# Do you use plastic grocery bags as small trash bags? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 19, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733 "2013-01-19T18:51:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/21 "2013-01-19T21:07:42Z")
I’m in San Jose so we can’t get them at the grocery store anymore, so we’ve resorted to buying boxes of them to use for litterbox cleanup after we got through our backlog. We do occasionally use them for trash but more often for litterboxes. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/22 "2013-01-19T21:42:01Z")
Trash bags for small bins, lunch bags (which are then recycled into trash bags for my car, where I usually eat lunch), &c… ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/23 "2013-01-19T21:48:48Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > This seems silly to me. > So, you have to purchase several different containers to sort your trash. Plus you have to buy separate bags for food, dog poop, compost. Most of which are probably made in China, which doesn’t make any sense at all from a global green perpective. And ultimately, who pays for the bottle and can buy-back programs? Who makes money from the recycle color coded bin mandate? > Who pays for the added cost for restaurant take-away containers? > Who pays for the added cost for managing constrution clean up? > I pay zero for my local trash company to remove my trash every week. It’s included with other basic services. Containers are supplied by the utility and reused for years and years. We use no compost bags; the compostables go straight to the bin from the kitchen every day, or into our own compost pile. The goal is to keep waste out of landfills that doesn’t need to be there, which also saves municipality money. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/24 "2013-01-19T22:07:51Z")
I can’t believe I’m the only “Other.” They are outlawed in San Francisco and possibly some surrounding counties. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/25 "2013-01-19T22:19:46Z")
But, where plastic grocery bags are outlawed. You can still buy small trash bags? Thats what I’ll have to do if plastic grocery bags get banned. There’s still a need for small plastic trash bags around the house. I prefer reusing the free grocery bags. But buying a box of small can liners is option 2. Thats what everyone did thirty years ago. The paper grocery bags aren’t good for wet trash. They’re pretty useless if there’s any chance of them getting wet. I remember packing a few clothes in a paper bag in college. Ok, for weekend trips. ---
**Author:** ![Sevencl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sevencl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevencl)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/26 "2013-01-19T22:31:42Z")
Paper bags don’t look particularly sturdy, and the way I see them carried on American shows looks really awkward too, especially if you have a lot of them. I have my groceries delivered so don’t need to worry about that if plastic bags are banned, but it looks really inconvenient for when you need to pick up a few things. I don’t think plastic bags are going to be banned here anyway. It seems more like eventually there’ll be a tax on them which the stores will pass on to customers by charging a few pence per bag. The charge in Northern Ireland is five pence for your standard thin, fairly weak bag - ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/27 "2013-01-19T22:44:13Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Containers are supplied by the utility and reused for years and years. We use no compost bags; the compostables go straight to the bin from the kitchen every day, or into our own compost pile. The goal is to keep waste out of landfills that doesn’t need to be there, which also saves municipality money. All admirable goals. But still, someone has to pay for the cost of the containers (made where?) and for the cost of the carrieer bags (again, made where?) Saving the municipality money is all very grand and noble but only if it comes with a net benefit to the municipality and the citizens. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/28 "2013-01-19T22:46:12Z")
When plastic grocery bags are outlawed, only outlaws will have plastic grocery bags. I reuse the ones I now pay 5 cents each for to take my lunch to work, line small garbage cans, pick up dog poor, for waste in the car and lots of other uses. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/29 "2013-01-19T22:48:15Z")
Plastic grocery bags are being gradually phased out in my county. It isn’t silly at all. Ever hear of the Pacific Gyre? You know, the enormous floating plastic dump we’ve created out in the ocean? We’re a coastal county and most of the waste that doesn’t get into the landfill (and we have don’t have space for any more landfill) ends up in the ocean. Much of that is plastic. We too have mandatory recycling. And that is nothing but a good thing. However, what I want to know is, why is it the responsibility of the consumer to recycle all the unnecessary packaging? Why isn’t it the responsibility of the manufacturer/producer to reduce packaging to the absolute minimum? Huh? I don’t use plastic grocery bags at all, I use my own cloth bags and have since the early 1980’s. But, not being perfect, I buy plastic trashbags that fit my bathroom and bedroom cans exactly, because I have so many animals in the house, and all my cans are the Simplehuman kind that are metal with lids with a step-on lever. Any extra plastic bags that come into my house – and their name is legion no matter how hard I try to avoid them – are re-used many times for veggies & fruit and bulk food purchases or re-used once as poop bags. I still have many more than enough. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/30 "2013-01-19T22:55:51Z")
