After I found out that it could take up to 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose, I made an extra effort to take bags with me to the store. After I unload my groceries at home I take the bags back out to the car so I always have them with me.

Giant sells the bags for 99 cents so I use those and also have a hemp bag and don't hesistate to carry the plastic bags back into the store with me.

If I have only one or two items, I take them out of the bag and carry them out of the store. If a bagger makes a comment I just tell them how long the plastic bags take to decompose and they are always surprised. Note: a lot of the stores do not carry paper bags anymore except places like Whole Foods.

When this issue came up previously, someone asked about trash can liners and I don't think we got an answer. I use the liners but put the paper grocery bags in the can and as long as it does not leak thru I only carry the paper bag to the trash can and use the liner as many times as I can. The paper bags with handles work perfectly. Also, if we are not using processed foods (that come in boxes, cans, and bags) our trash should be minimal. Composting helps eliminate trash also.

I didn't intend to have such a lengthy post. I am probably preaching to the choir (as we say) but maybe not.

I am a regular user of the hemp bags.  When I do use the plastic bags, I like to re-use them for the small trash cans around the house.  I still feel bad for all of diapers I used a few years ago....

I remember when they began to push plastic bags as a better solution to paper bags back in the 1980's. Supposedly we'd save trees this way (?) Aren't trees a renewable resource?????? Plastic comes from oil, so how can it be cheaper or renewable? Just shows how easily led (and gullible and stupid) Americans are. Most people never reason things out.

I still get some plastic bags as I use them to line my small trash cans, but I usually get paper. Paper bags can be used for many things, too, including book covers for your kids' school books. (hy buy the expensive ones at the store?). I also use them for mailing packages. trees grown for paper are always replenished, grow quickly, and are not a drain on the environment since they help to clear the air (leaves). I undertsand that the paper mills need to be environmentally sound, but it isn't all that hard.

Lori

Finally a solution for your styrofoam meat trays! Studies show that 90% of packing peanuts are re-used. I already save all my ghost-poo to give to the shipping department of a local wholesale business. Now I rinse each styrofoam tray, cut it into peanut-sized strips and mix it in with the rest. It only takes a minute of my time, but it's a huge load off my mind.
I really liked the idea this article had of crocheting a re-usable bag from your plastic bags - and they even provide a pattern!
I usually ask for paper bags and recycle them at my store. I'm surprised at the number of positive comments I receive from my customers.
I take any plastic bags to the recycling center.
For my household garbage I used 'recyclable' trash bags, which break down into plastic dust. I don't feel great about it, but it seems like a slightly better solution.

Hi,

I am from Switzerland/Germany and as I remember we have this clothbags for over 20 years. We pay for each plastic bag, that get's very expencive over time...

Also plastic containers, I get my veggies and fruits without bags and put it in my basket...

I get very upstet when I see how people ignore and waist. We life on a beautiful planet, one day we all have to pay, or our children...

Take care of yourself and the planet

Therese

Me and Mom are at the store
Lady asks whether we want paper or plastic
I say "paper" just as mom says "We'll do plastic"

...So the lady puts the plastic in the paper....
...that drives me more insane than just the plastic alone!

okay, I must admit. I still use plastic bags. I do recycle them though. What we don't use ourselves I donate to the library. They are always needing bags. We visit the library weekly and save our bags until they will not hold books anymore. I know this still isn't the best way but I am slowly changing. I do get paper bags more often now and am finding extra uses for them too. For those of us used to the coventional terrible American way of doing things small changes are not a bad idea. I cannot overhaul my life all at once. But I can make changes every day that become a regular part of what I do.

I use a plastic liner in the kitchen trash can then add a grocery store paper bag to put the trash in.  I compost vegetable scraps and put meat scraps and other gooey/stinky stuff in a used food bag in the freezer.  I just throw the frozen stuff in the trash when it's taken out on trash day.  The plastic liner lasts for months since it hardly gets dirty.  I use the smaller paper bags from the bakery section at the grocery store to use for vegetables instead of the plastic ones they provide, then reuse them in the bathrooms around the house.  I usually bring cloth bags to the grocery store except when I need to resupply my paper garbage can bags.  So, there's still some plastic usage, but it's a lot less than before.

In addition to following the aforementioned methods, I mail my used sytrofoam containers of all sizes from restaurants (with the recycling symbol #6) to:  

Diversifoam Products

9091 County Road 50

Rockford, MN  55373

On the mailing label, I add "MATERIAL FOR RECYCLING" -- it's pretty cheap to mail as it weighs nothing; the box weighs more than the contents.

Tell EVERYONE about the mercury in the new fluorescent bulbs!  They must not be put in the garbage!  The incandescents are safer -- no mercury.  It costs around $2,000 to have the hazardous waste mess cleaned up if you break one mercury bulb in your home.  

Gramma Elaine

I always get paper bags at the grocery store here in Maine. I anger the clerks every time I ask for them.  Last week, I tried to be friendly about my choice, (small rural community, so everyone knows everyone else; I have been here a year and I am still stared at like I have I just landed from Mars,)  so I told the clerk I wanted to cut down on the use of plastic bags. She proceeded to  place two items in each paper bag, so I ended up with 17 paper bags instead of 9 plastic!  I went to the car, repacked my groceries into 8 bags and brought the excess back to the store.  You should have seen the looks!! LOL!

I no longer get any groceries (or anything) bagged at the store.  I simply ask the cashier to put them back in the cart after she scans them.  Then when I get to my car, I load them into cardboard boxes.  I probably have saved at least 1,000 plastic bags from being used, and it's really very little trouble to do this.  Such a small step to decrease dependence on foreign oil and make the earth a little less polluted for future generations.