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plastic grocery bags vs. cloth - Page 3  

post #41 of 51
3/27/08 at 3:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by erin a View Post
Yes, unfortunately this is true. Biobags are a marketing ploy. Once it's in the landfill it's there FOREVER. Don't waste your money on the expensive bags - they will never biodegrade in the landfill.
Bio Bags are actually marketed primarily to be composted or for open air landfills. I have never heard the company claim that the bags will decompose quickly in a landfill setting (or at all in most instances). The advantage to bio bags is that they are made from corn and they don't use polyethylene. BioBags will also decompose in water in the event that one ends up there by accident.
post #42 of 51
3/27/08 at 3:29pm
I've also found that I simply prefer cloth bags- they really came in handy once when I locked my keys in my car at the grocery store and had to walk 1.5 miles with two bags with a gallon of milk, a bag of potatoes, and several other items- while carrying 27 lb DS! (I had locked my sling in the car too!) No WAY I could have done that with plastic bags!
post #43 of 51
3/27/08 at 3:43pm
I use bio bags for garbage and put the groceries in my backpack. Works best that way, as I usually ride my bicycle to the markets.
post #44 of 51
3/27/08 at 4:10pm
Do stores still offer plastic?? I havent seen them in a while...
post #45 of 51
3/27/08 at 9:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Traci mom23boys View Post
I have been using cloth bags for 10 years or so and would occasionally get some paper bags to use for garbage. Then one day I had an *aha* moment when I was in World Market and saw these super cute, small, stainless steel, red garbage cans and thought why not use this and just rinse if needed after dumping the trash in the big can outside. How is that for a run-on sentence!

Anyway, we have been doing that for about a year and it feels good. I have made a commitment to use only my own bags when shopping. I have some pretty ones for other misc. shopping too.
Do you have a bag in the big can that you empty in to? I'm pretty sure we are required to bag our garbage here. I don't think we can have a whole can of 'loose' garbage......I like the idea, but I'd hate to tick off my garbage collectors!
post #46 of 51
3/27/08 at 11:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by barose View Post
Do stores still offer plastic?? I havent seen them in a while...
I see you are in the bay area... I can attest that in the midwest plastic bags are alive and well. Everyone has them, no one recycles them and no one brings their own bags!
post #47 of 51
3/28/08 at 3:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovemyavery View Post
I see you are in the bay area... I can attest that in the midwest plastic bags are alive and well. Everyone has them, no one recycles them and no one brings their own bags!
Got it!
I know they are illegal in San Francisco and a lot of storse I go to (outside SF) doesn't have them either. Whole Foods in Oakland is going to ban them starting Earth Day '08. I'm not sure about the other WFs...
post #48 of 51
3/28/08 at 1:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by barose View Post
Do stores still offer plastic?? I havent seen them in a while...
I am in So Cali and they have them here. There was a news report about them a few months back. They are thinking of either banning them or charging a 'tax' on each bag. Kind of like the CRV plastic tax. I have always wanted to try cloth bags but just never got around to it. The news report made me open up my eyes. I have only sewn 3 so far but it is a start.
post #49 of 51
3/28/08 at 1:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by erin a View Post
Yes, unfortunately this is true. Biobags are a marketing ploy. Once it's in the landfill it's there FOREVER. Don't waste your money on the expensive bags - they will never biodegrade in the landfill.

So what do you suggest for garbage bags? We still ues the "regular" WFs plastic garbage bags because we cant just throw garbage in the cans...
post #50 of 51
3/28/08 at 1:16pm
I have a collection of canvas bags that are great, but would get used infrequently because I'd often find myself dropping in at a store to get something without those bags - they are a little cumbersome to carry around. However, when I got the thinner & lighter poly bags, I always have one with me and this has greatly reduced my use of store bags. I've got a couple of Reisenthal bags that tuck into their own wee bags when emty, and I've got a set of of shoot, can't remember the name, but they are similar to the Reisenthal bags only they have little snap-straps on the bottom to keep them rolled up when not in use (like an umbrella).
post #51 of 51
3/28/08 at 9:11pm
I live in WV and only one store I have found offers paper bags. Every place else is all plastic. DH if from CA and he said that there, plastic bags were rare, so it was a totally foreign concept for him to see so many plastic bags at stores here.
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