The "paper or plastic" conundrum that vexed earnest shoppers throughout the 1980s and 90s is largely moot today. Most grocery store baggers don't bother to ask anymore. They drop the bananas in one plastic bag as they reach for another to hold the six-pack of soda. The pasta sauce and noodles will get one too, as will the dish soap. Plastic bags are so cheap to produce, sturdy, plentiful, easy to carry and store that they have captured at least 80 percent of the grocery and convenience store market since they were introduced a quarter century ago, according to the Arlington, Virginia-based American Plastics Council.

As a result, the totes are everywhere. They sit balled up and stuffed into the one that hangs from the pantry door. They line bathroom trash bins. They carry clothes to the gym. They clutter landfills. They flap from trees. They float in the breeze. They clog roadside drains. They drift on the high seas. They fill sea turtle bellies. "The numbers are absolutely staggering," said Vincent Cobb, an entrepreneur in Chicago, Illinois, who recently launched the Web site to educate the public about what he terms the "true costs" associated with the spread of "free" bags. He sells reusable bags as a viable solution. According to Cobb's calculations extrapolated from data released by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2001 on U. S. plastic bag, sack, and wrap consumption, somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. Of those, millions end up in the litter stream outside of landfillsestimates range from less than one to three percent of the bags. Laurie Kusek, a spokeswoman for the American Plastics Council, said the industry works with its U. S. retail customers to encourage recycling of plastic bags, which are in high demand from companies such as Trex in Winchester, Virginia, for use in building materials. "We also feel it is important to understand that plastic grocery bags are some of the most reused items around the house," she said. "Many, many bags are reused as book and lunch bags as kids head off to school, as trash can liners, and to pickup Fido's droppings off the lawn." But like candy wrappers, chewing gum, cigarette butts, and thousands of other pieces of junk, millions of the plastic bags end up as litter. Once in the environment, it takes months to hundreds of years for plastic bags to breakdown. As they decompose, tiny toxic bits seep into soils, lakes, rivers, and the oceans, said Cobb. Plastic Fantastic The Film and Bag Federation, a trade group within the Society of the Plastics Industry based in Washington, D. C., said the right choice between paper or plastic bags is clearly plastic. Compared to paper grocery bags, plastic grocery bags consume 40 percent less energy, generate 80 percent less solid waste, produce 70 percent fewer atmospheric emissions, and release up to 94 percent fewer waterborne wastes, according to the federation. Robert Bateman, president of Roplast Industries, a manufacturer of plastic bagsincluding reusable onesin Oroville, California, said the economic advantage of plastic bags over paper bags has become too significant for store owners to ignore. It costs one cent for a standard plastic grocery sack, whereas a paper bag costs four cents, he said.

Reusable cloth grocery bags from Enviro Tote are designed to haul heavy loads in style. Only Enviro-Tote gives you a bag with TRIPLE STITCHED HANDLES! USA Made products means quality.

According to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the average American makes 2.3 trips to the grocery store each week. Walk away with five to 10 bags each time (not hard to do if you're feeding a family of four) and that's between 600 and 1,200 bags per shopper each year. Or 40 billion grocery bags each year! Forget those plastic and paper totes. You will never have to worry about recycling them again when you use environmentally friendly reusable cloth grocery bags from Enviro-Tote.

You wouldnt forget your purse or wallet before going to the grocery store, so just remember not to forget your re-usable shopping bags.

Envirosax bags help make that change easier by providing a tote that rolls up and becomes a lightweight and portable, 1 oz package. The pouch is small enough to stow into a glove box or a handbag. Plus theyre affordable at just $6 per bagthats over half of what youd pay for an ugly grocery store-sponsored bag

Set of 5 Envirosax reusable grocery bags designed with a bright graphic floral motif in a travel pouch. - Lightweight, waterproof, extremely strong and eco-friendly. - Size. Size. 19.5 x 16.5. Material. High-grade heavy weight polyester - Designed by the Envirosax team in South East Queensland, Australia. - Handles are long enough to carry over the shoulder. - Can hold the equivalent of two plastic bags worth of groceries. - Gorgeous gift-wrapping available.

Every time I take these to the store people stop me and ask where I got the gorgeous bags. The checkout people remember me now. It's like I'm bringing a Birkin Bag to the grocery store! They're so pretty, and they carry WAY more than cheap plastic bags. Tracey's Profile

Fabric Grocery Sacks. Replicas of plastic grocery sacks made from vintage sheets and pillowcases (any fabric will do!). These also make cute lunch bags. Features a tie closure for a neat fit in your purse when not in use.

Cheap Easy Fabric Grocery Bags. By repurposing some old sheets, you can make a batch of these up for less than $2 each, and look how cute your groceries are in bags that are all the same pattern.). Simple design with sturdy webbing for the handles (or just whip up some fabric straps if you prefer).

Sew a Durable, Reusable Grocery Bag. This tutorial suggests using canvas or denim but you can use whatever fabric you prefer. Boxed bottom with webbing or fabric strips for straps.

Make a Reusable Grocery Bag. Simple reversible tote with boxed bottom, the handles are actually cut out (and reinforced) from the top of the bag.

Green Re-usable Grocery Bags. Another simple fabric bag, this one has the handles cut out with the pattern rather than sewing on straps separately. Another good one for beginners to make.

Make A Bird Seed Bag Grocery Tote. Heres an original idea, make a grocery tote out of big feed bags. If you have any woven plastic bags on hand that youre wondering what to do withhere ya go!

Reusable Groceries Bag With Comfy Bag Handles. Heres a pretty bag with its own bag cozy featuring a strap and metal clip. A bag within a bagvery cute!

BurdaStyle Reusable Grocery Bag. This super-simple fabric bag is from BurdaStyle (free membership required to download pattern). No handles or straps to sew on and uses just 3/4 of a yard of fabric. Also features an inside pouch so the bag can tuck into itself

Tutorial. Grocery Tote Bags. A simple fabric tote with attached straps, tutorial found on the Craftster forum.

TUTORIAL. Singlet Style Shopping Bag (like the plastic shopping bag). A Crafster forum tutorial, this fabric bag uses a regular plastic grocery bag as the template.

Crochet Grocery Bag Pattern. Heres another crocheted bag, you dont have to use plain white crochet threadsee the bright colors used here.

You can save a bunch of money making your homemade grocery bags by recycling fabric from old sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths and even old pairs of jeans (just sew strips of denim together and away you go). Furoshiki is another option to replace plastic bags, this is a neat technique from Japan. More Tips You May Like.

[.] Sarah at Home Life shared this link. TipNut presents 35 Reusable Grocery Bags You Can Make - Free Patterns. [.]

Three stars for the bag, no stars for the seller. I wanted a sturdy, washable canvas grocery bag without a promotional logo on it and this bag fit the bill. It is the same size and shape as a standard paper grocery bag, although it's a bit on the limp side and does not stand up straight unless it is full. But it works. My gripe is about a phony discounted price combined with an inflated shipping rate. I ordered six bags and assumed the shipping charge would be adjusted for multiple items. I did not see the actual shipping charge until much later, because I ordered three books from Amazon at the same time and Amazon tallied it all up together. The shipping charge appeared after the order was split into two delivery invoices -- one from Amazon and one from Andrew Christian. The shipping is outrageous. Specifically, I was charged $18.99 for a 1-pound package sent via UPS Ground from California to Seattle. The company used a free box provided by UPS. the published shipping rate for that package weight is about $7. They could have added $2 or $3 for handling and I wouldn't have complained. They could have mailed the same items in a free Priority Mail box for $4.60. If you look at the Amazon storefront for Andrew Christian, their stated shipping rate for all products is $5.49 per shipment or $2.25 per pound for standard shipping to continental U. S. There is a link to a detailed shipping chart that shows Expedited Shipping in 1-3 days for $8.99. For $18.99, I got very average shipping, not fast shipping. So what gives? Why not give an honest price for the product combined with a fair shipping charge? Andrew Christian requested feedback and a chance to fix any problem, so I sent them my gripe, but they didn't respond. Grrrr. I won't order from them again.

I purchased about 30 of these bags to share with family. This is the best canvas bag I found for grocery shopping. It is shaped like a typical grocery bag, so baggers don't have problems with it and don't overload it like they used to with my old canvas bags. You can put it over your shoulder if you wish. I put 9 bags in 1 of the bags so I can go in with 10 bags when I shop. It is very sturdy and can easily carry a large laundry detergent container or gallon of milk - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this item.

Great Grocery Bags, Rotten Shipping I too was going to buy these bags since so many were so pleased. So with great hesitance, I waited to see what the shipping would be -- $24. Ridiculous.

Roomy, sturdy grocery bags These are terrific bags at a great price! I have seen bags that were very flimsy & small that were priced much higher.

Watch shipping charges Port & Company - Grocery Tote Bag by Port Authority I wanted to order this item from Andrew Christian however 5 bags for the price of 4 - it would have cost me $38.

Perfect, though pricey, grocery bag This bag is exactly what I wanted -- machine washable, perfect size, comfortable handles. Material is thick enough that groceries with poky corners don't stick out and bruise my.

Canvas/Cotton grocery bag This was given as a gift and they love it. They especially like the fact that it is sturdy and holds more than most bags.

Just what I expected These bags are made of thick canvas and are about the size of a typical paper grocery bag. They aren't terribly structured but I find that they work just fine.

The best bag around Of all the reusable grocery bags I've purchased, this one is the best. It's large size & square design can fit 2 large bags of ice in it.

Hello and welcome to ReuseThisBag. com, your premier headquarters for custom non-woven polypropylene Eco friendly bags. Whether you are a large grocery store looking for the best custom reusable grocery bag available, or a corporation looking for a nice tradeshow bag, we are here and ready to help you. For those of you simply looking to put down the paper and plastic to help our earth, have a look inside as we have several bags which can be bought in minimum quantities and are sure to bring a smile to your face! Thank you for visiting ReuseThisBag. com! Read What Our Customers are Saying! Latest Testimonials!

The Grocery Bag will do your shopping for you and deliver straight to your kitchen, choosing only the finest foods at the very best prices. Reliable and Personalized

We can't get along without The Grocery Bag. It's an excellent service, We depend on him very much. He goes out of his way for us

Since 1992, The Grocery Bag Shopping and Delivery Service has been serving customers in the greater Portland area, shopping at stores with only the best quality.

San Francisco may be on the verge of becoming the first city in the country to ban plastic shopping bags because they're bad for the environment. Some experts say the bags are one of the biggest sources of pollution in the city. By some estimates, San Francisco markets generate $200 million of them every year. County Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi wants to banish the bags from the city once and for all. He said, "What it takes in petroleum use to make these polyethylene plastic bags, and the cost to discard these bags, begs the larger question. what are we going to do about the hazards and the environmental adverse effects of these plastic bags?" Mirkarimi's proposal calls on grocers to use recyclable paper, plastic that can be composted or re-usable bags. But the proposal is vigorously opposed by the grocery industry. Peter Larkin, president of the California Grocers Association, says his member stores already have an active plastic-bag recycling program. "In our opinion, it will frustrate our efforts to continue to reduce, re-use and recycle carry-out bags," Larkin said. "Second, it will raise the cost of doing business for us, which will translate into increased costs for the consumers. It may unintentionally lead to the use of paper bags only, which …. would increase waste." The grocers and the city have been at odds since 2005 when officials first proposed a 17-cent tax on every plastic bag. That's when the grocers agreed to voluntarily cut back. But Mirkarimi says the program failed. "Their heart wasn't in it and they did a very lackluster job and frankly they didn't live up to the terms of the agreement," he said. "We think it was a wild success, and I again do not understand why they say we did not live up to our side of the bargain," Larkin said. "That is just false." What is not in dispute is the potential domino effect if San Francisco bans plastic grocery bags. Larkin says he expects a potential ban here would spread in California. The bags have already been outlawed in South Africa, Taiwan and Bangladesh. Ireland imposes a plastic-bag tax. Judging from an unscientific survey of shoppers outside a large grocery store in San Francisco's Mission District, the proposed ban is a popular idea. "As far as I'm concerned I don't care what they bag it in, they could easily bag it in paper," Pat Coleman said. "And I'll recycle the paper. As long as it has handles on it." Consultant Michael Dane hopes the ban passes. "With all this plastic flying around, it's not only a nuisance but an eyesore," Dane said. The proposed ban is endorsed by a majority of the Board of Supervisors and Mayor Gavin Newsom. Whether it will apply to chain pharmacies as well as the city's largest grocers will be debated later this month.

