Monday, March 19, 2007

environmental monday



















this is something i have thought about for awhile. i have always hated those plastic grocery bags that i seem to accumulate by the hundreds. it's hard for me to use the paper bags as i live on the second floor and try to limit my grocery shopping to only a couple times a month. i could do it i suppose- but then it's still killing trees to make the bags- even if they are partially recycled. i am currently looking at reusing the plastic ones at my local grocery store. they have a program now where you get a coupon or money off or something if you reuse your bags. not a bad idea really. i thought reusable bags were a good idea too- at least for those in between bread and milk trips to the store- so i checked out reusablebags.com. they have many different products and i thought that the site was neat. they have bags of different designs and different price ranges depending on what folks are looking at. there are other websites who also sell reusable bags- but really a bookbag or those tote bags i always got at the 100 seminars or so i attended for work would probably work also. i know i have a couple of them around the house. check out your local grocery store to see if they have reusable bag incentives!

6 comments:

Unknown said...

I use (bought) 2 large, insulated bags with handles. I've had the same bags for 10 years.

You could use the paper handle bags (doubled or tripled) and reuse them 100's of times. Plastic bags don't work anyways, unless you use more than one.

Still, getting people to reuse, is the problem. No matter what people use, they use it once, and toss it out.

Anonymous said...

I reuse plastic grocery bags...as garbage can liners for those little garbage cans in the bathroom, I reuse them for my "lunchbox," as well. We also use them for sharing fruit with neighbors and friends, etc.

I too have the insulated bag for frozen foods and cold stuff for when I shop for groceries and drive 15 miles home. Very handy!

billie said...

yeah- i use them in my small cans too but i want to get out of using them altogether. plastics are not good for anything in the environment and i want to limit their use in my home. i mean you have to have some plastic but i don't want to have to keep bringing them in every week. i can at least recycle them- another grocery store in town has a bin set up so folks who get too many can recycle. steps in the right direction.

Sornie said...

It is tough to get rid of those thousands of plastic bags that seem to multiply like bunnies. The best bet is to find a grocery store that has a bag recycling bin and make the switch to something/anything else. And Wal-mart is the worst with their three items per bag. Damn them!

billie said...

sornie- are you telling me that you shop at wal-mart?!! gasp!!! :)

jovial_cynic said...

You know, there are other great uses for those plastic bags.

This guy figured out that you can iron bags together (between sheets of paper, so you don't get your iron messy) to create a thicker material, which can be sewn together to make anything you want.

As for me, I made my wallet out of tyvek. :)