I've been using the schlep bag, and am now trying to figure out my own pattern for a bag.

Once you've done one of the schlep bags, they go pretty easy. I was also thinking that instead of squares, you could use strips, but would definitely have to line it with something.

Also, I've been making the schlep bags for 'gift wrap' -- great way to give a quilt, just make a matching bag.

Kelly (Nebraska/England)

In Ireland about 2 years ago, the government brought in an environmental tax on plastic bags so that for every plastic bag you take in the supermarket you must pay 22c tax (about 27c in USD). It took a bit of getting used to but now I wouldn't dream of going to the supermarket without my reuseable bags.The supermarkets don't provide paper bags like they do in the US so if you don't bring your reuseable bags you have to pay. All the supermarkets now sell the reuseable ones. I get so mad with myself if I go without my bags. All the clothing stores etc changed over immediately to using paper bags. It's worked really well here. We also banned smoking countrywide 2 years ago in all public buildings- restaurants, shops, pubs etc. There was uproar before the changeover date with people saying there'd be anarchy in the pubs ( a very important part of Irish culture as anyone who's been here will know) but it changed over seamlessly. Even the smokers agree that the change has been for everyone's good.
We have 2 types of reuseable bags for supermarkets. When my DH comes home on Friday, I'll ask him to put up photos of them to see if they inspire you , Darla. I know the ikea bags you're talking about. They're great but I find in the supermarket if I fill it, it's just too heavy to shift into the car.
Actually, I'm going to make that my mission this week- I'll learn how to do the whole photo to computer thing!!
Imelda

There was a thread not too long ago about this topic, but I can't find it. Several made grocery bags. I have been thinking about making some also. I do reuse the plastic bags around the house, but a majority of them go in the garbage. Paper bags? I haven't seen them in years in the grocery store. It used to be an option if you wanted paper or plastic.

Rebecca

We have recyling for plastic bags here and some stores still offer paper bags. I use a mesh "French" type bag and a couple of canvas totes from my quilt shop and Whole Foods. The tightly woven rip-stop man-made fiber cloth like that used for outdoor gear would be great for shopping bags as it is more lightweight than canvas.

I keep some bags in the car all the time so I will have them if I need to run by the store after work.

Here is a how-to:

Here is a link that might be useful: Shopping Bag How-to

Now, that's a great idea! I have a mountain of plastic bags I must remember to take to the recycle bin. They pick up newspapers, glass and plastic bottles at my house but they won't pic up the bags.

Thanks for those instructions teresa!

I hope they don't quit offering paper bags for groceries here. I always choose paper when they ask, and even if they don't ask. I figure they do disintegrate in landfills, so less harmful to the environment. I'd be interested in using cloth bags too, but I've never seen anyone here using them in stores. Might take a little readjustment in the habits of the people bagging groceries - do you just hand them your bags? If I do make some, they'd need to be of sturdy cloth, not my quilting fabrics, I'm thinking, in order to handle the weight of the groceries. Good idea, this thread!!

One way to double your eco "points" is to re-use fabric -- buy curtains/upholstery fabric/canvas items at thrift stores/charity shops, and use those fabrics for stronger bags. Don't forget freecycle! I requested fabric and one lady gave me two huge bags full of upholstery/home decor fabrics. Perfect!

I read somewhere that fabric is clogging up our landfills at record pace, much like plastic!

Kelly (Nebraska/England)

I tried using the fabric tote bags at the grocery. I gave up because people got confused. The cashiers kept forgetting to give me the 5 cents per bag credit, and the baggers didn't seem to know how to deal with a large fabric tote bag that wanted to flop over. (I never had problems when I bagged the groceries myself. I had used the bags to carry the groceries through the store while shopping)

Now, I always bring four paper bags into the grocery store with me, no matter how short my list. That's because the baggers seem reluctant to pack any bag too full, and they seem to do a better job of not squishing the soft stuff when using a paper bag, compared to a fabric tote. I get a 20 cent credit for bringing back four bags. Hey, that adds up over time.

I save my tote bags for other shopping trips, like the fabric store. :-P

Maryliz - I was wondering how the baggers would react to fabric bags. I figured they would get confused, and probably reluctant to try to use them - they seem to have such a rhythm going sometimes when they fill the paper bags. There is one huge mega-store here (not W.Mart!) that has you bag your own stuff, and I could probably use my own fabric, canvas, etc. bags there. I think there needs to be more of an increased awareness among stores as to the consequences of all this plastic packaging and plastic bags used.