The energy and other environmental impacts embodied in a plastic grocery bag is somewhat less than in a paper grocery bag. But paper is accepted in most recycling programs while the recycling rate for plastic bags is very low. So, which is better for the environment? Neither! The fact is that the difference between paper and plastic RECYCLING is small compared with the REUSING bags.

Calculates the energy intensity per trip for different types of grocery bags. The results show the break-even points for when reusable bags are more energy efficient than single-use bags. A simpler choice -- reusing a bag meant for just one use -- also has a big impact.

This show is now at a new time! Refer to the UPCOMING EPISODES section for up-to-date scheduling information. In Anna and Kristina's Grocery Bag, the test-driving twosome from The Shopping Bags narrow their focus to the kitchen and put cookbooks to the test. In each episode, Anna and Kristina try out and review recipes, ingredients, appliances and food prep techniques to see if the average cook can re-create the beautifully photographed meals. At the end of the show, a guest chef or food expert will give a final evaluation of the meal and decide if the cookbook delivers the goods.

Momentum is building across the USA to reduce the consumption of plastic and paper shopping bags due to their adverse effect on the environment. Businesses and individuals are preferring environment friendly shopping bags. We are a direct seller of reusable bags, green bags or eco friendly bags. We have also launched an improved range of reusable shopping bags, eco friendly bags and reusable grocery bags.

BagsontheRun is also highly committed to developing high quality recycled and reusable grocery bags. All the bags are 100% recyclable. For more details, visit our reusable grocery bag store.

Get discount on wholesale reusable bags including wholesale recycled shopping bags and wholesale reusable grocery bags. For more details, visit our wholesale reusable bag store. BagsontheRun also prints customized logos for bulk orders.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and City Council President Richard Conlin propose a 20-cent "green fee" on all disposable bags to encourage customers to carry their groceries home in bags of their own. By Sharon Pian Chan Seattle Times staff reporter

Edward Stahl, leaving Metropolitan Market in lower Queen Anne, is already ahead of the curve, carrying his groceries in a 40-year-old Japanese fish basket. He supports the fee proposal.

Next time the cashier says "paper or plastic," think outside the bags. Think about ocean pollution, giant landfills and global warming, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels says. Then think to next year, when you might have to either pull out a reusable tote or pay 20 cents a bag. Nickels and City Council President Richard Conlin proposed a 20-cent "green fee" Wednesday on all disposable bags to encourage customers to carry their milk and eggs home in their own bags. Forget the canvas sacks at home? Shoppers at grocery, convenience and drug stores will pay the price starting Jan. 1, if the City Council approves. A family buying six bags of groceries a week would spend $62.40 a year in bag fees. The city will issue one free reusable shopping bag to each household. "The answer to the question 'Paper or plastic?' should be 'Neither,' " Nickels said at a news conference. "Both harm the environment. Every piece of plastic ever made is still with us in the environment, and the best way to handle waste is not to create it in the first place." The proposed fee, the first of its kind in the nation, is the latest green legislation from a mayor intent on making environmental stewardship his legacy. In March, Nickels ended the purchase of bottled water by city departments and proposed requiring all new Seattle taxis to get at least 30 miles per gallon. Last fall, he hosted a conference for U. S. mayors on climate change and persuaded more than 700 mayors to sign on to a pledge to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions based on the Kyoto Protocol. Nickels and Conlin have been working on a "zero-waste" strategy to reduce trash and encourage recycling. They also announced Wednesday a proposed ban on plastic-foam food containers and cups at food-service businesses, starting Jan. 1. Nonrecyclable plastic containers and utensils would be banned in 2010. "It's about the use of scarce resources, about pollution of our environment, about litter in our streets and parks and the costs, both economically and environmentally, of throwing away a piece of Earth we have an opportunity to protect and preserve," Conlin said at the news conference, which Councilmembers Tim Burgess and Sally Clark also attended. Seattle Public Utilities estimates the city uses 360 million bags a year, or 600 per person. Seventy percent come from grocery, convenience and drug stores, city officials say. Many are sent to a landfill, but bags also end up in Puget Sound and churn into the Pacific Ocean, environmental advocates say. San Francisco last year became the first U. S. city to impose an outright ban on noncompostable plastic bags, replacing them with compostable plastic and paper bags. Nickels chose to model his fee proposal on a program in Ireland, which he said reduced disposable-bag use by 90 percent. Store owners would keep 5 cents of the bag fee to cover costs. Smaller businesses that gross less than $1 million a year would keep the entire 20-cent fee. It would not apply to the smaller plastic bags such as those available in produce sections.

Seattle Public Utilities estimates the city would collect $10 million per year. About $2 million would go to provide and promote reusable bags. The rest would go toward waste prevention, recycling and environmental-education programs. "I think the city is doing the right thing," said Joe Gilliam, president of the Northwest Grocery Association, which represents chains such as QFC and Fred Meyer. "We've already been pushing reusable bags and reduce plastic bags at our stores." He does wonder whether 20 cents is the right price, given the inflation on groceries driven by higher grain and oil prices. In Ireland, officials set the fee at 20 cents, then raised it to 33 cents before shopping behavior changed, Gilliam said. In the Uwajimaya Village checkout line, reaction ranged from sticker shock to approval. Germaine Szewczyk, who makes regular trips from Bremerton to pick up Hawaiian food, called a fee "ludicrous." "We don't come to shop to spend more money on reusable bags," she said as she carted out nine plastic bags. She tried using a reusable bag but didn't like it. If the council approves the fee, she would pay the 20 cents. Kathleen Kline, who lives up the street from Uwajimaya, usually brings a reusable bag. She called the fee a good idea. "It would encourage more recyclable bags and less plastic waste," she said, although she wondered whether one bag would be enough. "Just one? It seems like it might be a problem depending on how big your household is." Other cities around Seattle have thought about the environmental predicament of plastic bags. The Bellevue City Council plans to discuss the use of plastic bags later this year, but it's unclear what measures the council may take, said city spokesman Tim Waters. In Tukwila's monthly newsletters, officials encourage people to use durable bags. In Redmond, too, officials say they encourage residents to use their own grocery bags, and sometimes give away reusable bags at local events. But right now, officials have no plans to ban disposable bags or charge a fee for them, said Jon Spangler, Redmond's city's natural resources manager. "In Redmond we try to do it more cooperatively than authoritatively," he said. The fee could prove a struggle for low-income consumers, advocates say. "It is an undue burden," said Mike Buchman, a spokesman for Solid Ground, a nonprofit that serves families dealing with hunger and homelessness. While he applauds the mayor's environmental policy, "there are a lot of hungry people in our community, and every dime that can go to nutritional food is important," he said. Buchman said more than half of seniors and residents in Seattle public housing have been unable to buy food at some point because of insufficient resources. The one bag the city intends to provide is not enough to hold groceries for a household, he said. Nickels said everyone must play a role in stopping climate change. "It's important to recognize that global warming and trying to prevent climate disruption is going to require all of us to change our behavior. That is a given," he said. "If families say the cost of reusable bags is an issue, we should do something about it," Clark said. Though she loves the mayor's proposal, she is now wondering how she would clean up after her cat. "When I clean out the cat box, I use grocery bags," she said. "I have to figure out something else."

Craftster Community>CROCHET>Crochet. Completed Projects (Moderators. Lothruin, antarcticraft)>Crocheted grocery bag shoes! (Now with an attempt at a tute!)

MAKE magazine had some cool links about crocheting big tote bags with old grocery bags (check out and since I just learned to crochet, and Im

Those are the best things Ive seen made out of grocery bags. Id think theyd get kind of sweaty, but if they start to smell, you could always just swish them through some dishwater. After you finish the dishes, of course. They look cute. Hope they hold up--and dont melt on pavement!

Craftster Community>CROCHET>Crochet. Completed Projects (Moderators. Lothruin, antarcticraft)>Crocheted grocery bag shoes! (Now with an attempt at a tute!)

Portland Mayor Sam Adams has shelved plans to impose a grocery bag tax, a victim of the worsening recession. Adams wanted to charge 5 to 20 cents per plastic or paper bag to encourage shoppers to use reusable cloth sacks. He had planned to bring the proposal to the City Council by the first of the year. But "now is not the time" to hit Portlanders with a new fee, he said. "If we can get people back to work, then maybe someday. But it's not at the top of my priority list." Environmentalists say thin plastic bags, introduced in grocery stores in the 1970s, survive for centuries in landfills. If they end up in the ocean, they break down into tiny fragments that kill fish. Worldwide, people use an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags each year. "Of course, we are very disappointed with Sam Adams," said Stiv Wilson, chairman of the Oregon chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, based in San Clemente, Calif., which focuses on ocean health. The foundation has sent Adams a letter, signed by other environmental activists and some business owners, urging a 20-cent fee or a ban on plastic bags. "Single-use plastic bags represent one of the greatest environmental catastrophes of our generation," the letter says. "Around 100 billion petroleum-based plastic checkout bags are used each year in the United States, requiring an estimated 12 million barrels of oil each year." The plastics industry has resisted the movement to ban or tax plastic bags . Its argument. Plastic bags make up a small share of the trash in landfills, and encouraging recycling is a better way to deal with the issue. In July, Seattle became the first U. S. city to impose a fee. However, opponents -- financed mostly by the American Chemical Council, an industry group -- gathered enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot in August. San Francisco proposed a fee but went with a ban instead after the plastics industry successfully lobbied for a state law restricting cities' ability to charge a fee. The Dallas City Council recently dropped the idea of a fee or ban. Lisa Libby, Adams' senior policy adviser, said one problem with a plastic-bag ban is it encourages the use of paper bags. The mayor wants to apply a fee to both paper and plastic. It's not clear that paper is better for the environment. Some studies indicate that paper bags use more energy, materials and landfill space than comparable plastic bags. But so far, most of the attention is on plastic bags. The European Union, for instance, requires manufacturers of plastic bags to take them back and recycle them. Bangladesh and China have banned plastic bags. Ireland has had a plastic bag fee since 2002. Proponents say the fee in Ireland reduced the use of plastic grocery bags by an estimated 95 percent. But critics say overall plastic bag use in Ireland increased by 400 percent during the period as people bought bags for home use instead of reusing bags from the store. In his plan for his first 100 days as mayor, Adams included forming a task force on the bag issue, but he hasn't done it yet. He continues to work on the issue, Libby said. "We're still looking at ways to partner with retailers for ways to educate the public to get a behavior change that way," she said.

Resign Sam, how many times have I told you? Forget the word "tax" and every negative connotation that goes with it. I'm currently living in China, and unless you want to pay about $0.20 for every plastic bag they're more than willing to sell you when you go to the grocery store, you bring your own pre-used or permanent type of bags. Not a big deal, and doesn't seem to phase anyone. Hard to believe that the Chinese could be environmentally ahead of us in ANYTHING... hell, they still have pull tab cans pop and beer cans.at least we've got the bottle bill over them..

I do not agree that this is an economic issue. Will consumers stop buying groceries? Will this alter their spending habits? Banning plastic bags will only force the consumer to become more aware of the environmental impact plastic bags have on our planet. Sam, lets think about Portland's reputation and desire to be an eco-friendly city and continue to make a priority of preserving our environment. Support banning plastic bags!

I am unemployed right now and I know if I had to pay 20 cents for a grocery bag, I would remember to bring one of the many I keep forgetting in my cupboard or the trunk of my car. When is the best time to make bold decisions about the future of our earth? Oregon is facing budget cuts all around, including my field--education. We certainly have many important programs that could use the revenue created by a plastic bag tax. I fully support the plastic bag tax, and I am disappointed that Mayor Adams has decided not to implement it. I sincerely hope Mayor Adams will step back up to the plate to lead Portland boldly to a more economically and environmentally sustainable future. That is why we elected him.

