Back to Best

This is just how we roll (and you should, too)

This is me unloading groceries. Please note:
(a) the reusable grocery bags with inspirational words;
(b) the just-as-reusable PRODUCE bags (woot, woot!) that my onions and broccoli are in;
(c) my milk from the local Shatto dairy that comes in a reusable glass bottle that I return to the grocery store afterwards; and most importantly
(d) my bananas, WHICH DO NOT REQUIRE ANY PRODUCE BAG AT ALL.

PSA du jour: Since we do not eat banana peels and bananas come in a convenient bunch you can simply carry, YOU DO NOT NEED TO WASTE A BAG ON THEM! The pure idiocy astounds me sometimes. I can’t comprehend why anyone would bag their bananas. Can someone please enlighten me?

I just can’t help it. Melanie (The Reluctant Housewife) has been telling me that in Canada, customers are charged 5 cents per plastic bag they require at checkout. Personally I think it should be more! But apparently this small amount has motivated almost everyone to begin bringing their own bags shopping. Why can’t American stores begin to do the same? We need a swift kick in our lazy ass so we can start doing something right. It may seem like such a small thing, but if everyone did it, the impact would be HUGE.

It burns me up when I am schlepping my kids and my shopping bags, purse, etc. in the pouring rain and as I’m entering the store there are people coming out with tons of plastic bags or even one plastic bag that appears to have just one or two small items in it. It’s lazy, it’s wasteful, and quite frankly it’s just plain sad.

I know we can’t do it all, and I’m certainly not perfect. But BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) should become commonplace and mandatory here and everywhere. It’s the least we can do. What do you think about this?

Comments

  2. Stephanie–

    Do a search on http://www.etsy.com for "reusable produce bags." Many many to choose from, some better deals than others…so great! I think mine came in a set of 6 for $10? SO worth it.I keep them in the car along w/ my reusable grocery/shopping bags.

  3. I think a few states have implemented laws requiring stores to charge for plastic bags or outlawing them altogether. I know CA has and last I knew MD was trying to pass a law, too.

    I try to carry my reusable bags with me, and if I don't I reuse the plastic bags I get at the farmer's market, for kitty litter, or even by tossing a few in my purse in case I'm caught at the store without one of my reusables.

  4. Yes. I agree. I'm going to get all full of myself here and just say that I was using reusable bags ages before they started charging for plastic… And hey! Yesterday I found out Toys R Us is also charging for plastic bags. Yay!

    I don't bag bananas. Why would you bag bananas? Weird.

  6. I LOVE my reusable grocery bags and my reusable produce bags!! I will admit on occasion they have gotten left at home or in the car and I've not realized until it was time to check out. 9 out of 10 times, we've got them!! Bananas… I can see putting them in my reusable grocery bag if there's room just to free up a hand and have less to carry. However, since they give me horrible stomach pains, Belle recently outgrew an allergy to them but doesn't actually like them, Morgan gets a horrible diaper rash when she eats them and Mike eats them at work so… very rarely do we even buy bananas. Lol!! Neither here nor there, I know. I'm just being difficult!! šŸ™‚ <3

  7. Just reading some other comments. I'm in CA and sadly there are plenty of plastic bags here and I've never seen a charge for them. Whole Foods however has reusable bags you can borrow and then return the next time you come. They are marked so the store knows they are theirs.

  8. We have five trillion reusable shopping bags that travel with us now, andcome on all of our shopping trips. It's quickly just become normal.
    I need to buy some reusable produce bags, too! I'll go check out etsy right now while I'm thinking of it.

  9. Yeah, I think everyone should bring their own bags.

    Following in Google and Twitter ā™„

  10. I should clarify what I was saying about bananas—I means you don't need a produce bag for bananas. You can certainly put them in a shopping/grocery bag. I just get frustrated when people are bagging up their fruit in the produce section and feel the need to bag their bananas. Seems a little silly. Hope this clears up any confusion!

  11. I there with you on that. Over here there's a big anti plastic movement. Loads of people take their own bags and you're rewarded with loyalty points for ever bag.

I’m Attending

Some of My Favorite Causes