San Francisco banned plastic just recently. We've bought a bunch of cloth bags to use.
The handles on the paper bags break too easily.
I had too many soda bottles in one bag and it broke in the parking lot. Soda rolling everywhere. Just glad it wasn't breakable stuff. I don't trust the paper bags at all.
And, now we'll have to buy trash can liners. LOL.

I think it's a great idea. I've gone to mostly reusable bags myself..

I just mentioned this on Azzalea's "Cheaper" thread. Whole Foods' announcement got me to thinking, and I finally put tote bags in my car so I have them ready for grocery shopping.

I try to use reuseable bags everytime too, one to not waste more and two I'm sick of getting 100 cheap bags each time I go to the store. The plastic bags I do bring home either get recycled or used as trash bags etc.

Whole Foods had a statistic that this year alone they will save something outrageous like 100 million bags from landfills? (I might be off on that number?)

I read in this mornings paper that this may be the way most stores are going. For me, personally, the cheap plastic bags work well. I have a mobility problem, and live on the second floor of an apt house (no elevator) I transfer my groceries from the car to a two wheel cart to bring them up to the apt. I can fit more plastic bags of stuff in the cart than I could with the paper bags, so I can get everything home in one trip. We reuse the plastic bags in waste baskets and to clean the kitty litter box. I guess I hope our local grocery store is slow in adopting this plan of paper over plastic, and I wish more people wold be carefull not to litter. Dottie

We shop at our local Aldi's and you take your own bags or buy their's and re-use...You also need a quarter to get a shopping cart and get the quarter back when you return it...It's great, low prices and no carts sitting in the parking lot...

I have reusable bags, but my problem is remembering to bring them into the store with me! I have now put them on the front seat on top of my purse. I'm getting better at remembering to bring them into the store with me.
I, too, recycle the plastic bags, some as trash can liners, the others get taken back to the store for recycling.

I prefer neither! I carry cloth bags. I am really good about putting them back in the trunk, after I empty them at home. They hold more. They are environmentally safe. They never end up in a tree, or fence, or a landfill. ;)

Moni

I have been using the reuseable ones made out of recycled plastic bottles that you see everywhere. I LOVE using them and encourage everyone to get some. They are cheap and they hold so much more than you'd ever think.

ginger

And how about Aldi's!
You put a quarter in to use the cart, and if you return it to that spot, you get your quarter back.

Sure saves on car dings from those blasted carts left in parking lot!

I too have used cloth bags for years -- they never wear out. But as noted on the other thread, I do occasionally need to get a few plastic ones for kitty litter, etc.

I take the bus to the grocery store. Which cloth bags hold a lot of groceries?
Donna

Donna, I use the ones from WalMart, b/c that's where I shop, but I've seen them in Publix, Kroger and I just heard Target now has them. I think all of those are the same size. I have 3 and can fit over $100 worth of regular grocery items in them. You just have to make sure you watch how they pack if you don't pack them yourself. Put heavy stuff on the bottom and light/produce stuff on top in two of them and your milk, cold and frozen stuff in another. Works great for me anyway! They only cost a buck, just buy one and see how you like it, you can always buy more.

ginger

Ok, I'm sure this is a really dumb question, but I've wondered about it for awhile now. Each store I visit has its own bag with logo, and I've wondered how the management feels about its customers using other stores' bags. What do you think?

Sjerin, when I was at Whole Foods, the person in front of me had various store names on her cloth bags. She made a joke of it, they chuckled, and all was fine. Truly, they shouldn't care. You are still looking out for the environment.

Sheryl

Donna - Trader Joe's has a great bag for cold food. Easy to carry, hold's plenty.

I do really dislike the plastic bags but I wonder what the people who live in the city and walk their dogs will use. Get my drift?

Also, as much as I hated them, the plastic bags were great when I cleaned my cat's litter.

There are many other bags you can use for you kitty or dog poop. Bread bags, tortilla bags, deli meat bags, bagal bags, produce bags, hot dog bun bags, cearal liner bags, waffle liner bags, bags from store bought marshmellows, bags from store bought hamburger patties. And the list can go on.

Maybe you could cut the plastic bags into strips and crochet a reusable bag, kind of like we used to make rugs out of plastic strips. Any thoughts?

I have considered these bags. I just have to order a style that Main Man wouldn't mind using since he enjoys going to the store.

Gayle

Here is a link that might be useful: Cloth Bags

These bags were on Oprah. They look sturdy.
I use the produce bags for cat litter, are they getting rid of those too?
Donna

Here is a link that might be useful: ecobags

I do reuse the plastic bags. One hangs on a knob to collect recycled cans. To line my poop scooping bucket then tie off. But ok, I can adapt.

I have a big cloth tote bag, that I got on a cruise, and it sure comes in handy.
Have it sitting in front of my fireplace filled with firelogs!

How come plastic produce bags are OK?
Selective greening?

"Bread bags, tortilla bags, deli meat bags, bagal bags, produce bags, hot dog bun bags, cearal liner bags, waffle liner bags, bags from store bought marshmellows, bags from store bought hamburger patties."

Obviously you don't have a large dog!

LOL

Are the doggy bags that are sole biodegradable? I have a feeling they are, though I don't know how expensive they are. I know my friend's dog goes through 2-5 per day!