Ok then. make the manufacture of plastic grocery bags either illegal, or change them to be biodegradable. trees are renewable resources, i like kraft bags best too. what? then, make hemp legal, for use in such things as paper and hemp bags. etc. it is also renewable but people like to cut it for some reason, more than they like to cut down trees.. could it be the smoke.

At the Rose Festival last year we all used cups and plates that were made from a biodegradable material. Why can't they make grocery bags from that? If they can do that, we can make a city ordinance banning the ones made from oil and requiring that any grocery bags be made of this material. ((I see some people are still lying awake at night with images of the mayor's private life. Get over it. Your fantasies are your own business, folks. They have nothing to do with solving waste management problems.))

We believe in eliminating the use of plastic bags as much as the next environmentally concerned consumer. But why settle for an ugly, generic reusable grocery bag? You could discover a new way to support the fight against plastic by sporting an eco-chic tote, built especially for store use. Made with water-resistant liners, machine-washable fabric, and strong handles to support a full bag of groceries, Green Chic Bags are the perfect solution to your grocery bag needs. We design reusable bags for both men and women, because at Green Chic Bag Co, we understand that when you shop for groceries, you want to shop with style.

Plastic grocery bags Type 2 (high-density polyethylene film - HDPE) and Type 4 (low density or linear-low density polyethylene film - LDPE/LLDPE) can be recycled at your local supermarket and other locations. Once the bags are recycled, they are made into lumber, trashcan liners or plastic bags.

Drop off plastic grocery bags Type 2 and Type 4 at your local grocery store, if you cannot recycle them through your curbside program. Most grocery stores will accept plastic bags and have recycling bins inside the store.

Often plastic bags that are used for bread and other products are made from Type 2 and Type 4 plastic, but are not marked. They can usually be recycled with plastic grocery store bags unless they have the numeral 7 on them, which means they are definitely not recyclable.

Find cloth bags on sale at all grocery stores, priced at approximately .99 per bag. Give up plastic bags. Find ways to stop using, accepting them and depending on them for any purpose. All Americans and manufacturers will need to take personal responsibility for the pollution caused in plastic bag use. Try tough love and bring back a pristine earth. Teach your children, family and friends not to pollute. Be a green spokesperson. Paper bags are from cut down trees. Why would you want to take them home? Did you forget the cloth bags? Do you get to the cashier and realize the cloth bag is in the car? Well! Here's an opportunity to get some exercise. Ask the clerk to mind your cart while you take a quick walk for the bags. Your being a good citizen when you care just a little bit. In time using cloth bags will be common practice. Let's get started now.

As more and more grocery stores jump onto the green movement and also try to cut down on expenses in this tough economy, we can expect that the day will come when free grocery bags wont be provided to customers. Weve seen how many grocery chains, including Wal-Mart, are pushing the sale of reusable Green Bags. Thats all well and good if you live five minutes away from a grocery store and you only buy a few daily items. But what about rural shoppers who buy hundreds of items only once a week? How many green bags should customers be expected to purchase and to carry with them into a store? Im one of those weekly shoppers and I have no intention of purchasing bags when I often spend over $200. on groceries in just one store. As far as Im concerned, the store should be giving me all the free bags I need! If a store were to refuse to give me free bags for my purchases, Id walk away at the checkout counter and go elsewhere! Store managers need to start thinking creatively. Green bags with the store name and logo are sales tools. Perhaps one or two could be offered as a free gift to purchases over a certain dollar amount? Or green bags could be discounted for purchases over X amount of dollars? There have to be reasonable and multiple options or customers will shop elsewhere. It only takes one bad experience to lose a customer forever. See what happens when a store just suddenly runs out of free bags and the manager doesnt have the good sense to remedy the situation to the customers satisfaction. Last week I received the following e-mail that was forwarded to me. I just had what was probably the most amazing/unbelievable shopping experience of my life at Albertson's and it makes me want to comment on customer service. Since I've been on the road much of the month, I hadn't been shopping for more than Dr. Pepper's since 2 January so I went to Albertson's and loaded a buggy full, only to find out when I got up front that the Albertson's in Roanoke, TX had no bags. Yes, you read that correctly no bags. The manager informed me that we're trying to do something about it and basically let me know that I could just unload everything from the buggy into my car and then carry it in the house when I got home probably 50 items and he wants me to carry them in individually in a nearly freezing drizzle. So it makes me think. what would I do if I was managing this situation? #1. We'd let the customer know that we cared. #2. I'd offer to help the customer in whatever way I could. #3. They have shopping bags for sale in that store. if I were the manager, and I was about to lose a good customer with a buggy full of groceries, I'd give him all the for sale shopping bags he needed. I'd go to the back and find some boxes that goods had been shipped in and load them up. I'd do something that let the customer know that I valued him and didn't want him to go away dissatisfied. Point is this is a tough economy that is going to get tougher and Albertson's won't be getting any more of my money. By the way, I contacted the Albertsons in Roanoke, Texas and discovered that they now have free bags and that was only a one day occurrence. One day of poor management decisions lost one customer who sent out a mass e-mailing on the subject. No telling how many more people were turned off to that particular store. Not good!

Technorati Tags. Albertsons, Roanoke, Texas, free bags, green bags, grocery bags, groceries, grocery stores, Wal-Mart

At first it's difficult to remember to bring reusable bags with you to the store but after a while the habit becomes ingrained. You need to keep a few at home and a few in the cars. I'm in the plastics recycling business and at some point I realized that plastic recycling is little understood by the general population. For this reason there is lot of misleading information out there about what actually can and cannot be recycled. We are plastic recyclers and this admittedly is a plug for our new product THE BETTER BAG, a unique reusable grocery bag. First of all, most municipal recycling programs do not accept any kind of reusable bags for recycling. Consequently the recycling symbol printed on the tags of these bags is really meaningless. Reusable bags put into your home recycling will most likely be culled out and thrown away. Second, plastics need to be virtually 100% pure to be recycled by ordinary plastics recycling methods. Plastics that are impure are called contaminated or commingled. We've purchased a variety of common reusable bags now being sold at supermarkets, office supply stores and other retail outlets. Many of them bear a tag that says that they are 100% pure. When we tested most of these bags, we found that the threads or the handles or the bottom stiffeners used to make these bags are often made from a different material than the bag fabric itself. This renders these bags commingled and in our opinion, not recyclable. A famous grocery chain promotes bags that are made from 80% recycled soda bottles, what they don't understand is that the other 20% of the bag is another foreign material and that the mixture of these materials creates a commingled product. Sure, using any reusable bag beats using a one time disposable paper or plastic bag but why use a bag that will eventually end up as solid waste when you can use a bag that can be recycled over and over again?THE BETTER BAG is a triple play. It's made with recycled material. It's incredibly sturdy and it's the only reusable bag that's guaranteed recyclable. We can offer this guaranty because we recycle it! To learn more, please visit our website.

Steven that's great information. By the way, didn't I read that many of the reusable grocery bags are actually made in China? Are we supposed to trust in their bags???

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I recall when I was younger the grocery stores gave away cardboard boxes too, before they began compacting them to sell to recyclers. Even though they sell them today, a smart manager faced with this situation could have sent someone to the back and retrieved some boxes before they were compacted, or emptied some, and boxed the groceries with an apology for no bags today. Customer Service is rapidly falling by the wayside and with some simple efforts, customers can be accomodated and appeased most of the time and made to feel as if they really are important to a retailer. Most people really aren't all that difficult to please, we just appreciate some courtesy where we spend our money.

I personally like paper bags, because I always have some way to reuse them. Very few places have those any more. You say "Perhaps one or two could be offered as a free gift to purchases over a certain dollar amount? " Good idea, but when you buy as many groceries and you and I do, it would be a pain to bring back all those eco-friendly bags, they take up much more space than plastic or paper bags do. Debbie HamiltonRight Truth

It's like this. I use those plastic grocery bags for trash, and for my new kitty litter box. If they quit giving them out, how am I going to bag my cat you know what?Seriously, If a store thinks I'm going to pay for one of their promotional bags they're out of their mind. I usually don't do "liberal" stuff, but at our local health food store I bought this incredible hand made basket that came from Africa. It's one of those businesses that are the little start up kind for women by women in 3rd world countries. I use it constantly. Don't mind using the basket, but no way am I going to pay for a promotional piece of junk just to make the store look good. SJRThe Pink Flamingo

I've been using cotton grocery bags for about 20 years. These are the kind with handles, of course. My original ones are oft-mended but still in service. You can find large cotton bags in craft stores or at craft sites on the Web if you can't get them at the grocery.

Are already the norm in other countries and are now catching on in the United States. Many cities already have, or are planning, bans on the plastic grocery bags that we think of as free. Soon there will be a charge for each plastic bag that is used. Will you pay the 10 to 25 cent fee for every plastic grocery bag you use or will you have your own reusable bags?

Every reusable bag can reduce plastic bag waste by at least 1,000 bags per year. If every consumer owned, and used, at least one cloth reusable grocery bag it would make a huge impact on our environment and oil use. Many reusable grocery bags available are petroleum based. Polyester, nylon, and polypropylene are all petroleum based products. They are reusable, which is good but, they also use huge amounts of petroleum and do not bio-degrade. Essentially they replace disposable plastic bags with reusable plastic bags.

Biodegradable, and non petroleum based. Cotton is soft, durable and machine washable it is the perfect choice for a great reusable grocery bag.

Product Description The simplehuman grocery bag holder mounts on a wall or inside of a shelf for quick, easy access. Stores 30 plastic grocery bagssimply tuck them into the top opening, and pull them out from the wide dispensing area on the front of the holder. Durable stainless steel construction. Screws and double-sided tape included. Product Description The SimpleHuman KT1000 Grocery Bag Holder is a more efficient and convenient way to store those grocery bags you save. The durable, functional and space-saving design allows it to be mounted on any wall or cabinet, dispensing grocery bags used by your household. Dimensions(WxHxD) - 6.6 x 15.6 x 3.5

I have had this simplehuman grocery bag holder for over a month now. It discernibly serves the purpose for which it was devised. Like the product description reads, it has the capacity to hold a maximum of 30 average size grocery bags and helps avoid clutter in an elegant way. It is not the strongest of materials but there are no concerns at all with respect to its sturdiness in holding the bags. I mounted it inside a kitchen shelf and happen to find it easy to pull one bag out at a time as and when necessary. On occasion two may come out at a time but this should not happen if the bags are not tangled when you put them in the first place!

Great Product This item is great at minimizing the clutter of loose grocery bags and it makes it easy to grab-and-go for their hundreds of uses.

Clears the grocery bag clutter and looks good doing it. Very happy with this grocery bag holder. It actually looks so nice that we hung it right on the kitchen wall in the corner.

Grocery bag holder love it. it's easy now to keep the bags off the kitchen bar on in a place where everyone can find them to reuse

These crafts projects are for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school children. The crafts use materials found around the house, like grocery bags, cardboard, paper, boxes, string, crayons, paint, glue, etc. See a page about color mixing to see how to combine paint to make all the colors of the

PAPER CANOEMake a tiny birch bark canoe from construction paper (or a brown paper grocery bag) and yarn.

BIG HATMake an incredibly huge hat from a large brown paper grocery bag. This is a nice, simple craft that works well at children's parties.

