Another reason to use your own shopping bags

[samuelsmom]

DH and I have been trying really hard to take our own shopping bags with us whenever we go shopping (especially for groceries). The other day, we were shopping at a Meijer store (midwest, mostly MI, OH, and IN). They counted how many bags of our own we used and they credited us 5 cents a piece for them! I had no idea any stores did this! I just wanted to pass the word and ask if you all know of other places that do things like this. We're trying really hard to have less impact on the environment, even if it seems like really small things... Thanks!

[rainyday]

I think I've just seen it at grocery stores, not at discount stores like Target, but I could be wrong.

[philomom]

Yep, I get a five cent per bag discount on my own cloth bags at most grocery stores here.

[Leylla]

Our stores won't do that, and the baggers will give you the stink eye....

However, I use banana boxes. This is how they "bag" groceries at the bent-n-dent store, so I reuse them at the regular grocery store. Then the kids get to build forts out of them. THEN they get recycled.

And bagger tend to love the boxes b/c they are EASY to pack. (Not my motivation, but it helps, as I *hate* grouchy store personell)

Steph

[Spock]

I love the bag credit. We do most of our shopping at Whole Foods and they give 10 cents a bag. I wonder how much money we've saved over the years....

[Gumby]

One of my favorites is when I walk up the register holding in my hands the thing(s) I'm purchasing and tell them before or as they're putting the item(s) into a plastic bag:

"No bag for me".

(Look of bewilderment. Confusion)

I was able to carry it up to you in the first place, right? Can't I carry it out?

[earthluvinmama]

Someone recently told me that IKEA has really great tote bags that would be great for groceries for just $.59...can't wait to check em out!

My biggest problem is remembering to take them in! It is one of my Earth Day pledges

[cilantromapuche]

I am with you on rememerbering. I have a zillion canvas bags. But oce I bring the groceries in the house with the bags, I forget to take them back out.
We do use the plastic bags as our garbage bags, so they don't go to waste.

[maisiedotes]

I love my cloth bags. Last time I went to the store I forgot my bags and they had like 2 items in each plastic bag. Grrr. Now I ask them to fit as much into my cloth bags as possible.

We, too, have to remember to put them back in the car. We have 6 in each car.

[Llyra]

Originally Posted by Leylla

Our stores won't do that, and the baggers will give you the stink eye....

They give me the stnk eye at the market up the street all the time. I take a kind of perverse joy in it, actually. Resident weirdo with the baby sling and the string bags.

[fek&fuzz]

At my Trader Joes for every bag you reuse you put your name in a jar and once a month they have a drawing for $50 worth of stuff from TJ's.
I haven't won yet, but I might!

[Ruthla]

Yeah, most stores around here credit me 3-4 cents per bag when I bring my own.

I've found it's not really accurate though. I might use 5 canvas bags for a shopping order that would have taken 15 plastic bags, figuring in that the bags are smaller and need to be doubled if heavy items are packed in them. Plus, the cashiers rarely remember to credit me for the bags used.

I think of it as a nice bonus when the cashier remembers. If I thought of the bag credit as my due for using reusable bags, I could get very angry for not being credited properly! I mean, if the cashiers really gave me 5 cents for every plastic bag not used, the canvas bags would pay for themselves in a few months. But that's not going to happen, so I don't expect it!

[angelcat]

I only know of one store here that dies that, (a produce store) the Superstore charges you for bags. I think it's $.04 /bag. So I try to avoid buying any, if I can. I use bins, usually. It's the main place I shop. I still somehow manage to collect tons of plastic bags, but I use some of them, and donate the rest to "The Good Food Box, a project to provide local fresh produce cheaply to low income families. So whatever bags I do use, will get used at least once more. I like that.

[lindberg99]

Our store does that too. (The bag credit)

I go to Aldi a lot (where they charge you for bags) and I rarely forget to take my own bags there. But I almost always forget to take them to the local grocery store.

It seems to be more motivating for me to reuse bags if I get CHARGED for the bags rather than getting a credit back. I should just keep my Aldi bags in the car all the time.

[glorified_rice]

The Cash Wise chain of grocery stores in MN/ND pays 10 cents per reusable bag, so we get an extra 50 Cents off every week, but most of the time you have to mention it or the cashier will forget.

[cupofjojo]

Whole foods must vary from store to store. Ours is 5 cents a bag and up to 25 cents.

Our King Sooper also give bag credit, not sure about our safeway.

I've even started bringing them to Costco on our every other month trip. No bag credit and I wait to bag at the car but it sure saves lugging big boxes into the house.

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Originally Posted by earthluvinmama

Someone recently told me that IKEA has really great tote bags that would be great for groceries for just $.59...can't wait to check em out!

My biggest problem is remembering to take them in! It is one of my Earth Day pledges

I have a hook by my back door where I hang my purse. I hang my cloth bags on the same hook (one bag with all the others stuffed into it) That way when I'm heading out the door to go shopping and I grab my purse, my bags are right there. Since I started keeping them there, I haven't forgotten to take them once!

[AuntLavender]

Have your children take them back out to the vehicle

after helping to bring in the groceries or other shopping! When my children remember they get a Blue Sky soda or a fruit leather as a reward! I have found like carseats you need one (or in this case a set) for each vehicle.

I get looks here too in Central FL at the grocery stores. Target or other non grocery stores are better about not being flustered! LOL!

My local Whole Foods gives you a nickel for each bag you bring in.

[libranbutterfly]

I go to Wild oats and they donate 5cents to charity for each cloth bag, you chose which charity it goes to. I think krogers is discounting for the month of April, b/c of earth day. I havent been there in a while though, I plan on going when DH gets home today, but will be getting paper bags as thats what I sort my recyclables into.

[MommyErin]

I just always keep my bags in the car, now. As soon as I unpack the groceries, they go on the shelf with my purse and are returned to the car the next time I leave the house. This made such a difference.

My biggs grocery (I think they are a Cincinnati thing but they are owned by SuperValu) doesn't give a credit but I get a perverse satisfaction about making them bag in *my* bags. I really love it when they start bagging without asking and have to take the things out of the plastic bags. I want them to start *asking* me (and everyone else). This is ironic considering that my biggest canvas bag that I use most often, I bought there and it says "biggs" in giant letters across the front.

And I must be lucky because at my Kroger, they typically give me credits for each bag I bring in regardless of whether or not we need to use them to bag my groceries.