I bet there are used grocery bags in every house in this country. What do most people do with them? Reuse them? Throw them away? Stuff them in a drawer until the drawer is ready to burst? I have to say, I have that drawer in my house. I reuse them often but it seems I accumulate them faster than I reuse them.
The United States uses 100 billion plastic bags each year! 100 BILLION! Guess how many of these bags get recycled each year? Only 1%. I bet you can figure out where the rest of them are going. Did you know that plastic has a very long life in our landfills? So long, that most plastics will last 200-400 years before it biodegrades!
Many cities around the country want to out-law them. And for good reason. But what will we use to carry our grocery's home in? ReUsable Bags! I was in Central Market about one month ago and purchased four $1.99 (per bag) reusable bags. I love them! The four bags will hold a weeks worth of grocery's for my family. One bag replaces 2-3 plastic bags! They are very durable. I put two gallons of milk in one bag and it held up like a champ. I want to see a plastic bag do that!
(You can also purchase brown reusable bags at Brookshires in Willow Park for $1.00)
Sun, 12/09/2007 - 16:41
In reference to the last post; it is easy enough when shopping to put "wet" items such as fresh meat in a single plastic bag at the checkout, then use the heavy duty reusable bags for all those heavy cans and other stuff. I have has some for years and have never been concerned for their cleanliness. When they do start to look a little dirty, I just wash them. My biggest problem is remembering to take them out of the car and into the store! Also, I would hope that the stores that collect bags for recycling actually do recycle them. There are companies that use this type of plastic to make many other items and I have heard that they can't get enough of it (same as plastic bottles).
Fri, 07/27/2007 - 19:05
What do I do with used grocery bags? I upcycle them. The high-density polyethylene that they bags are made of make for nice material for making all manner of things, and I'm currently working on making a messenger-type bag out of bags ironed together to keep my books and laptop in. It's a great way to reuse a material that is both lightweight and strong while minimizing one's own environmental footprint.
Wed, 07/04/2007 - 02:02
I have not tried reusable bags, and am not sure I would, unless required. I am concerned about leaking meat, fish, and poultry, and possible cross contamination with fruits and vegetables. However, I do reuse plastic bags, and, those I do not need, I stuff into one plastic bag and return it to the store's grocery bag recycling bin. My question is, do the grocery stores actually recycle these bags, or are they just thrown out when the bins become full?