The ordinance, sponsored by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, is the first such law in any city in the United States and has been drawing global scrutiny this week. "I am astounded and surprised by the worldwide attention," Mirkarimi said. "Hopefully, other cities and other states will follow suit." Fifty years ago, plastic bags -- starting first with the sandwich bag -- were seen in the United States as a more sanitary and environmentally friendly alternative to the deforesting paper bag. Now an estimated 180 million plastic bags are distributed to shoppers each year in San Francisco. Made of filmy plastic, they are hard to recycle and easily blow into trees and waterways, where they are blamed for killing marine life. They also occupy much-needed landfill space. Two years ago, San Francisco officials considered imposing a 17-cent tax on petroleum-based plastic bags before reaching a deal with the California Grocers Association. The agreement called for large supermarkets to reduce by 10 million the number of bags given to shoppers in 2006. The grocers association said it cut back by 7.6 million, but city officials called that figure unreliable and unverifiable because of poor data supplied by markets. The dispute led to a renewed interest in outlawing the standard plastic bag, which Mirkarimi said Tuesday was a "relic of the past." Under the legislation, which passed 10-1 in the first of two votes, large markets and pharmacies will have the option of using compostable bags made of corn starch or bags made of recyclable paper. San Francisco will join a number of countries, such as Ireland, that already have outlawed plastic bags or have levied a tax on them. Final passage of the legislation is expected at the board's next scheduled meeting, and the mayor is expected to sign it. The grocers association has warned that the new law will lead to higher prices for San Francisco shoppers. "We're disappointed that the Board of Supervisors is going down this path," said Kristin Power, the association's vice president for government relations. "It will frustrate recycling efforts and will increase both consumer and retailer costs. There's also a real concern about the availability and quality of compostable bags." Power said most of the group's members operating in San Francisco are likely to switch to paper bags "simply because of the affordability and availability issues." Mirkarimi's legislation is one in a string of environmentally sensitive measures -- such as outlawing Styrofoam food containers and encouraging clean-fuel construction vehicles at city job sites -- adopted by the city in recent months. "It's really exciting," Jared Blumenfeld, director of the city's Department of the Environment, said after the vote on Tuesday. "We're thrilled. It's been a long time in the making." Blumenfeld said it takes 430,000 gallons of oil to manufacture 100 million bags. Compostable bags can be recycled in the city's green garbage bins and will make it more convenient for residents to recycle food scraps, he said. Recycling of paper bags also is far more active today than it was when the plastic bag was first introduced to U. S. consumers. The lone dissenting voice in the board chamber on Tuesday was Supervisor Ed Jew, who noted that 95,000 small businesses in San Francisco will continue to use plastic bags. Jew, who in his third month in office has taken to critiquing his colleagues for being too quick to burden residents and businesses with new mandates, complained that Mirkarimi's legislation has taken too much of the board's time. "We need to move on to address the larger issues in San Francisco," Jew said shortly before he voted against the ordinance. Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, who introduced amendments this month that will subject pharmacy chains to the legislation, said many large businesses in San Francisco already participate in recycling programs. "The target of this legislation is the bags themselves and improving the environment," she said.

As an advocate of recycling and using less, I have a confession to make. I often find myself in the checkout line at the grocery store without my reusable grocery bags. If I bought something that I can carry out in my hands, I refuse a bag. Otherwise, I have to answer with guilt when asked, "Plastic or paper?" I try to keep reusable bags in my car. I have been known to run to the car while my groceries are being scanned to retrieve my bags. I'd like for the bags to go back into the car for the next time, but I have not trained them (oops, myself) to return to the car after unloading groceries. When I worked regularly, I often had a reusable tote with me that I used to carry my lunch and IPod with me each day. I always had a bag with me when I stopped by the store on the way home from work. When I confessed to the checker at my favorite grocery store earlier this week that I had forgotten my bags at home, she offered another reminder. She said, "Place the bags by the grocery list. That way, when you pick up the list, the bags are there." What a simple solution I thought! Or, if I don't want the bags lying on the countertop with my list, I could write a note on the list to get the bags from the pantry. That is, if I remember the list. What do you do to remember your reusable bags?

I just put the reusable grocery bags on a hanger next to my coat. After bringing the bags with me a few times, it has become routine. The only time I go without them is when I need the plastic bags to use as dustbin liners. this is something I hate having to do (I wish I could do away with plastic bags in general). Anyone have a solution to this? Also, I hate having to use plastic bags for every vegetable at the grocery store. I wish I could just put them all in one bag, but then that would just be difficult for the cashier when weighing. Again, solutions anyone?

It is of great importance for everyone to get accustomed to reuse our grocery bags, instead of getting plastic every time which is very degrading for our planet! Great article!

Thank you for this story, Barbara! Reusable grocery bags are also available in a compact size that you can hook on your key chain. I have one and do not find it bothersome at all to have it on my key-chain. Although I purchased mine at a computer store (the name of which escapes me at the moment), colorful, compact and reusable examples can be viewed here.

San Francisco has become the first city in North America to ban the use of traditional plastic grocery bags, a step that municipal leaders hope will spread across the country. Passed Tuesday by the city's board of supervisors, the law prohibits large grocery stores and drugstores from using non-recyclable and non-biodegradable plastic bags made from petroleum products. Supermarkets will have six months to comply while drugstores will have up to one year. The city legislator who introduced the bill, Ross Mirkarimi, said that up to 200 million plastic bags are used each year in the city of roughly 740,000 people. It's estimated a traditional plastic bag takes 1,000 years to dissolve. "The first order of conservation is reduction and what we want to do is reduce the non-recyclable plastic bag," Mirkarimi said. "Many [foreign] cities and nations have already implemented very similar legislation. It's astounding that San Francisco would be the first U. S. city to follow suit," he said.

Paper vs. plastic debate shows how good environmental intentions coupled with bad information lead us astrayBy Skaidra Smith-Heisters Whole Foods Market won't offer plastic shopping bags at their stores after Earth Day this year. It is a savvy move for the upscale natural foods retailer, who estimates that by the end of the year the policy will have averted use of 100 million new plastic grocery bags at their 270 stores. It won't save the company any money-since the paper and multi-use bags that will replace plastic bags at their stores cost more to manufacture, stock and handle-but it is a savvy public relations move that will likely help to soothe the guilty environmental consciences of devoted Whole Foods shoppers who, like most Americans, believe paper bags are environmentally superior to plastic bags. Unfortunately, the reality is that paper isn't better than plastic. One hundred million new plastic grocery bags require the total energy equivalent of approximately 8300 barrels of oil for extraction of the raw materials, through manufacturing, transport, use and curbside collection of the bags. Of that, 30 percent is oil and 23 percent is natural gas actually used in the bag-the rest is fuel used along the way. That sounds like a lot until you consider that the same number of paper grocery bags use five times that much total energy. A paper grocery bag isn't just made out of trees. Manufacturing 100 million paper bags with one-third post-consumer recycled content requires petroleum energy inputs equivalent to approximately 15,100 barrels of oil plus additional inputs from other energy sources including hydroelectric power, nuclear energy and wood waste. Making sound environmental choices is hard, especially when the product is "free," like bags at most grocery stores. When the cashier rings up a purchase and bags it in a paper bag, the consumer doesn't see that it took at least a gallon of water to produce that bag (more than 20 times the amount used to make a plastic bag), that it weighed 10 times more on the delivery truck and took up seven times as much space as a plastic bag in transit to the store, and will ultimately result in between tens and hundreds of times more greenhouse gas emissions than a plastic bag. Biodegradable bags don't fare much better than paper bags. in a recent life cycle analysis, one type of compostable plastic bag was found to use somewhat less total energy and generate less solid waste, but represent more fossil fuel use, greenhouse gas emissions, and fresh water use than the comparable paper bag. Part of the invisible cost of shopping bags is passed down to consumers as retailers recoup the price they pay for the bags-pennies in the case of plastic, a nickel or a dime for paper bags (ones with handles cost more), and the same or more again for biodegradable plastic bags. Costs like greenhouse gas emissions and air or water pollution might eventually be captured in a carbon tax, cap-and-trade scheme, or regulatory fee (again, ultimately passed down to consumers, whether they are aware of it or not). Still other costs are borne by the public (e. g. litter pick-up) or in less calculable ways (e. g. diminished aesthetic values or impacts to marine animals). The good news is that, given a choice between plastic, paper and multi-use grocery bags, most people make the best available environmental choice. whichever bag they are most likely to reuse. In an informal online MSNBC survey last month, 38 percent of respondents said reusability was the most important factor in choosing what type of grocery bag to use. The plurality, 41 percent, choose plastic. Twenty-eight percent reported that environmental concerns were their top consideration and-unfortunately, given the comparative life cycle analyses-56 percent believed that paper is more "environmentally friendly." The vast majority of people reuse "single-use" plastic bags for household tasks like bagging garbage and cleaning up messes. Ireland's plastic bag tax, initiated in 2002 to combat the aesthetic impacts of litter on tourism, virtually eliminated the use of the targeted bags but also resulted in a 77 percent increase in the sale of kitchen garbage bags. San Francisco's first-in-the-nation ban on non-biodegradable plastic bags last year surely has had similar rebound affects. Nationwide, the most recent Environmental Protection Agency data show recycling rates for broad categories that include paper and plastic grocery bags to be 25 and 9 percent, respectively. The recycling rate for plastic is growing quickly under the pressure of new mandates and markets. The actual amount recovered nationwide doubled between 2005 and 2006. Most of the plastic bags recycled are reclaimed for use in the United States or Canada to manufacture decking, railing and fencing which replace the use of virgin forest products. For those bags that aren't recycled, misconceptions about plastic and paper bags follow them all the way to their graves. In a landfill, paper bags, petroleum-based plastic bags and even degradable plastic bags share roughly the same fate. Modern landfills are managed for stability, not decomposition. Plastic bags can be better in a landfill because their compact size takes up the least space and, as opposed to biodegradable bags, they release zero greenhouse gas emissions. Reusable shopping bags may be the norm at Whole Foods a year from now, but they're not for everyone in every circumstance. A multi-use plastic or durable bag is environmentally and economically cost-effective only if it is actually used multiple times. Some of these bags are recyclable or compostable, others are not. The basic principles of conservation apply here. the greenest individual choice is the one that results in the greatest actual reduction, reuse and recycling. Less than a year after a law requiring grocery stores to accept plastic bags for recycling took effect, lawmakers in California are now proposing mandatory reductions in plastic bag use and up to a 25-cent charge for plastic grocery bags statewide. Those who are cognizant of the environmental realities of the paper versus plastic debate, but nevertheless believe providing complimentary plastic bags at grocery stores should be illegal, cling optimistically to the idea that plastic grocery bags can be erased from the environmental equation without unintended consequences. At present, the only honest assessment is that a plastic bag ban is a de facto paper bag mandate, and increased use of paper bags means an increase in environmental ills including air and water pollution, greater energy and water use and higher greenhouse gas emissions. In a sense, the persistent view of plastic bag use as emblematic of the nation's progress on environmental issues is right for the wrong reasons. It shows how far good intentions coupled with bad information can lead us astray.

Widespread reliance on plastic grocery bags for retail customer use contributes to unnecessary resource use, waste, litter and nuisance. Given that alternatives are available and desirable, Resource Conservation Manitoba supports.

A target of reducing the use of disposable plastic grocery bags by 90 per cent within three years of implementation of this policy. RCM notes that a comprehensive approach to waste reduction and management would include plastic bags as a material designated under an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program. However, while details of EPR programs are being developed in Manitoba and nationally in Canada, the above interim measures are required to raise consumer awareness and promote a shift to reusable alternatives in place of single-use disposable plastic grocery bags. top

* Plastic grocery bags are convenient for consumers and retailers. They protect goods that are being transported by customers, are inexpensive, and enjoy wide consumer acceptance. Reusable bags are also strong, convenient, a great promotional vehicle for retailers, and popular with consumers. * Some conventional plastic grocery bags can be reused -- as garbage can liners, for pet waste, to protect school books, for storing small items and for other purposes. * Disposable grocery bags are generally made from either #2 plastic (high-density polyethylene, or HDPE) or #4 plastic (low-density polyethylene, or LDPE). These materials are derived from refined petroleum and can be recycled where programs exist. * Only a small proportion of petroleum goes into the production of plastic bags. Most is used as fuel for transportation, for space heating and in industrial processes. * Plastic bags constitute less than one per cent of landfill waste by weight. * In practice, plastic bags are awkward to handle and expensive to recycle, because they are so light. Depending on size and weight, it can take up to 150,000 bags to make a tonne. Collecting, baling and shipping all those bags uses a lot of energy and costs money. But if we are going to have unused post-consumer plastic bags, they do need to be recycled. Experience elsewhere indicates that less than 4 per cent of plastic grocery bags are currently recycled. * In Winnipeg, plastic bags can't be put into household blue boxes because the bags clog the automated machinery that sorts the co-mingled recyclables. * It can take 1,000 years or more for a conventional plastic bag to decompose in a landfill. * Biodegradable plastic bags will more quickly break down into smaller bits of plastic in a landfill. However, the residues are still petroleum-based plastic. * Compostable bags can be made from non-fossil fuel materials such as vegetable oil and corn starch. They are more expensive than regular plastic bags. Composting them in a backyard bin can work if people have active (hot) and well-managed compost piles. They do also compost in a landfill, although in that case they produce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. * In 2002, Ireland imposed an eco-tax of about $0.21 per bag at retail. Distribution of plastic grocery bags fell by 90 per cent following the introduction of their policy.

