose to do it for the first time at a store other than Whole Foods. It was Tom Thumb actually, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the first time the cashier had ever been handed cloth bags and heard the request “Please no paper or plastic, just use these bags.” Instead of feeling proud I felt kind of stupid as I realized I would have to balance unloading my cart, paying for the items, and bagging them all up. I didn’t think about the way it usually goes, how the checker also quickly bags for you as well. She helped me out towards the end, but it was a little bit awful. I think I will need That Husband to go with me next time.
Once I got out of the car and carried only 5 bags inside instead of the usual 20 plastic ones I would have been handed, I started to feel proud once again. Less bags will have to be manufactured because of me, and I don’t have to feel guilty like I usually do for immediately stuffing the plastic into the trash (who can really save and reuse so many bags, be honest, you know you immediately throw most of them away).
I have a long ways to go. I have yet to take the cloth bags to Target or Wal-Mart, but I think I will eventually get there. I still have many wasteful habits to overcome (i.e. brushing my teeth in the shower and overusing the air conditioning) but I am taking the small and necessary steps to make a difference
On a related side note (well related to the grocery store); are people REALLY paying $8 for a pumpkin? It’s not like it will turn into Cinderellas coach at the end of the night.
Also:
I'm a farm-raised almost-crunchy stroller-pushing picture-taking lifestyle-blog-writing gastronomy-obsessed divine-seeking thrift-store-combing cheese-inhaling pavement-pounding laughter-sprinkling lover of individuality and taking chances.
Yay! I love it. I just need to remember to take my bags in and not have them filled with other random things in my car (since I live out of my car ya know). When I bought one IN Target one time that said “I don’t do plastic” the checker immediately tried to put it in a plastic bag and I had to explain to him 3 times what I wanted him to do with it. So be prepared for that :).
1Baddie and I take two big plastic boxes and put them in the trolley. We fill them up as we go around, then empty them onto the till, then put everything back in them once it’s scanned. Voilà - no bags at all!
2My husband and I use resuable bags purchased at Ikea - those big beach bags for $2 fit so much in them. I also use my steve madden shoe bag and my Auburn laundry bag - more mesh material.
I’m not sure if reusable has reached your area but I typically hand my bags over to the cashier prior to them starting to ring me up. They know what my agenda is. I always feel bad for not having a resuable one handy - I guess I’ll put one in the car right tonight.
3I actually don’t throw ANY plastic bags away unless they are torn or icky. We reuse them and take the excess ones to the plastic bag recycle bin inside most Walmarts. It makes me feel better knowing that even though I don’t throw them away, usually, I am recycling them rather than just reusing them.
4High five to you for starting to make changes! I think it’s important to start small and work up, or else we’ll be inclined to go back to our wasteful, lazy selves.
The grocery store by our house actually has a program in place to encourage people to re use their bags. I think you have the choice of donating 3 cents to charity or 3 cents off your shopping for every bag you reuse. And it’s not even a health food store!
5PS. I just noticed that there is a smiley face at the very bottom of your page. How cute is that?
6It’s all about baby steps…I bought some reusable bags the other day for this very purpose!
7I love our reusable bags. I love not getting 100 plastic bags in one grocery visit. I have had checkers skip my bags and start to bag my items in plastic. But I’m quick to point it out to them.
8I keep my bags in the car and use them all the time. In no time you will too!
Yea! Reusable bags are awsome. The Hubs and I were actually discusssing giving reusable bags as a part of Christmas gifts this year.
Also, am I the only one who shops at grocery stores where bagging your own items is the norm? I actually prefer bagging my own b/c I seem to fit alot more items into a bag then the cashier/bagger ever do.
9Oh, good for you. It’s definitley a step in the right direction. When I do eventually start doing my own grocery shopping I fully intend to use reusable bags. My stepmom has black ones with green trees on them- no clue where they were purchased from though. I don’t think Target would have a problem with you using reusable bags there as they sell them!
P.S. I also love the smiley face at the bottom- cute!
10It’s a great concept but I have to admit, I’m scared of the day they ban plastic grocery bags. Maybe it’s just us, but we never ever, ever just chuck them in the trash - we use them as garbage bags in the bins throughout the house (and we’re usually short!). Banning them just means I’m gonna have to actually buy garbage bags. And that doesn’t mean less plastic at all, does it? Same problem, different form. What they need to do is come up with a biodegradable version. If only I were a scientist…
11That is so good of you! I keep all of the grocery bags we get and tell myself that one day I will take them back to albertsons so they can reuse them (which I am not even sure they do) For every 20 bags i bring home I re-use maybe 1… to take out the cat poop
haha Our little cabinet that I stuff them all in is soooo full!
12Kelli-I am worried I won’t be brave enough. But it’s good to know it has already happened for you.
Guilty-I actually had to read through your comment a few times because the words are so different (trolley! how fun!), but that actually is a really good idea. It can take maneuvering to get into the bags sometimes, and this would be a way to just kind of quickly dump things in.
Skywalker-It sounds like the response from the cashiers has been a really good one. Hopefully after a few months of doing this I will become “that lady” that always comes in and asks for no paper and plastic.
Amanda-I have heard about this plastic bag recycling program at Wal-Mart but I have never used it. I will have to gather all of ours up and give them a try!
Bean-I would love to shop at a place like that. I am pretty sure that Whole Foods has that kind of a program. I try and avoid shopping at Whole Foods very often because we call it “whole paycheck” since it’s really easy to spend a lot of money and not be sure where it all went! And I love the smiley face, I never noticed it before either!
Linda-I always feel so stupid when I leave the store with 1 or 2 items in a bag because it leaves me looking like I bought the whole store. If I don’t have my reusable bags I try to go through self checkout so I can put as many things in a bag as I can.
rksquared-I think that is a really great idea. Do you think it will really encourage people to use them?
kaymarie-Good point! You would think a place that sells reusable bags would know how to use them (but read the first comment, she apparently had problems at Target already!)
miss purple-I think everyone has SOME use for a few bags. I really don’t think they would ever leave completely. Places like Whole Foods only have paper though!
Heather-My mom has a cabinet just like that. Those bags can take up so much space.
13you know what, that’s actually pretty inspiring. i’ve been wanting to do that ever since i watched WALL-E. my situation is exactly like miss purple. we never trash our plastic bags. we always use them for garbage bags and we constantly need them.
by the way, i’m a long time weddingbee lurker who happened to stumble upon your blog from another bee blog
14Ivana-Wall-E had a HUGE effect on me as well. I hate being so easily swayed by their agenda, but it rang so true for me. I don’t want to be wasteful/gluttonous/over consuming. Happy you made your way over here and are planning on sticking around!
15I think more and more people are starting to bring their own bags. I have been handing them to the cashier, and she doesn’t even blink - she’s so used to it. So you may feel like “that lady” right now, but more and more will do it so that it becomes normal! And good for you for making this change.
16Krista-It must be the cashier a little bit. I had the absolute NICEST people at Wal-mart help me the other day. She had to fight with the bags a little bit but she did it for me anyways, with a great attitude and a smile!
17Awesome post! My new thing is making sure any appliances/lamps that I am not using are not plugged into the wall.
I have 10 re-usable bags… I try to keep 2 in the glove compartment, 1 in my purse (a small one) and then the others are usually tied up with groceries or other car/kid stuff!!!
http://www.seasofsilver.wordpress.com
18seaofsilver-I need to get some small enough to fit them in my purse!
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