Re-Useable Shopping Bags

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Originally Posted by 7rider

I think it's silly to buy bags that are made in and shipped from China and call it "green." That's like buying a brand new hybrid car with a battery with a finite lifecycle and no recycleability, when you have a perfectly functonal car in the driveway, and calling that "green." The only "green" is the money given to retailers.

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Indeed. It's about as 'green' as buying a brand new bike and saying that you are saving the environement by riding to work every once in awhile. That's not the point.

Buying cloth bags is always a better choice than using the plastic ones. Honestly, mine have been used literally hundreds of times since I bought them a little over a year ago. They also still look brand new, so I see no reason why they won't get to thousands of uses. Are they made in China? Yes. Are they made by a company that follows fair trade practices? Yes. Did I reasearch all this prior to buying them? No, I didn't and perhaps I should have. I picked these bags specifically because of the size. Could I carry a big honkin' purse to allow me to put huge tote bags in it so that I was never without a bag? Well sure, but that seems stupid to me, too. And honestly, it's great that you are reusing free totes from conferences and stuff...but where do you think those were made? USA? Not likely.

My point is that every effort we make is worthwhile. Are we perfect? No. Are we improving, yes...and that's the point. There is no reason to get sactimonious about where reusable shopping bags are coming from when most of us live in a homes powered by grid electricity, use public sewer systems, eat food that wasn't grown in our own backyard by sustainable methods and drive cars powered by foriegn oil. We can't change the world in a day, but we can make better choices about how we live our lives. Preaching to others who are at least making the effort is not helping anyone.

I ONLY use re-usable bags for shopping. I would rather carry an item out with nothing than take plastic. I keep my bags in the side of my car door so they are not forgotten. :D

I also keep one of these in my purse for trips to the mall where a grocery bag is not as functional.

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Originally Posted by msincredible

A former boyfriend (from the UK) would always put his bananas inside a produce bag...I never understood why. :confused:

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I often see people doing that - never been able to figure out why, either!

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Originally Posted by ny biker

I also have a Chico bag that I love because it scrunches into a little pouch and fits in your purse, so it's always there if you need it.

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That bag looks great -- exactly what I need.

Pam

Just getting back to my pc here to check on my thread of yesterday...

:eek:WOW! What great response:cool:.

I really like the self-checker lane myself too. Something else I really liked about using my bag was the size... compared to a cart or a store hard plastic tote basket. The cart is a lot to push through store ailse when it's crowded (if you are not planning to fill the cart all the way up especially). The hard platic basket is just uncomfortable to grip by hand with weight, or carry in the crook of your arm (heavy to start with too).

The shopping bag works out perfectly in comparison:).

Ah, well, no Price Chopper's anywhere near here. I've not seen anything like that in any of the store I do shop at. I'll settle for recycling the plastic bags fore reuse at Aldi's and using them for trash bags.

BTW, just as personal preference, I won't use the self-checkout lanes.

In the first place it takes jobs away from people, and in the second place I hate being yelled at by machines.

Just my preference.

Re-usable bags: have them, use them, love them. Most often they get hung by the door so they go back to the car.

Procuring more bags: Most of mine come from Bike to Work day.:) I often take all or part of the day off and plan a route hitting the maximum number of refresher stations. This nets me enough re-usable bags that I've been known to ...

Gifts: use them as gift wrapping. But you still end up with lots of ...

Plastic bags: most get used for the doggeeeeee. Still enough left to ...

Recycle bags: drop them off at a store that recycles.

Clerks: to get them to use the bags put 'em in front of the groceries. Otherwise they go for the plastic.

Self serve registers: I don't like them either for reasons expressed above.

Starting June 1st even China is banning the bag.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environ...-bags-47010907

I live in a place where unemployment is relatively low, and has been for a long time. No one is put out of a job here because of the self-check. The check-outs are rarely completely manned, anyway.

Plus, all my groceries are divided up according to the place they go in the kitchen. And that's the best feature!

Karen

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Originally Posted by Tuckervill

Plus, all my groceries are divided up according to the place they go in the kitchen. And that's the best feature!

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If I could teach the baggers at my grocery store to bag in the order that I've laid out on the belt and put more than 3 items in each bag, I'd be in heaven.

Most of the time, I bag my own.

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Originally Posted by Becky

Most of the time, I bag my own.

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I do the same.

In many parts of Europe, you are expected to bag your own, and you are also charged per bag from the store. Not a bad system. :)

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Originally Posted by msincredible

I do the same.

In many parts of Europe, you are expected to bag your own, and you are also charged per bag from the store. Not a bad system. :)

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Horrible system. For nearly a year I couldn't use my left arm at all because of a shoulder injury. I can't use my right arm for extended periods of time because of a bad elbow. I need a little help there, especially when Wally World has gotten rid of all their conveyor belts and you've got about 2 square feet of space to unload a cartful of groceries on, all the while they're piling up on the 2 square feet on the OTHER side of the register.

You want to REALLY take forever in the checkout line? Make people bag their own groceries.

I'm only 50 now and would never have guessed I would be as debilitated as I am. I have lost so much strength in my left arm it's actually a little frightening. As we get older we slow down much more than we could have guessed. I'm glad I've never been particularly annoyed by slow old people while standing in line, because I'm rapidly becoming one of them.

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Originally Posted by msincredible

I do the same.

In many parts of Europe, you are expected to bag your own, and you are also charged per bag from the store. Not a bad system. :)

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I love the idea! But I'm not optimistic that we'll see that catch on.

I use the system where I have a hand held scanner, I scan the item as I pick it up off the shelf and then put it in my reusable bag. Then at the checkout counter, I just scan a barcode, it brings up everything in my bag, I pay and I'm gone. I love it - it aids in my ability to shop and yet still be a hermit. :)

Possegal- what store has the handheld scanner system? That's so cool!