The primary reasons to take action on plastic bags are to reduce waste, conserve resources, reduce off-site litter from landfills, and encourage individuals to take responsibility for reducing environmental harm. On a list of major environmental problems, plastic bags would rank somewhere behind climate change, energy use in homes and in transportation, waste from industry and households, agricultural and forest practices, environmental toxins, and other more urgent challenges. RCM calculates that annual per capita plastic bag consumption by Manitobans uses petroleum roughly equal to 1.9 litres of gasoline per person. Thats about what a reasonably fuel-efficient mid-size car would burn in driving 23 km in the city or 31 km on the highway. If people were to reduce their annual driving by that amount, they would achieve approximately the same net resource conservation benefit as eliminating their use of grocery plastic bags for a year. If we want to tackle climate change and cut fossil fuel consumption, lets not lose sight of the critical need to drive less, heat our homes more efficiently, and buy local goods that dont require transportation from far-away places -- in addition to cutting our use of disposable plastic grocery bags. top

Estimates vary widely for annual per capita plastic bag use in the absence of a reduction program -- 328 in Ireland, 250 in Australia, 153 in Scotland. RCM adopts an estimate of 4 bags per capita per week, which amounts to 208 bags per person each year. A similar figure has been advanced for Ontario residents. Manitobas population as of October 1, 2007 is 1,190,400 (Statistics Canada). So the total number of plastic grocery bags distributed in Manitoba annually would be around 247,603,200.

By Chrisjob The reusable grocery bag is no stranger to Curbly, but we've never featured this many options. Featuring eighteen sew-able options, nine for knitters, and eight you can crochet, this compilation from TipNut will getcha away from those disposable plastic monsters in no time.

Fabric Grocery Sacks. Replicas of plastic grocery sacks made from vintage sheets and pillowcases (any fabric will do!). These also make cute lunch bags. Features a tie closure for a neat fit in your purse when not in use.

Cheap Easy Fabric Grocery Bags. By repurposing some old sheets, you can make a batch of these up for less than $2 each, and look how cute your groceries are in bags that are all the same pattern.). Simple design with sturdy webbing for the handles (or just whip up some fabric straps if you prefer).

Crochet Grocery Bag Pattern. Heres another crocheted bag, you dont have to use plain white crochet threadsee the bright colors used here.

Hey Chris! Im back(sorta) as for ggrocery bags. When Im prepared, I have an LLBean bag(huge) and it says "Misc" on the front. It also doubles as my dogs' toy holder! just another idea where's spellcheck?lol

Mount this grocery bag holder on a wall or inside a shelf for convenient, easy access. Stores 30 plastic grocery bags—simply tuck them into the top opening, and pull them out from the wide dispensing area on the front of the holder. Durable stainless steel construction. Screws and double-sided tape included.

I will use only as many plastic grocery bags as absolutely necessary, by reusing them and using sustainable alternatives ( Like cloth or web bags) but only if 4 other people will do the same. Big Ed, Eco-Gastronome (contact) Deadline to sign up by. 1

I'm glad that you're promoting the use of fewer plastic bags. I've recently found out that I have a high skin senstitivity to plastic bags. Therefore, I have to use cloth bags. It's all right, though. I don't mind. It's allowed my creativity (what little I have) to come out of the sewing machine. Aside from the plain old Unbleached Cotton that you can make, there are Denim, Cotton Print, Nylon (very strong stuff, that nylon. A bit more rashy than cotton, though), and upholstery fabrics. Currently, I've made 75 reusable, cloth bags. (Many aren't actually grocery bags, but that's okay.) They are a way to express an individuality, rather than a conformity. (If that's important to you.) Plus, you can carry way more stuff in a cloth bag, than in a plastic bag. (In a typical plastic bag, at the grocery store, you get 2-3 small items {for example, eggs, a bag of baby carrots, and a pack of rubber glove} in one plastic bag. then your bagger pulls out another plastic bag to put something else in) Cloth bags are sturdier and a better way to carry stuff than a plastic bag. (Which stretch and leaves red welts on your fingers) Congratulations on promoting the lower use of plastic bags

I've decided to give up grocery bags for Lent and I don't mean that in a facetious way. I feel that being environmentally aware is a great way to honor the Lord. I firmly believe that if we all were to do the little things, like not using grocery bags, or walking and bicycling whenever possible, it would make a major impact in our world.

The environmentally friendly thing to do is use reusable bags, but the ones supplied by the supermarket are plastic as well and you end doing some free advertising for the supermarket (grrr!). Another thing, how many times have you decided to make an impromptu visit to the shops only to find you don't have one of those reusable bags on you, oh and those reusable bags aren't exactly pretty are they? Enter the pretty, reusable, strong, and roomy groceries bag with comfy bag handles, and with it's own bag cosy (or stuff sack). I have used cotton throughout, and the stuff sack has a strap and metal clip so you don't end up losing the sack (which is something that always happens to me). This bag should take just over an hour to make, and your Mum and your buddies will love one. I hope you like it, and I'd love to know what you think of this bag.)..UPDATE.. To see just what this bag is capable of click here. In this project you will pick up/apply these skills.

Bag within a bag. This groceries bag has it's own bag cosy or stuff sack so you can pop the groceries bag into your handbag and never be without!

Top stitch all around the bag and then position the bag handle ends 12cm in from the bag side seam as shown by the blue dots. Tah Dah one eco friendly, nice to look at, and pretty darn useful reusable groceries bag!!

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference How to sew a curved bag gusset tutorial (aka reusable groceries bag with comfy bag handles )..

How To. Make a Reusable Grocery Bag from Apartment Therapy Chicago We love reusable grocery bags, but we're sick of the ugly ones from the store with the grocer's logo on them. We've been searching the Web for good instructions for making our own. This knitted version from The Purl. [Read More]

The environmentally friendly thing to do is use reusable bags, but the ones supplied by the supermarket are plastic as well and you end doing some free advertising for the supermarket (grrr!). Another thing, how many times have you decided to make an impromptu visit to the shops only to find you don't have one of those reusable bags on you, oh and those reusable bags aren't exactly pretty are they? Enter the pretty, reusable, strong, and roomy groceries bag with comfy bag handles, and with it's own bag cosy (or stuff sack). I have used cotton throughout, and the stuff sack has a strap and metal clip so you don't end up losing the sack (which is something that always happens to me). This bag should take just over an hour to make, and your Mum and your buddies will love one. I hope you like it, and I'd love to know what you think of this bag.)..UPDATE.. To see just what this bag is capable of click here. In this project you will pick up/apply these skills.

Bag within a bag. This groceries bag has it's own bag cosy or stuff sack so you can pop the groceries bag into your handbag and never be without!

Top stitch all around the bag and then position the bag handle ends 12cm in from the bag side seam as shown by the blue dots. Tah Dah one eco friendly, nice to look at, and pretty darn useful reusable groceries bag!!

Plastic shopping bags, or carrier bags or plastic grocery bags, are a common type of shopping bag in several countries. Most often these bags are intended for a single use to carry items from a store to a home. reuse for storage or trash is common. Heavier duty plastic shopping bags are suitable for multiple uses as shopping or storage bags.

Plastic bags are often made from polyethylene, which consists of a long chain of monomers called ethylene. Ethylene is derived from natural gas and petroleum, and it wasn’t until 1977 that polyethylene was used in forms of plastic grocery bags.

The real change in grocery bags didn’t start until 1982, when the two of America’s largest grocery companies Safeway and Kroger started replacing paper bags with more affordable plastic bags.

That is a question most of us are familiar with when we finish shopping at the grocery store. It seems that plastic has been an overwhelming winner of the choice. In fact, we are using 600 bags per second in California. And the unfortunate part is we only recycle approximately 1-4 percent of them. Now, thanks to a new California law grocery chains and other large box stores are making it easier for customers to recycle their plastic bags. Most local grocery stores will be offering in-store recycling bins for plastics and reusable bags for purchase. Recycling for the Environment By Chair Margo Reid Brown As of July 1st, there is a new law that will make it even easier for California to do the right thing by recycling plastic grocery bags. New requirements are now placed on grocery stores and pharmaceuticals to provide recycle bins for the estimated 19 billion plastic retail carryout bags we use annually. Read more.

Reusable bags are more environmentally friendly than paper or plastic. Most grocery and big box stores now offer reusable bags for sale to customers. Keep them in your car for the next time you have to run out for groceries.

There are many great uses for plastic grocery bags such as trash can liners in the home or for doggie waste. Get creative and find new ways to reuse those bags.

State Kicks Off Progressive Plastic Bag Recycling Program. New law makes it easier for consumers to recycle their plastic bags CIWMB News Release. July 2, 2007 Sacramento--Starting July 1, California consumers will find it easier than ever to do the right thing with all those plastic grocery bags. New legislation now requires that most grocers and pharmacies provide bins for the collection and recycling of plastic bags brought back by customers to generate greater markets for the use of recycled plastic bags as well as eliminate the havoc caused by plastic bag litter. Law Requires Recycling Of Plastic Bags. Californians Use 19 Billion Bags Each Year KCRA-TV 3, Sacramento. July 2, 2007Sacramento--A new state law requires big grocery stores and retail pharmacies to have a recycling program for plastic bags. Shoppers should keep it green Whittier Daily News (by Peter Larkin)ONCE again California is poised to lead the nation--this time in plastic carryout bag recycling. With the passage of landmark legislation-the Plastic Bag Recycling Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 2449, Levine, D-Van Nuys)-California has again raised the recycling bar through a partnership between consumers and retailers.

I will use only as many plastic grocery bags as absolutely necessary, by reusing them and using sustainable alternatives ( Like cloth or web bags) but only if 4 other people will do the same. Big Ed, Eco-Gastronome (contact) Deadline to sign up by. 1

I'm glad that you're promoting the use of fewer plastic bags. I've recently found out that I have a high skin senstitivity to plastic bags. Therefore, I have to use cloth bags. It's all right, though. I don't mind. It's allowed my creativity (what little I have) to come out of the sewing machine. Aside from the plain old Unbleached Cotton that you can make, there are Denim, Cotton Print, Nylon (very strong stuff, that nylon. A bit more rashy than cotton, though), and upholstery fabrics. Currently, I've made 75 reusable, cloth bags. (Many aren't actually grocery bags, but that's okay.) They are a way to express an individuality, rather than a conformity. (If that's important to you.) Plus, you can carry way more stuff in a cloth bag, than in a plastic bag. (In a typical plastic bag, at the grocery store, you get 2-3 small items {for example, eggs, a bag of baby carrots, and a pack of rubber glove} in one plastic bag. then your bagger pulls out another plastic bag to put something else in) Cloth bags are sturdier and a better way to carry stuff than a plastic bag. (Which stretch and leaves red welts on your fingers) Congratulations on promoting the lower use of plastic bags

I've decided to give up grocery bags for Lent and I don't mean that in a facetious way. I feel that being environmentally aware is a great way to honor the Lord. I firmly believe that if we all were to do the little things, like not using grocery bags, or walking and bicycling whenever possible, it would make a major impact in our world.

The environmentally friendly thing to do is use reusable bags, but the ones supplied by the supermarket are plastic as well and you end doing some free advertising for the supermarket (grrr!). Another thing, how many times have you decided to make an impromptu visit to the shops only to find you don't have one of those reusable bags on you, oh and those reusable bags aren't exactly pretty are they? Enter the pretty, reusable, strong, and roomy groceries bag with comfy bag handles, and with it's own bag cosy (or stuff sack). I have used cotton throughout, and the stuff sack has a strap and metal clip so you don't end up losing the sack (which is something that always happens to me). This bag should take just over an hour to make, and your Mum and your buddies will love one. I hope you like it, and I'd love to know what you think of this bag.)..UPDATE.. To see just what this bag is capable of click here. In this project you will pick up/apply these skills.

