Would You Like Paper or Plastic?

I recently was at a wonderful Go Green! seminar put on by my good friend Robin who is a Shaklee representative. She shared tons of great tips to help all in attendance make the world a more environmentally safe place to live.

One (out of many) interesting and disturbing fact she shared was that the plastic bags many of us use to carry home our groceries from the supermarket, get buried in landfills and may take up to 1,000 years to break down! As they are in the process of slowly breaking down, they separate into small toxic particles that contaminate our soil and water. In addition, plastic bags, like all plastic products, are made from petroleum. Americans use over 380 billion bags every year, throwing away millions of barrels of oil.

Even more disturbing was the fact that using paper bags isn't much better. Once used, paper bags are unlikely to be re-used as they tear easily. Plus, more than 85% of paper bags end up in landfills, where they often do not biodegrade due to lack of oxygen.

What is the better solution? Reusable, eco-friendly canvas tote bags. Many supermarkets carry these for purchase. Pick N' Save where I live sold me 6 for $1.50 each. Another benefit is that these hold twice as many groceries as the plastic bag alternative, and they have handles for ease of carrying. Be sure, when you get yours, that they're wide enough to carry a gallon of milk easily.

One challenge, when switching to reusable bags, is remembering to bring the tote bags into the supermarket with you. I keep mine in my car to ensure they're always with me. I tie a green ribbon around my purse strap the day I put my grocery list in my purse. Most of the time, this helps me remember to bring the bags in the store with me. My 4-year old daughter is also great at reminding! Like anything else, it's a habit you'll get used to after shopping with reusable bags for awhile.

Next time the supermarket cashier asks 'Paper or plastic?', please respond with 'Neither. I have my own thanks!' You'll be doing yourself, your family and friends and your planet a favor!

Comments

[Tricia]

My grocery store evens pays you 0.03 for every bag you reuse (paper, plastic or the "green" variety). We purchased our green bags for $0.99 each and have a set in each car.

[Joe]

My wife and I have been on this mission, now, for several weeks.
Over time, we've been able to get enough of the bags that we have supplies in both our cars, as well as a few extras in the house in case one of us leaves in a friends car. We've even used them in non-participating stores, such as Home Depot.

[AlexisSeibel]

I recycle my plastic bags to Thrift Stores, like Goodwill and St. Vincent. First I use them to wrap the breakable items and they use them for other shopper's purchases.

[Brittany Levesque]

I love this idea, BUT, many times I shope in bulk...I live in both OK and TX- my husband works 3 to 4 day a week in TX and the rest of the time we spend in OK-- it's very hard to recycle in both places as we only have about 240 sqft in one place and 400 in the other--not alot of storage. Any ideas on how we can save? I'm shopping at a VERY small store in OK and Kroger in TX.

[Cindi]

I started using the green bags a couple of months ago. I use them in all stores I go in. Our HyVee store has even gotten red ones in.

[Denisines]

I've been using canvas bags for many years now, but we do accept some plastic grocery bags since we use them for our kitchen garbage.
Any ideas of what else we could use as garbage bags without buying more plastic bags?

[Nissa]

Thank you so much for posting this. I'm glad to see the rest of America is starting to catch up with the green cities that have been doing this for years. It doesn't take long before the habit forms. I've been using reusable bags for all my purchases, not just the grocery store, all stores, even at the mall.

[Gloria]

I have been using my own cloth bags for a year now. I bought two of them at garage sales for $.10 & .25. It took a little while to remember to use them but now it is second nature. I have 5 bags that I use every week X 52 weeks=
260 bags saved!! Remember that Earth Day is April 22 & plant something for planet Earth!!

[Judy]

I was the Recycling Program Educator for my municipality for nearly 12 years, and what Marcia says is true about the plastic bags. However, in some communities the paper bags are useful in collecting and storing paper for recycling. They help contain the odd sized papers, and those from the paper shredders, while in transport and at the recycling center too.

[CR]

I had so many plastic bags that I take a bag of plastic bags with me to the stores in a mesh bag that I already had. I, also, just keep them in both cars. Since i haven't taken the time to sort them, the baggers sometime end up putting my items in another store's bags, which usually brings a chuckle or two! They have even used a furnace filter bag that I had carefully cut open. However, the grocery store only gives me credit for the mesh cloth bag.

[Carmen]

Other stores are starting to sell green bags too. I shop at Target a lot and they have several different bags for sell. The two I purchased were $.99 and zip up to fit in your purse. Target just recently released new bags made out of plastic bags.

I have also seen reusable bags at several other stores, including Ikea and our grocery stores.

[Elaine]

The hardest part is finding stores that train their cashiers how to handle reusable bags. I was in WalMart today and the cashier took my bags (originally purchased from WalMart) and put them with my groceries into the plastic bags. I had to tell her what they were for!