It is the chain Giant here in the DC area. Not sure how widespread they are, and not even all of them here have it. They have their occassional glitch, but for the most part, I really do like it.

It's worth noting that shopping bags are easy to make even if your sewing skills are minimal. The seams need to be strong, but that's easy to accomplish.

Don't use cotton because it takes a long time to dry if it gets wet.

Pam

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Originally Posted by Possegal

It is the chain Giant here in the DC area. Not sure how widespread they are, and not even all of them here have it. They have their occassional glitch, but for the most part, I really do like it.

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Ahh ok. We have them here in DE too, but they go by Super G. I need to check out the one near me to see if they have this nifty scanning thing :)

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Originally Posted by PamNY

It's worth noting that shopping bags are easy to make even if your sewing skills are minimal. The seams need to be strong, but that's easy to accomplish.
Don't use cotton because it takes a long time to dry if it gets wet.
Pam

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And be sure to check first to make sure the thread, fabric, your sewing machine, and your work table are not made in China- otherwise you'd just be deluding yourself about being 'green'.

(just kidding) :cool:


I agree that's a good option too if you have a sewing machine. :)

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Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl

And be sure to check first to make sure the thread, fabric, your sewing machine, and your work table are not made in China- otherwise you'd just be deluding yourself about being 'green'.

(just kidding) :

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I know you're kidding, but I saved ALL the sewing-related whoozits that my late mother had. So much better made than stuff we buy now. I wish I could have kept her 1950s Kenmore sewing machine, too; I'm sure you could sew sheet metal with that thing.

Now my work table -- that I found in the garbage and hauled home on my dog's Radio Flyer (which I use instead of a cab) so just in case it was made in China I get a pass.

Pam

My favorite shopping bag is the one my mom made for me. I suppose as shopping bag designs go it's rather elaborate, with its nice flat bottom and box-like folded corners. I don't know if she actually used a pattern or just made it up. But anyway, it's beautiful and I've been using it for some 20 years now.

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Originally Posted by PamNY

I know you're kidding, but I saved ALL the sewing-related whoozits that my late mother had. So much better made than stuff we buy now. I wish I could have kept her 1950s Kenmore sewing machine, too; I'm sure you could sew sheet metal with that thing.

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Very true!

I used to sew a lot, then haven't had a sewing machine for the past 12 years or so.
A few weeks ago, someone gave us an old 1970's Sears Kenmore machine that had a broken pedal and had lost its table that it fit into. It wobbled on 3 'legs' since it was not intended to stand alone. It had some other weird issues too.
We bought a manual for it. My husband made a new plate for the pedal and got it working, and he made a another leg for it so it could stand alone without wobbling. We took things apart and logically figured out the other little problems it had and fixed those. There were a couple of strange adjustments that someone had done to the working parts long ago, but we corrected them. Then we cleaned and oiled it and adjusted the tension.
Now it works great!! It's got all the fancy stitches too. I bought new needles and bobbins, etc. I just hemmed up some jeans shorts.
Many of those parts inside machines today are now made of plastic instead of metal, and I think this machine must surely be better made than the ones today.
So now I have a nice smooth running 'recycled' sewing machine. :p

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Originally Posted by PamNY

I know you're kidding, but I saved ALL the sewing-related whoozits that my late mother had. So much better made than stuff we buy now. I wish I could have kept her 1950s Kenmore sewing machine, too; I'm sure you could sew sheet metal with that thing.

Now my work table -- that I found in the garbage and hauled home on my dog's Radio Flyer (which I use instead of a cab) so just in case it was made in China I get a pass.

Pam

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I didn't think of making my own bags too. That's a great tip. I am a hack at sewing. But, I could probably make a bag. My mom's old Kenmore was a 1970s model. In my basement, in need of work. Wouldn't let DH throw it out.

BUT, the best is my late grandmother's sewing machine. It's still at my mom's. I told her she has to put it in the will to me lol. It's a Singer manual foot pedal style (late 1800s as far as I can tell). OMG... it's just *beautiful* though old and worn. Still pedals to sew though.

That was my only grandma living that I knew. I have a farm bonnet she made me as a child we would wear in the garden together (sun protection). That woman could sew you up a whole mess of re-useable shopping bags in no time flat (eyes closed probably lol).

I think my bag makes a good "misc junk collector" spot in the car too. Versus making the purse so heavy to carrry:).

I am a quilter and have made a bunch of bags over the years. I never get plastic at the grocery store and these are great. They are definitely kept in my car and I leave them near the back door so I remember to put them back in the car.

Here is a link I found for all kinds of different bags. If you plan to stuff them and they are heavy, I would use webbing all the way around to the bottom. Look at them and find one you like. There are some really simple ones and some more elaborate ones, but I really like the #10, using a heavy fabric, denim (recycle old jeans), or canvas.

http://tipnut.com/35-reusable-grocer...free-patterns/

PS. Am I dumb or what? I want to start a thread and cannot for the life of me find where to do that. Can someone help, please!!! :confused:

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Originally Posted by AnnieBikes

PS. Am I dumb or what? I want to start a thread and cannot for the life of me find where to do that. Can someone help, please!!! :confused:

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In the forum you want to post in, go to the button called "Forum Tools", it is on the top right underneath the page numbers.

Click on it and you will see an option for "Post a New Thread".

Thank you so much msincredible. I appreciate your help so much!! :D

First, AnnieBikes, that's a great link. What interesting ideas for fabric use.

Second, today I went to the Greenmarket and as I was passing the compost dropoff area, I noticed two reusable bags that had been used to transport compostible stuff. I suppose they are sturdy, but I doubt if they are washed off and reused.

Alas, the moral dilemmas never end. I stopped short of retrieving them.

Pam