Every summer festival I go to has free bags being given away by different booths. I just pick up one here and there. For a family of 4, I usually have about 3 bags filled. I’ve never used more than 6 bags in a trip, and that was a Costco run.
I want a free bag… :mad:
One thing bugs me about those bags whether the canvas or net bags. We reuse those cheap plastic bags from the grocery store for garbage bags. I wonder if people are now buying garbage bags because they no longer get them free with their groceries.
No, when I need more cheapo disposable bags I just make a shopping trip without my reusables to get more of them.
Here, people are charged for the disposable plastic bags (it’s the law, to discourage litter). Is this the case overseas?
The only store I know that does that is Aldi’s.
At least one local store gives you a discount if you bring your own bags.
Of course, the customer always pays for the bag, but usually indirectly with the cost absorbed into the store overhead.
Where is here?
In Holland if you want plastic grocery bags you can buy them at the register for a dime or so each. Most of the family grocery shopping is done with a bigger, reusable bag which looks like this. These can be bought at the register but I don’t know anyone who ever bought one, as they are also given away more or less regularly. Or you can go to the end of the register and get one of the boxes they put there after stocking shelves which are free and much handier for the bike,
I have never seen paper grocery bags here.
Hmm… Really? I’ve used the “stuffed things in backpacks” before, but never thought of bringing my old (not broken) plastic bags. I usually save those for trash, but I make less trash than plastic bags accumulated, so eventually I have to get rid of them. I would prefer to get rid of them after they’ve done a good job (and gotten a few holes).
With the crappy seams that the ‘canvas’ [really polyester] ones have, yes. I’ve had one “Save A Lot” light brown bag where the seam wore out.
I’ve never had any funny looks when I ask for a single serving of meat at the butcher counter. In fact, the person at the butcher counter is only too happy to weigh up several pounds of ground chuck in packages of 2/3 pound each (my husband and I both eat about a third of a pound of ground chuck in a serving). They also wrap up the chicken breasts in single packages, so all I have to do is stick them in the freezer. The only time I might hesitate to have the worker portion out and wrap up individual servings is when there’s a lot of other customers to take care of. I usually shop in the off-hours, though, and I’m usually the only one at the counter.
This, exactly. I love our insulated bags. I don’t just put the frozen stuff in them, I put the refrigerated stuff in them, too, like the milk and cheese and eggs.
I have some net bags, but I’ve found that I tend to lose stuff out of them, so I use the canvas totes. In at least one grocery chain, they’ll give you a nickel back for using your own bags…but you have to remember to ask them. I think that the stores should charge for the disposable bags instead.
The cheap, reusable bags I’ve seen are made from recycled material. Remember, recycling only works if the recycled material is actually used.
*I apoligize if this has been mentioned, I only read about half the thread.
In Montreal, many grocery stores now charge five cents for a disposable plastic bag. Most offer canvas/heavy recycled plastic bags for sale for between one and five dollars, though you can often get them free during promotional events. IMHO, the the Société des alcools du Québec (our liquor commission) is at the forefront of this movement. They no longer provide disposable bags, but offer a range of reusable bags that are guaranteed for life. If you tear one, they’ll replace free of charge.
South Africa
I am totally going to ask them to just put things back in the cart–thanks for the tip. As it is now, I put everything on the belt in groups that should go together, but they never stay that way. I try to bag my own but sometimes I can’t get to it and end up rebagging everything at my car.
If you are talking about with the cashier, I can pretty much guarantee he/she couldn’t care less about your grocery bag on hour 6 of their 9 hour shift at register, and only you think it is interesting.
Do you know how many pre-canned identical conversations a day a grocery cashier has about the bags? It’s a LOT.
I can see why you’d want a box; those bags are huge!
But, if I want to buy a LOT of groceries, I put a couple of the totes IN the backpack on the way to the store, then fill all three, backpack on the back, one tote on each shoulder to even the weight. Works well when I want to stock up on canned goods. I’m a little tired when I get home from walking 3 blocks with all that stuff, but it’s worth it!
They’re pretty common at trade shows and festivals of various sorts. I’ve been told that it’s because they last longer and don’t get thrown out as quickly as a plastic bag. And it’s free advertising if the sponsor’s name is on the side of the bag because people do use them for other things.