Bag within a bag. This groceries bag has it's own bag cosy or stuff sack so you can pop the groceries bag into your handbag and never be without!

Top stitch all around the bag and then position the bag handle ends 12cm in from the bag side seam as shown by the blue dots. Tah Dah one eco friendly, nice to look at, and pretty darn useful reusable groceries bag!!

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference How to sew a curved bag gusset tutorial (aka reusable groceries bag with comfy bag handles )..

How To. Make a Reusable Grocery Bag from Apartment Therapy Chicago We love reusable grocery bags, but we're sick of the ugly ones from the store with the grocer's logo on them. We've been searching the Web for good instructions for making our own. This knitted version from The Purl. [Read More]

The environmentally friendly thing to do is use reusable bags, but the ones supplied by the supermarket are plastic as well and you end doing some free advertising for the supermarket (grrr!). Another thing, how many times have you decided to make an impromptu visit to the shops only to find you don't have one of those reusable bags on you, oh and those reusable bags aren't exactly pretty are they? Enter the pretty, reusable, strong, and roomy groceries bag with comfy bag handles, and with it's own bag cosy (or stuff sack). I have used cotton throughout, and the stuff sack has a strap and metal clip so you don't end up losing the sack (which is something that always happens to me). This bag should take just over an hour to make, and your Mum and your buddies will love one. I hope you like it, and I'd love to know what you think of this bag.)..UPDATE.. To see just what this bag is capable of click here. In this project you will pick up/apply these skills.

Bag within a bag. This groceries bag has it's own bag cosy or stuff sack so you can pop the groceries bag into your handbag and never be without!

Top stitch all around the bag and then position the bag handle ends 12cm in from the bag side seam as shown by the blue dots. Tah Dah one eco friendly, nice to look at, and pretty darn useful reusable groceries bag!!

That is a question most of us are familiar with when we finish shopping at the grocery store. It seems that plastic has been an overwhelming winner of the choice. In fact, we are using 600 bags per second in California. And the unfortunate part is we only recycle approximately 1-4 percent of them. Now, thanks to a new California law grocery chains and other large box stores are making it easier for customers to recycle their plastic bags. Most local grocery stores will be offering in-store recycling bins for plastics and reusable bags for purchase. Recycling for the Environment By Chair Margo Reid Brown As of July 1st, there is a new law that will make it even easier for California to do the right thing by recycling plastic grocery bags. New requirements are now placed on grocery stores and pharmaceuticals to provide recycle bins for the estimated 19 billion plastic retail carryout bags we use annually. Read more.

Reusable bags are more environmentally friendly than paper or plastic. Most grocery and big box stores now offer reusable bags for sale to customers. Keep them in your car for the next time you have to run out for groceries.

There are many great uses for plastic grocery bags such as trash can liners in the home or for doggie waste. Get creative and find new ways to reuse those bags.

State Kicks Off Progressive Plastic Bag Recycling Program. New law makes it easier for consumers to recycle their plastic bags CIWMB News Release. July 2, 2007 Sacramento--Starting July 1, California consumers will find it easier than ever to do the right thing with all those plastic grocery bags. New legislation now requires that most grocers and pharmacies provide bins for the collection and recycling of plastic bags brought back by customers to generate greater markets for the use of recycled plastic bags as well as eliminate the havoc caused by plastic bag litter. Law Requires Recycling Of Plastic Bags. Californians Use 19 Billion Bags Each Year KCRA-TV 3, Sacramento. July 2, 2007Sacramento--A new state law requires big grocery stores and retail pharmacies to have a recycling program for plastic bags. Shoppers should keep it green Whittier Daily News (by Peter Larkin)ONCE again California is poised to lead the nation--this time in plastic carryout bag recycling. With the passage of landmark legislation-the Plastic Bag Recycling Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 2449, Levine, D-Van Nuys)-California has again raised the recycling bar through a partnership between consumers and retailers.

If your pantry's overrun with plastic grocery bags and you're feeling crafty, break out the crochet hooks and turn the bags into a tote bag like the one pictured. Split your bags into colors (like the red Target bags in one pile, white in another), and cut the bags into strips to make your "yarn," and hook away. I got to hold one of these in my hand, and what I'd normally write off as a cheesy craft turned out to be sturdy, stretchy, and actually quite a cute conversation starter. After the jump, photos and links to patterns. Here's the whole bag. Close-up. Even closer. Detailed information and patterns for newbs are scarce online, but hit the link below for an overview of how it's done.

Cathy Kasdan of Clevland, OH and I were emailing back and forth a bit yesterday afternoon regarding my post on the knitting machines. Then my jaw dropped when Cathy sent me this beautiful photo of her finished thesis project -- a handknit 1950's style ensemble made from plastic grocery bags. Cathy is currently finishing up a Master's in textiles at Kent State University and her thesis is based on consumer culture. Cathy writes. The dress is all hand knit from grocery bags that were the result of actual trips to the grocery store. As soon as I told people I could use their old bags for a project they brought them in by the bag full, I received thousands! The plastic grocery bag came about in the 1950's along with futuristic optimisim about America, so I made a "typical" 1950's ensemble complete with pillbox hat and purse, not pictured. I am going to have my pieces in an art show on recycled art at the School of Art Gallery in downtown Kent along with a group of other people beginning April 19th. Cathy recommends to check out more amazing trash turned into fashion at the website, Haute Trash. You can view more photos of her plastic bag dresses her flickr photo set here - Link.

The debate over paper or plastic grocery bags has no apparent end in sight. Arguments can be made for either paper or plastic as the most environmentally responsible material, but some have settled the issue by switching to reusable cloth sacks. While this solution may be elegant, most consumers are still confronted with the paper or plastic question whenever they shop for groceries. In order to decide between the two choices, it might help to examine what is meant by "better for the environment." Very few manufacturing processes have absolutely no negative impact on the environment. In the paper or plastic debate, paper is often promoted as the wiser choice for the environment because of its organic nature and biodegradability. Paper for grocery bags is created from natural wood pulp derived from an abundant supply of commercial trees. There are no artificial dyes added to the product, and paper grocery bags degrade relatively quickly in landfills and other sites. From the aspect of biodegradability and raw materials, paper would appear to win the argument between paper or plastic. The paper bags must be manufactured somewhere, however, and that means factories which require significant amounts of energy to operate. These factories also discharge waste products into local waterways and into the air. Trees work as carbon dioxide traps and also provide a supply of fresh oxygen for all of the Earth's inhabitants. If the paper industry does not maintain a program of replacing the trees it uses for production, the environment as a whole could suffer. When it comes to responsible use of natural resources, biodegradable plastic may have a slight advantage in the paper or plastic debate. Proponents of plastic grocery bags suggest that traditional petroleum-based plastics may not be as environmentally friendly as organic paper, but manufacturers can produce many more plastic bags for the same amount of expended energy. When factories are able to work more efficiently, the environment benefits as well. It takes fewer natural resources such as coal and gas to produce plastic bags in bulk, compared to the more labor-intensive manufacturing required to produce paper bags. The problem with traditional petroleum-based plastic bags, environmentally speaking, is their chemical nature. Plastic bags can take centuries to degrade, and they discharge environmentally harmful gases as they do. Plastic bags can also block sunlight, which can hamper the natural reclamation process as small plants die off. Recently developed biodegradable plastic bags made from non-petroleum sources have improved conditions somewhat, but there are still millions of traditional plastic bags sitting virtually unchanged under the ground. Plastic bags are indeed recyclable, which should be a positive step for the environment, but few customers actually return their plastic bags to the store. Paper bags, on the other hand, may be made from recycled materials and waste pulp from other processes. When it comes to ability to be recycled, the paper or plastic debate leans towards paper. If a biodegradable plastic grocery bag made from organic materials should appear, however, the scales may become a little more balanced. In short, paper bags in their current form seem to be better from an environmental standpoint, though anything that is not re-usable is taking its toll on our natural resources. Of course, once a suitable substitute for petroleum-based plastic can be found, the plastic bags of the future may be even better for the environment than paper or cloth bags are today.

So I'll be the first to admit that I'm not yet carrying the reusable grocery bag. It's one of those things where every time I'm at the grocery store checking out, I have the same guilty thought. Especially since lately it seems to be a great movement to use reusable grocery bags. I see plenty of folks in the grocery store now carrying around their recyclable bags and I think, "good for them."I sometimes find it's hard enough to remember my own diaper bag, let alone some additional bags when I'm headed out the door to the store. But blah, blah, blah -- these are all excuses Whitney, right? Because seriously, how hard is it to leave a couple of eco-friendly bags in the back of the car in the name of going green. My most recent product review that makes it even harder for me to avoid the change is from Skeeda. Skeeda, whose tagline is "paper or plastic never looked so bad," makes stylish eco-friendly bags for your trips to the store. Of all the products I check out, I can't write about a better product purchase than one that not only looks cool but helps to benefit the environment. Check the bags out on Skeeda's website. If you purchase, mention "mommies with style" in the comments section and one lucky winner will receive an extra bag of choice. The bags are $15 each and provide ample room inside. Seriously, I'm left with no excuses in the face of a cool product such as this.

I have a few reusable grocery bags but I have yet to remember them when I go to the store.( Bad, bad enviromentalist. Flag as inappropriate

San Francisco is considering a new 17-cent tax on disposable grocery bags. San Francisco consumers use an estimated 50 million grocery bags a year. One defender of the plan characterizes the tax as a "sensible user fee," adding that environmental protection "means we need to help change people's patterns, and that even means their shopping patterns." While the new tax may well change consumer shopping patterns, it hardly represents a sensible approach to solid waste disposal costs. However well-intentioned, this tax is neither "sensible" nor a true "user-fee." There is no question that consumers dispose of more solid waste because, in most of the country, they are not financially responsible for the amount of waste they produce. In most jurisdictions, residential waste disposal fees have little-to-no relationship with the volume or weight of the waste generated. In much of the country, a single homeowner who produces one light bag of garbage a week will pay as much as a family that fills a large trash bag every day. This makes little sense environmentally or economically. The proposed grocery-bag tax singles out a select portion of the waste stream for special treatment, and may even have perverse environmental effects insofar as it discourages bulk shopping. A true user fee would not target consumer buying habits. Rather, it would require consumers to pay for disposing of the waste they actually generate. Allowing competition in waste management services would further promote more environmentally sound waste management insofar as it would give waste management companies to push recycling where it makes economic sense. In sum, moving toward greater market provision of waste disposal services would both create greater incentives for waste reduction and encourage innovation in waste management strategies. Such approaches are much more "sensible" than taxing grocery bags.

Most people save grocery bags to use as containers for stuff. Our main use for grocery bags is to store our recycled items waiting for collection. If we did not have grocery bags we would be using plastic bags. The grocery-bag tax will increase our use of natural recources.

I see National Geographic has covered this issue to some extent, including some numbers and experiences elsewhere. Not the best sources of information, but it might help inform the debate. Are Plastic Grocery Bags Sacking the Environment?

Here's a grocery bag that subtly reveals the real you and a little more. The Xposed Grocery Tote is made of durable non-woven plastic fiber. Measures 15 inches wide x 4.5 inches in depth x 14 inches tall.

You might remember that plastic bags were introduced so we could save trees. The idea was to use less paper so fewer forests would be clear-cut. Now weve learned that plastic bags are filling up our landfills and the ones that dont make it that far are blowing around our streets like urban tumbleweed. This week, two Philadelphia city councilmen re-introduced a bill that would ban the distribution of plastic grocery bags. The ban was tried two years ago but retailers and chemicals companies successfully argued that the same results could be achieved through a recycling program and public education campaign.

So, Kenney and Councilman Frank DiCicco now plan an outright ban on stores using those flimsy plastic grocery bags. Heres the wording from the 2007 plastic bag ban.