I avoid plastic bags whenever possible, but they are perfect for kitchen trash, which might get drippy and smelly. At out house, we recycle and compost everything possible. It takes us about two months to fill a 30-gallon trash bag. We throw away only stuff like bones and un-recyclable plastic. I try to avoid packaging that cannot be recycled, but sometimes you really need the item that is packaged in stuff you are only going to throw away.

Where I live in California, reusable grocery bags are not considered unusual. Most grocery stores, even the national chains, sell some type of reusable bags in the store. Usually, you get some kind of rebate for bringing your own bags.

If nothing else, using reuasable grocery bags drastically reduces the number of plastic and paper bags coming into my house. I can recycle the free grocery bags, but it's even easier if I just don't have as many coming into the house to start with.

Here's a link to a web site that sells a number of bag designs. I include it here not because I think you should buy bags rather than make them, but as inspiration for bag designs that you can make yourself.

http://www.reusablebags.com/

The ideal replacement for a plastic grocery bag would be one that fits in the frame that they use in the store to hold the plastic grocery bag open to load it. The checker loops the handles of the plastic bag over two "holders" that hold the bag open. (I couldn't find a picture of one of these frames online.)

Apparently, a lot of baggers can't figure that one out when given reusable bags, even if you provide a bag with that design. I think the Schlep bag could easily be put on those wire frames for loading.

Perhaps a slight modification to the Schlep bag design: two sets of handles for each bag, one set short (to loop over the bag frame) and one set longer, to carry the bag, perhaps long enough to sling the Schlep bag over your shoulder?

Some example designs of plastic bag-type shapes, something like this:

http://www.reusablebags.com/store/acme-bags-workhorse-style-1500-p-1.html

OR, recycle a stained/old T-shirt by making something like this. I think this one is extremely clever and it's exactly the right shape! I wish I had thought of it myself:

http://www.fashion-incubator.com/mt/archives/reusable_bag_contest_1.html

(Note: The grocery bag design contest on this blog is not over yet; I'm curious to see what they come up with.)

A bag that more or less stands open by itself is easier to pack, but I think would be more difficult to make at home, but not impossible. For example:

http://www.reusablebags.com/store/acme-bags-earthtotetrade-heavy-duty-reusable-shopping-p-10.html

I've purchased a slew of this following design (the GreenBag, see link at the bottom of the post) at several different grocery stores in my area, usually for 99 cents. This one has a "stiffener" that fits in the bottom and I use these bags for everything, not just groceries. It's made of a non-woven fabric that can be recycled that is just stiff enough that the bags can stand open and are easy to load. The price for these online tends to be about 3 or 4 dollars, but I've never paid more than $1.99 in the local stores - lately the price has come down to 99 cents.

The hardest problem I have is getting in the habit of taking the bags into the store with me. I'm getting better at it.

Having at least one "folds down small" bag that I can keep in my purse helps. I've used it at the fabric store, the book store, the drug store, etc., not just the grocery store.

CMC

Here is a link that might be useful: GreenBag grocery bags

I reuse my plastic bags for kitty waste & whatnot, but I find that since they are so weak, that at least 1/2 of my bags from 1 shopping trip have small holes/tears in them & are not reusable for anything...so they end up getting trashed. One of the stores here accepts grocery bags for recycling, but the bin is overflowing. Probably not a priority..but at least they offer the service. I forget to bring mine!

I have watched baggers use fabric bags but they look slightly annoyed by having to use them because they have to find the bottom & sort of bunch it out & work their way up as it's filled. It looks a bit awkward & takes more time. It would help if there was a device (kind of like the plastic bag dispensers) that could be used for a standard size fabric bag. Usually inventions take a need to get the idea sparked. The US is so addicted to plastic....in all forms! When our laws change across the country (San Fran is outlawing plastic by the end of the yr), then MAYBE someone will come up with something handy.

Anyhow, I'm going to make something & try it out. I'm going to check out the clearance in the fabric store & there's a local fabric store here that gets factory leftovers. Horrid service, but you can get some good deals if you ignore the "help". lol

Does anyone know if I can use them in the self checkout lanes that weigh your items?

What I really like about the small IKEA bag is that it is VERY light weight & sturdy. Plus it has the 2 sizes of handles.

thanks for all the great links! You guys rock!

Darla

In the self checkout lanes you could put the items on the scale, remove them and then bag them. It would undoubtedly take more time.