[Catherine]

Yes, the paper vs plastic debate rages on. Frankly they're both terrible options. Thanks so much for sharing your canvas bag story!

Looking ahead to Earth Day 2008, it’s so important that we get all the toxic chemicals out of our houses. There’s a great summary of what toxins are in “traditional” home cleaners at this website: http://www.veryhealthylife.com/page.php?url=healthyhome. Pretty scary stuff!

And if you’re looking for a good source for buying Shaklee Get Clean products, I can recommend this website: http://www.shaklee.net/veryhealthylife/prodHou.

[Melissa]

I use paper bags and when I get home I fill them up with other paper recycling to put at the curb (they are, after all, paper :).

I also take them back to the store to be refilled on my next visit.

I even use them for yard waste instead of buying lawn & leaf bags.

For those that I cannot reuse, I recycle them at the curb.

I prefer this method since I don't have to purchase anything and if I forget to bring them to the store there are paper bags there.

I wonder, if in a few years, folks will be purging their green bags because they either bought too many or there is a new, even more green, option.

Paper bags were the first ones used in grocery stores and they have worked well for years. As long as they are recycled there is no problem. Even if they aren't recycled there is more of a chance of them biodegrading than the plastic so I'm good with that.

[Kim]

I went to Pick-n-Save this morning and picked up 4 of those bags. I only used 3, and still had room for more groceries! Being the shape and size they are, they won't fall over on the ride home, leaving you with a mess, holes poking through plastic, or ripped paper bags. They are definitely worth getting!

[Isabel]

Great ideas, all. In Canada, we get those bags for about $1 each in the store. Question: I use those plastic bags for household garbage. Do you have an eco friendly solution to use instead?

[Stacy]

First: Can I copy the short story about plastic bags to paste into an email for friends and family? (copyright issue?). It may motivate my husband to use the canvas bags we have.

Second: The canvas shopping bags, if too many were purchased, make wonderful library book bags, craft bags, toy bags for the kids (organizing for me), beach bags, pool bags,.... They're great for organizing the pantry floor, where I keep the dog treats- keeps the boxes from tipping over and if a few fall out of the hands, they fall back into the bag.

I have about eight, which are insulated with zippers, and four which are the standard.

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NOTE FROM MARIA GRACIA

Yes, you can reprint, as long as you include my name and web site. Thanks!

Also, thanks for the additional tips and comments. VERY helpful!

[Pat]

so what do you use for kitchen garbage?

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NOTE FROM MARIA GRACIA

We're not green in every way yet, but we are making excellent strides. I believe they do sell Biodegradable and Compostable bags to use as trash bags and that's something we'll be looking into.

[Deborah]

Thank you for posting this Maria. I have been using fabric bags since my children were small and now I am a grandmother. So, quite a while. My tote bag collection ranges in original price from 99 cents to $5 and anywhere from Walmart to See's Candies and my local Libraries. I use them not only for shopping, but library trips, a day job hunting, Coffee with the girls, and just everyday stuff.

Unfortunately, a lot of the stores in my area don't have paper bags at all, only plastic. Some of them have a recycling bin in the store just for plastic bags though.

I agree about just making it a habit,and teaching the store clerks how do use them as well.

Another good hint, recycle paper bags and shredded paper as mulch for your garden. Spread it out and soak it and just let it rot. Works great.

[Carolyn L. Stoddard]

Only one person commenting has probably been using cloth bags longer than I have.
I have a yellow bag hanging on our front door knob that I usually remember to take with me any time I'm planning to buy or pick up something or want to deliver something that will fit inside.
Well over 20 years ago, I stopped in and bought four mesh bags from a small factory that was making them. Sadly that factory went out of business.
Some organizations GIVE AWAY tote bags that work quite well.
One of these we use is from American Red Cross and encourages people to be blood donors. That bag is big enough that it holds about five smaller ones and hangs on a door in my kitchen. I almost always remember to take it when supermarketing. And clerks where I shop quickly learned to use them.
The biggest bag I bought was from Wal-Mart and did not handle purchases well. My lap desk is stored permanently in it. I find it helpful for carrying things like notebooks to meetings where I use it -- and it's big enough to easily add paages of information handed out at those meetings.

[Kathy]

One of the things I find I have to tell cashiers is to "stuff them full". They are used to putting smaller amounts in plastic bags so they won't rip where the canvas bags can hold up to twice the amount (less trips from the car).

If you go on vacation instead of buying knick knacks that attract dust, buy canvas bags! Many touristy places have bags that say the area you are in. My husband did this when he had to work in another state. Its useful and practical plus you have a reminder of your vacation.