For me the obstacle to re-usable bags is my simple inability to plan ahead. However, since I often end up at the store with a gym bag or such and I dont often buy more than few items at a time, I can usually just use my gym bag. Im sure that if I ever took the leap and supported my local public radio station with a $100 pledge and got four canvas grocery bags (wink wink), Id do my best to remember them when it comes time to get the groceries. Im also generally pretty good about bringing the used bags back to the store but Ive gotten used to using them carry my lunch or bag up the scoopings from the cat litter box (of course, never to be used again). There are, however, a couple sources of plastic bags that may be around for quite a while. Chinese food places and my favorite cheap but unhealthy eatery in South Philly - The Charcoal Pit. Not sure what the alternative will be for them since they have everything bagged and ready to go by the time I come to pick up.

This is another of these miscellaneous, only peripherally-baby-related craft ideas, but since I've gotten a request for it, here it is! (I suppose I can justify it as an environmentally-conscious idea. if enough people do it, we will save resources for our childrens' future!) Typical paper grocery bags are about 12 wide by 21 deep, with 7 sides. opened up, that's 38 long by 21 high.

Whatever you get, you'll need a piece that's about 36 by 22 to make a standard grocery bag. So if you buy 44 wide fabric, you can make two bags with a yard, provided you make it a little shorter to accomodate cutting out straps. or if it's 60 wide, you can easily make two, or even three if you cut them shorter (again, for straps). Or you can buy webbing for the straps and have them the correct height. However, that size holds a *lot* of groceries, and may be too heavy when full, so you can certainly make them smaller if you want. I would suggest a depth of 18 ra ther than 24. Of course, smaller bags are also quite useful. I have a ton of greyish twill that's 60 wide and just not selling as slings, so I made cloth bags for gift-giving this year. I cut the bag pieces as 30 by 20, with handles at 15 by 5 -- so a 20 long piece of fabric (20 by 60) yielded two finished bags. With a 5 gusset (see below), the finished bags are 10 wide by 5 long by 15 deep. Straps can be made of self-fabric, very sturdy ribbon, matching fabric remnants, nylon webbing, or whatever else seems appropriately sturdy that you have handy.

Next time you go grocery shopping, get some of your items in a paper bag. After removing your groceries (hee!), carefully open up the seams. There should be one on the side, and another on the bottom, plus the gussets. For full-sized bags, use this as a template. For shorter bags, just cut off about 6 from the top of the bag (not the bottom, since the bottom piece will show you where the gussets go). Your pieces should be abour 36 wide by 18-24 long.

To make a gusset, flatten the bag with the bottom seam on top, as shown in the diagram at right (which involves folding the bag into a weird triangular shape, but makes more sense when you actually do it). Then sew across the triangle so that your seam is about 6-7 long (mark it by sliding a ruler down until it reads 7). When you turn the bag right-side-out, it will stand up like a paper grocery bag.

Berkeley city officials are gauging reactions to a possible citywide fee on plastic and paper grocery bags, but the response from Berkeley residents has been ambivalent so far. An online survey administered by Mayor Tom Bates' office in August determined that of the 165 respondents, 43 percent were initially in favor of the surcharge and 44 percent were opposed to it. Fifty-eight percent found the topic worthy of further study by the city. If implemented, the bag fee, designed to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills, could run up to 17 cents per bag.

Donna, from GarbageGifts. com, shared this craft which shows you how to transform a handful of plastic grocery bags into a great pumpkin. Materials Needed.

Scissors Instructions. Cut the paper towel tube to about 5 long. Take about 3 pieces of newspaper, lay them in a single layer, and fold them over until they're about 2 wide by the length of the paper. Glue ends to secure the folded pieces of newspaper. Make about 6 folded strips. Set aside. Take the bags, at the center of the bottom, and pull through your fingers to make it 'flatter'. Glue each bag, from the center bottom with the handles up, next to each other all the way around the paper towel tube, about 3 from the top. This combination should resemble a pompom. Begin gluing the strips of newspaper to the tube, starting at about 3 from the top. They should be over the glued ends of the plastic bags. Wrap the strips around the tube, gluing as you go around. When you get to the end of one newspaper strip, add another piece so they are end to end. Now, pull each bag down by the handles, over the newspaper rib, to the bottom of the tube and then stuff the handles up into the tube. Repeat this for all of the paper bags. As you pull down more plastic bags, it gets a bit harder to stuff the handles into the tube so Donna suggests using the end of a pen to shove them in. To finish your grocery bag pumpkin, pinch and slightly fold in the top of the tube with your fingertips. This will be the stem of your pumpkin. Paint the pumpkin (grocery bags) orange. Stain the stem with green paint that has been mixed with water to give it a more realistic look.

Keep you grocery bags organized and in one place withthis simplehuman stainless steel holder. It has an easy tuck opening and wide dispensing area. Imported. 16Hx6-1/2Wx4D".

(Germantown, MD) See all my reviews This nifty bag holder is perfect for those of us who like to reuse grocery bags-easy to put in, easy to take out. The only flaw is the adhesive lasted one week. I would recommend using the screws if you can (which we can't because we're in an apartment). Highly recommended! On a side note, this is bigger than I thought it would be.nice!

(Dacula, GA) See all my reviews This thing is just so nice and works perfect. We mounted it inside our cabinets and it has served as a great storage for our grocery bags. Would definitely recommend it to anyone!

Plastic shopping bags can be recycled at all London AP Loblaws Grocery Stores. To participate, simply turn bags inside out, remove all receipts (and all other contents) and drop off your used plastic bags at the large blue recycling carts inside all London AP stores or in the labeled receptacles at Loblaws stores, listed below. All plastic shopping and grocery bags can be recycled, including bags from other grocery stores and retail outlets.

You'd think so, but you'd be wrong. Well, mostly wrong, anyway. While plastic is normally recyclable, traditional grocery bags are not because they're made from petroleum products. This inconvenient truth has led the political leaders of San Francisco to enact a ban on the plastic bags. In a little less than six months, area grocery stores will be required to offer recyclable and biodegradable alternatives. Interestingly, as far as we can tell, some of these plastic bags are recycled. The Christian Science Monitor reports that nationally, "less than 1 percent of 100 billion plastic bags tossed each year get recycled." Obviously that's a very poor ratio, but it does show that the bags are technically recyclable. The Sierra Club explains how. Supermarkets often offer to collect the plastic bags -- you may have seen the bins in front of stores. "In 2003 Safeway collected 7,000 tons of plastic grocery bags, pallet-wrap plastic, and dry cleaners' bags. The plastic is sold to a company that makes.lumber-like boards." Still, few of the bags are ever collected, leaving the vast majority to float around in the breeze. In fact, the typical plastic grocery bag takes anywhere from 450 to 1,000 years to break down. The moral? Bring your own bags. Or at the very least, ask for paper (and then recycle 'em).

Our cloth grocery bags, organic produce bags, and reusable lunch bags are a great option when looking to replace paper, plastic, or single-use bags. What makes our bags different from other reusable bags? Read more about our reusable bags now! - Read Press. - Check out Customer Reviews. - Compare bags Bags at a Glance.

Grocery Bags. The Price We Pay For Convenience Eco-Gardening. Self-sustaining, nature-friendly gardens

Instead of the plastic ones are the photos on this page and the data available to us with respect to the impact grocery bags have on our environment, wildlife and, ultimately, our own health.. The Facts. Data released by the United States Environmental Protection Agency states that

Reusable Grocery Bags are a great Choice to help make a Happy Planet. It is estimated that the United States consumes 100 billion plastic bags annually. The majority of these are distributed by supermarkets as plastic grocery bags. Your Choice to use Reusable Grocery Bags can eliminate hundreds of plastic bags a year. This will reduce waste, conserve energy, and natural resources.

Paper or plastic? How about neither? The Lane County commissioners are considering a crackdown on the use of disposable paper and plastic bags, two supermarket staples that are hard on the environment, the county said last week. Staff reported to the commissioners earlier this month on ways to discourage the use of plastic or paper bags at groceries, pharmacies and other retailers. The board plans to continue the discussion next year but hasnt scheduled another meeting, said Sarah Grimm, waste reduction specialist. Disposable bags are under increasing scrutiny by governments and citizens across the region and around the world, but efforts to curb their use meet with varying degrees of success. The county could work with local cities to ban paper and/or plastic bags, discourage their use by charging customers for them or at least require stores to provide ways to recycle them, Grimm said. More than a dozen West Coast communities have imposed bans on plastic bags or are pursuing them. Locally, the Eugene-based Market of Choice grocery chain, plus the Trader Joes chain, have eliminated the use of plastic bags, and Eugene is looking at the feasibility of a ban, fee or other regulation on disposable bags, the county said. But the county is still studying whether to target plastic or paper bags or both and whether to do anything at all about them. Plastic bags blowing in the breeze are a noticeable nuisance that can clog storm drains and threaten marine life, Grimm said but studies suggest paper bags are four times harder on the environment when their overall impact is evaluated. Critics of plastic-bag crackdowns routinely argue that the bags which are made from oil are insignificant in their contribution to total waste or use of raw materials. How far commissioners will get in their discussion is unclear. Opposition to anti-bag efforts can be swift and strong, the county said, with organizations that represent plastic-bag or food interests lobbying against fees, forcing efforts onto the ballot or even suing governments. Shawn Miller, a lobbyist for the Wilsonville-based Northwest Grocery Association, said he couldnt comment on the county boards plans until the board settles on a course of action. Miller noted, however, that the association has raised concerns in other jurisdictions about the prospect that grocers would be saddled with a bag fee or other restriction that doesnt apply to other retailers. One of the issues that has come up is applying (a regulation) across the board so youre not giving another retailer a competitive advantage over grocery retailers, Miller said. Even among local supporters of anti-bag efforts, there is disagreement over whether to target all disposable bags, and whether to regulate their use or to work in other ways with suppliers such as grocery chains. David Funk, of the Eugene Sustainability Commission, said. A public relations campaign to the public, a direct marketing campaign to grocery and big-box stores and a sales campaign to get bag sponsors to provide free bags at point of sale would be more effective and have a lower response cost to implement, than pushing an ordinance through the county. Grimm said that she plans to focus on voluntary efforts to reduce the use of paper and plastic bags while awaiting more direction from the county board. Waste management staff have to struggle with deciding if (regulation) is worth the effort, she added.

At the grocery store, when they ask "Paper or plastic?" (and you have left your eco-friendly organic cotton tote bag at home), which is the lesser of two evils as far as total pounds of pollutants per bag (including solid waste, hazardous waste, and air and water pollution), and as far as ecological damage from raw material extraction and processing?

Photo Joe Hu/Town CrierPlastic grocery bags may become an endangered species if county ordinances to charge for them spread.

The free flow of plastic and paper grocery bags is guaranteed in Los Altos for the time being. The Los Altos City Council last week roundly rejected joining a regional move to reduce waste by attaching a cost to each bag. Members of Santa Clara County’s Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission are drafting an ordinance to require that stores charge a fee – 25 cents for each plastic and paper “disposable, single-use carry-out bags” provided to customers. The ordinance, which if enacted would affect only stores in unincorporated county areas, is intended to serve as a blueprint for local cities to develop their own laws. Members of the Los Altos council described the fee as a tax with attendant bureaucratic growth and dismissed it as a poor fit for the city at a meeting Jan. 13. Councilman David Casas, who had introduced the idea of supporting a regional effort to devise complementary ordinances, said that changes to bag use were a near-to-sure thing in the region’s future. “Being at the stage we are, it is relatively new,” Casas said. “But it is coming.” Palo Alto and San Jose’s city governments are developing similar ordinances, and Palo Alto is drafting a ban on polystyrene food containers. Countries including Ireland, China and Kenya have banned use of free, single-use bags. Assembly Bill 2058, approved in the state Assembly and currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee, would require stores to either prove increased bag recycling or charge a per-bag fee. The city council rejected explicit support for the association’s ordinance but unanimously directed Councilman David Casas to report that while Los Altos supported a regional approach, it objected to a bag fee. The council voted 3-2 to ask the environmental commission to consider developing a bag-use recommendation for the city. Individual California cities have been developing a patchwork of ordinances that leave consumers with different rules in different areas – and have in a few cases subjected municipalities to lawsuits. Plastic-bag industry coalitions filed lawsuits against Oakland and the city of Manhattan Beach last year, alleging that the cities had failed to review the environmental impact of banning the bags. A judge ruled against Oakland in August. Those cities imposed a ban only on plastic bags, and the suits centered on the potential impact of an increased use of paper bags. The Saratoga and Los Gatos city councils both recently voted to support a ban, Casas reported, and he described the talk of litigation in reference to a local ban on all single-use bags as “more saber-rattling than anything else.” Four of the five city council members mentioned having conversations with a representative of the American Chemistry Council. Los Altos Chamber of Commerce President Julie Rose said her organization opposes the county’s model ordinance, and questioned whether a ban or tax would in fact positively impact the environment. Los Altos resident Susan Russell, one of two residents to speak on the subject, said that joining a regional effort would offer consistency for consumers who shop in multiple cities on a regular basis. “Some fee does act as an incentive,” she said. City Councilwoman Val Carpenter said she could support economic incentives but not fees, as did Councilman Lou Becker. “We’re living in a time when a lot of people are hard-pressed, people are concerned about their budgets right now,” Becker said, adding, “I see very little litter in Los Altos from plastic bags.” Contact Eliza Ridgeway at

Your plastic grocery bags will fit this sleek kitchen trash can perfectly, for less hassle, less mess.