The stores here do not recycle and they only have plastic...the baggers do not even remember paper but I liked it better it stacked better in the car. I have never seen anyone here with a cloth bag

Nanci

I reuse plastic bags when I ship packages. They scrunch up and stuff between the box wall and item and they weigh practically nothing. You can just keep stuffing them in tight.
Has anyone made a pet screen bag? A quilt guild member made one and i ran out and bought pet screen at the local hardware store. However---still haven't made it. I found a site for them though so you can see how cute they are. Very sturdy, too.

Gr-r-r-r Can never get my links to be pink. Retry
http://www.creations-online.com/neatstuff/petscreen.htm

I've read on the net that it takes more energy to make paper bags than plastic so that even though plastic bags are the scourge of the planet, paper isn't a good alternative.
If you came here, you'd need to take your own bags or you'd be obliged to buy resable bags. Plastic, thankfully, is a thing of the past. The damage they cause the planet is terrible. You really do get used to taking your own bags. It took me a while but I got there in the end.

I did really good on Thurs (my big shopping day) by taking all my misc tote bags & such I had lying around. Then, I had to do more shopping Sat...& forgot my bags. They were hanging neatly on a hook in my kitchen. I went shopping AGAIN today & AGAIN I forgot my bags. However, this time...I told the cashier that I forgot my cloth bags & would rather just put my 12 items in my cart w/o bagging them. She was a cashier in good spirits (hard to find!) & OK with that.

Habits are hard to break...& this plastic convenience is a real pain.

I'd rather quilt, but I'm looking forward to making some shopping bags. Maybe if I make a dozen, then I can always have them in my car...in DH car...in my home...& I won't have an excuse.

I forget my bags most of the time, too. But I'm getting better...now I realize I've forgotten them just before checking out! lol

Sometimes if I'm going to more than one shop, and have forgotten my bags, I get one bag and use that for the other shops, too. Or just pack them in the bottom of the stroller or my purse.

I am using one of the schlep bags to carry Leith's things (lunch, diapers, sweater) when we take her to the childminder. That one is easy to remember.

Making the bags is actually kind of fun. There's immediate satisfaction -- since they are easy to complete, usually about an hour.

Kelly (Nebraska/England)

They are sort of like umbrellas. We have had several and kept an old one on the floor in the truck, one at the store and the rest at the house. That way we almost always were able to keep dry. The theory being that we'd never have all of them at the same place at the same time. So perhaps if you make extra bags and store one or two your trunk you'd be ahead of the game.

Unless it's summer and you've bought ice cream, replace the car bags with the ones you left at home before you unpack the groceries.

I usually keep my shopping bags (paper and fabric) in the car, so that I'll remember to grab what I need before I head into a store.

Here's a great tutorial for making your own shopping/grocery bags, ladies.

I've made several to keep and give as gifts. In fact, I just finished two today, one in Mary Kay colors to give my friend who sells MK and another in a faux leather for my classy Texas friend. Here is a pic of the first two I made. They hold just as much stuff as a regular plastic bag, but they are so much stronger! Since you make your own pattern from an existing bag, you can make the handles as long or short as you'd like. And there's even a pocket so you can fold it up into itself.

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Here is a link that might be useful: Tutorial to make a shopping bag

Are those ever cute and thanks for posting the tutorial. I'm thinking this project would be great for my February Guild Meeting to do as a demo, Feeling Green, don't you!
Jean

I have started using cloth bags alot and the way I make sure they're in the car when I need them....I unpack the groceries and immediately put the empty bags next to the front door with my car keys on top....only takes an extra second on my way to the driver side to pop the trunk and dump the bags inside. However, my bags were all purchased...it never occurred to me to make my own.

Ha, ha, just reread my post...I think I should feel green in March for St. Patrick's Day... brain fried momment.
Jean

Thanks so much for the tutorial on the grocery bag..I have been making shlep bags like crazy lately just for gifts and more for myself...the idea of reusing fabric is a great idea ....Judy

You're very welcome, I love finding fun tutes on practical things to make and just had to share! lol

Let me tell you what happened to me once when I drove over a plastic bag. It got caught in the crank shaft of our car, breaking the oil seal. It cost of over $300 to get it fixed. So if you ever have to drive over a plastic bag, look in your rear view mirror and make sure you see it. Otherwise, stop and look under your car to see if it got caught.
Our city is just now working with major retailers to reduce the amount of plastic bags. I intend to make some cloth bags for grocery shopping. I've made large lined tote bags out of denim I found on the sale rack at JoAnn's for $5/yard (60 inches wide). I put a 3inch gusset and long straps. These were for large, but lightweight items, I'll make the others smaller. This is a great thread.

They're really smart. I love that pattern.