I now never use anything else for garbage, and have not brough trash can liners for over three years. ---
**Author:** ![Sevencl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sevencl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevencl)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/31 "2013-01-19T23:05:40Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Plastic grocery bags are being gradually phased out in my county. It isn’t silly at all. Ever hear of the Pacific Gyre? You know, the enormous floating plastic dump we’ve created out in the ocean? > > We’re a coastal county and most of the waste that doesn’t get into the landfill (and we have don’t have space for any more landfill) ends up in the ocean. Much of that is plastic. > > We too have mandatory recycling. And that is nothing but a good thing. > > However, what I want to know is, why is it the responsibility of the consumer to recycle all the unnecessary packaging? Why isn’t it the responsibility of the manufacturer/producer to reduce packaging to the absolute minimum? Huh? Packaging keeps your purchases in decent order. Too often I’ve ordered something and its poor packaging has led to it being burst in transit - usually one of those microwave things with a cardboard sleeve as opposed to an actual box. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/32 "2013-01-19T23:10:15Z")
All of the smaller wastebaskets in the house are lined with grocery bags. They also hang off doorknobs for recycling. Also cat poop. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/33 "2013-01-19T23:20:31Z")
What bags I get I use to pick up and toss dog poop but before going to reusable grocery bags that still left many getting thrown into the recycling stream. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/34 "2013-01-19T23:21:29Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > However, what I want to know is, why is it the responsibility of the consumer to recycle all the unnecessary packaging? Why isn’t it the responsibility of the manufacturer/producer to reduce packaging to the absolute minimum? Huh? I agree! The idea is that we consumers will put pressure on manufacturers to use less packaging, since we’re less likely to buy over-packaged goods if we have to deal with the disposal. I have no idea if it’s working, especially since I can remove the recyclables from my garbage stream and therefore not pay any extra for its disposal. It does seem like manufacturers have been touting “less packaging” lately. And doesn’t it save them money if they are paying for less packaging? ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/35 "2013-01-19T23:30:53Z")
We use reusable bags and have for a long time, we finally worked through the bag of plastic bags and had nothing for the wastebins which lead to us actually needing to buy a roll of bags just the same size as the ones the supermarket uses for packing. Now we forget our reusable bags every 4-5 shops or so to avoid that nonsense. If the supermarket started charging 5c a bag I would need to do a price check on the roll of bags to see which worked out cheaper. One chain of supermarkets has introduced recycling bins for plastic bags and packaging the council won’t take so any too holey wind up there with the bread bags etc. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/36 "2013-01-20T00:56:01Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Some jerk in our Legislative session wants to ban them. Generally, the reason that people want to ban plastic grocery bags is to reduce the impact on the environment. In many places I’ve been, loose ones are found caught in trees or scattered around parking lots. So why do you think an Arkansas state legislator would be a “jerk” for wanting to reduce the problem? ---
**Author:** ![Sevencl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sevencl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevencl)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/37 "2013-01-20T01:01:43Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Generally, the reason that people want to ban plastic grocery bags is to reduce the impact on the environment. In many places I’ve been, loose ones are found caught in trees or scattered around parking lots. So why do you think an Arkansas state legislator would be a “jerk” for wanting to reduce the problem? Well, forcing your beliefs on others is a generally jerky thing to do, in my opinion. Not everyone cares about the environment, and I certainly resent environmental concerns being forced upon me. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/38 "2013-01-20T01:04:16Z")
I usually carry a couple of them in my purse, and use them for purchases. Sort of like a string bag, but taking up even less space. I also use them as small trash bags. ---
**Author:** ![KermitTheFrig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/47e85d/32.png) [@KermitTheFrig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KermitTheFrig)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/39 "2013-01-20T01:04:55Z")
We use them as liners for small wastebaskets around the house, as trash receptacles in one of our vehicles, and for the disposal of the pet rodents’ dirty bedding material. ---
**Author:** ![Mnemnosyne](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mnemnosyne/32/3347_2.png) [@Mnemnosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnemnosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733/40 "2013-01-20T03:33:31Z")
Yep, used mostly as trash bags around here. They prohibited those in the city of Long Beach a while back. I try to avoid stores in Long Beach now whenever it’s reasonable to do so. Hopefully other people do the same thing, and the loss of revenue will prompt stores to put noticeable effort into getting such laws removed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-plastic-grocery-bags-as-small-trash-bags/647733.md?page=3)