The Grocery Bag Trash Can is sized specifically to reuse grocery bags, while keeping your kitchen, bathroom, nursery or laundry room clean and neat. Plastic bag handles fit over the kitchen trash can's built-in inner handles to keep the bag in place, and the removable retainer lip fits over the entire rim to keep it tidy. The Grocery Bag Trash Can is made of stainless steel with rubber feet. 3-gallon capacity. Benefits of the Grocery Bag Trash Can.

These bags are designed to biodegrade naturally, leaving no toxic residues in the landfills Your food comes from nature -- why not your bags? Interested in green bags but not ready to order a case yet? Why not try our Bag Replacement Sample Pack? Contains one Small Biodegradable Bag, one Medium Biodegradable Bag, one Large Biodegradable Bag, one Grocery Biodegradable Bag, one Tall Kitchen Biodegradable Trash Bag, and one Commercial Biodegradable Trash Bag. You'll be amazed once you handle our products and see that they are just as strong as regular plastic bags.

Looking for green grocery bags or reusable shopping bags with your store's logo on them? Help your customers make an eco-friendly choice with these affordable, imprinted tote bags. Perfect for groceries, pharmacies, boutiques or any type of retail store, and an ideal alternative to disposable plastic or paper bags.

Envirosax and Reiter8 "totes made from recycled sails" just arrived! About Envirosax. each rip stop bag measures 19.5" by 16.5", and folds up to the size of a piece of sushi, 4" by 1.5" diameter. It weighs in at just 1.4oz. An Envirosax can quite comfortably hold two plastic grocery bags of shopping, and has been tested to hold at least 44lbs. These are great to use for welcome bags for your out of town guests. Better you get a few to keep in the car for the next shopping trip. Great stocking stuffers! We also just got the Blue Q Shoppers in stock. A long lasting, super-sized tote (15.75"w x 15.35"h x 5.9"d) for everyday shopping. Easily holds 30 pounds. They are 100% recycled woven polypropylene and are very sturdy. Great for groceries! Waterproof. Sturdy reinforced nylon handles. You will need two of these to feel good about yourself. Also see. Canvas totes, Port & Company Totes

I feel it is important to REUSE bags you get at conventions, trade shows, car shows, etc. In a sustainable world, we buy less product and therefore manufacture less product, creating less pollution and using less of our non-renewable resources. The reusable bags for purchases are great, but we now need some type of very lightweight bag for produce at grocery stores - so we don't use the plastic/paper produce bags. (the weight of a canvas bag is too heavy to weigh the produce). (any ideas?) AND, a side note - the new self check outs at stores are NOT set up for canvas bags, only for plastic. In fact, they don't work with your own bags. You have to get a store staff person to override the system. AND, 9 times out of 10, I get an attitude from my check out person when I ask them to bag into my bags and not into the traditional plastic or paper. So I'm not reviewing a new product, but an old one - those reusable bags I gather from those that MUST have giveaways at their events are a very good, sustainable product! So, let's all keep on trying until we accomplish the no plastic or paper bag goal!! Debbie's keywords. reusable bags lightweight bag grocery canvas bag

I have about 6 Trader Joe's Reusable bags and use them in most shopping situations. They are cheap but sturdy and very convenient. I would like to see TJs phase out normal paper and plastic (like our local Whole Foods is doing) or maybe charge a small usage tax (like some local governments) on plastic bags to discourage their use. I think that would help speed progress on this important issue. Mike's keywords. reusable grocery shopping bags plastic paper bags trader joes

Plastic bags are a new thing that has gone too far. They are all over.the streets, in bushes, our waterways and in our landfills. This can be prevented by carrying in your own bag, that gets used over and over again. And they are selling them cheap all over the place! Kat's keywords. cheap grocery bags

Even though I live in a community where the nearest Trader Joe's is 30 minutes away, I shop with these bags to every retailer/grocery store in my area. It opens up a dialogue about why I bring my own bags and where the nearest Trader Joe's are. Some of our local grocers will also credit us for ever bag we bring in! I love the Trader Joes bags because they are able to be wiped clean (no machine washing needed here), they are water resistant and very durable. We have invested in 4 and keep 2 in each automolbile, unless we are heading out for a larger shopping trips, then all 4 are taken along! Leah's keywords. grocery shopping bag

My reusable grocery bag is not only waterproof and durable, it holds quite a few items as well. Definitely have saved several plastic and paper bags since I have bought one. The bags are cheap and one goes a long way! I would recommend this item to everyone, single people and families alike. Beth's keywords. waterproof bag paper bag plastic

I no longer am in a state that has a TJ's.sad sad day, but I love their bags. They are sturdy and cute. I did run in to one of their bags at a dinner party on Saturday. One of the guests brought food in one. They had recently been out of town and picked up some things at TJ's. Reusable bags are such an easy way to make a big impact on the amount of trash we produce..I throw mine in hte back of the car and keep them there so they are with me when i need them. Michelle's keywords. reusable grocery bags green bags tote bags shopping less waste

I LOVE my Trader Joes reuseable bags. They fold up easily, and tuck into my trunk. I also love that they have flat bottoms, and handles. They are so much better than those flimsy plastic bags the grocery store gives out. Switch over to these handy bags and help our environment!! Maureen's keywords. Trader Joes reuseable grogery bags

To avoid using plastic bags I used to carry my groceries or have them placed back in the wagon. That wasn't always practical, especially when I had more than a few items. These bags solved that problem. Their size, shape and durability make them perfect to use not just at Trader Joe's, but at any grocery of drugstore. I leave them in the car so even if I stop unexpectedly, I have them to use. Suzan's keywords. grocery bag reusable bag

Get on the green bandwagon by eliminating the use of "paper or plastic." Brightly colored grocery bags have a generous capacity and broad, comfortable handles. Durable, lightweight, washable bags fold to fit in purse or pocket (see additional photos).

Materials Needed. numerous white, blue and yellow plastic grocery bags, M hook Finished Size. 15 inches high x 16 inches wide not including the straps Note. Do not use hook that you don't want to break or be stained. I have noticed that my hook has numerous stains of dye on it from the bags, also this is hard on the hook so you don't want to use your good Brittany hooks while crocheting with plastic bags.-) Directions. with white bags ch 28 Round 1 - hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each remaining ch, working around the backside of the ch hdc in each st, join with a sl st to 1st hdc (54 total) Round 2-5 - ch 1, hdc in each st around, join with a sl st to 1st hdc at the end of round 5 change to yellow bags, do not cut white bags Round 6-7 ch 1, with yellow bags, hdc in each st around, join with a sl st to 1st hdc, cut yellow bags, at end of round 7 pick up the dropped white bags Round 8-10 - ch 1, with white, hdc in each st around, join with a sl st to 1st hdc, at end of round 10 change to blue bags, do not cut white bags Round 11- 13 - ch 1, with blue bags, hdc in each st around, join with a sl st to 1st hdc, cut blue bags, at end of round 13, pick up the dropped white bags Round 14-20 - ch 1, with white, dc in each st around, join with a sl st to 1st hdc, at end of round 20 change to yellow bags, do not cut white bags Round 21 - ch 1, with yellow, hdc in each st around, join with a sl st to 1st hdc, cut yellow bags, at end of round 21 change to white bags Round 22- ch 1, with white hdc in next 7 sts, ch 24, sk 8 sts, hdc in the next 19 sts, ch 24, sk 8 sts, hdc in next 12, join with a sl st to 1st hdc Round 23 - ch 1, sc in next 6sts, work 28 sc around the next ch 24 sp on last round, sc in next 19 sts, work 28 scs around the next ch 24 sp on last round, sc in next 13 sps, join with a sl st in beg sc (94 total) Round 24 - ch 1, sc in each st around (94 total)

Links. www. coolgrocerybags. com. reusable grocery bags. reusable bags. reusable shopping bags. grocery bags.

Are reusable 100% cotton tote bags that provide a stylish and earth-friendly alternative to plastic grocery bags.

- and an estimated 100 billionare thrown away each year. Most clog landfills, but many end up snagged on trees and fences as an ugly reminder of our disposable society. And most plastic grocery bags are not biodegradable. They actually break down into smaller and smaller toxic particles that pollute our oceans, rivers, lakes and soil. Every year, thousands of animals, particularly marine mammals, choke to death after mistaking discarded plastic bags for food. Did you know there is a plastic garbage patch the size of Texas floating around the Pacific Ocean? Read more about it

Grocery clerks in one local town are hoping they won't have to ask that question "paper or plastic?" The goal is for shoppers to bring their own reusable bags when they buy food, something a lot of us do already. But in West Bridgewater they're hoping if people aren't motivated by saving the environment, maybe the "T" word will get them. The Brockton Enterprise reports selectmen in West Bridgewater are seeking permission to assess a 5 cent tax on supermarket grocery bags, paper and plastic. Those selectmen voted two-to-one in favor of writing a letter to the state legislature asking for approval of the local measure. Proponents say the revenues would be used to offset the town's costs for running landfills and recycling programs. Plus, they say the supermarkets would save money by not having to buy as many bags. One opponent told the Enterprise the timing is wrong because food prices are very high and many families are already struggling to put meals on the table. Is this a good idea or should the legislature bag it? Join the conversation on wbztv. com! ( MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Using eco-friendly reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags is a small, and simple lifestyle change. You wouldnt forget your purse or wallet before going to the grocery store, so just remember not to forget your shopping bags. (Thanks to our pal, Mara, who is obsessed with Tim Minchin, an Aussie comedian/pianist, we discovered his ode to Canvas Bags. While the Envirosax isnt canvas we share his sentiment and love that he is also from down under. Check out his video on YouTube ) Envirosax bags help make that change easier by providing a tote that rolls up and becomes a lightweight and portable, 1 oz package. The pouch is small enough to stow into a glove box or a handbag. Plus theyre affordable at just $6 per bagthats over half of what youd pay for an ugly grocery store-sponsored bag.

Set of 5 Envirosax reusable grocery bags designed with a groovy Retro Graphic motif in a travel pouch. - Lightweight, waterproof, extremely strong and eco-friendly. - Size. Size. 19.5 x 16.5. Material. High-grade heavy weight polyester - Designed by the Envirosax team in South East Queensland, Australia. - Handles are long enough to carry over the shoulder. - Can hold the equivalent of two plastic bags worth of groceries. - Gorgeous gift-wrapping available.

Here in Jackson Hole, Wyoming we use these bags for EVERYTHING. Grocery shopping OF COURSE, but also packing up food for the slopes or camping, toting extra gear or games to the river.and the other day I just used one as my handbag for doing Saturday errands. I love that they're waterproof, and they hold so many groceries, you wonder why any of us ever suffered through plastic bags before! Katie's Profile

About a year ago I came up with the following idea and wrote a notice about it for our Library's weekly news bulletin which circulates to library staff. A colleague from another preservation program suggested that I post it on the DistList. Stepping Out? Protect a Book. Recycle Plastic Grocery Bags Beginning immediately, the Preservation Office will become the drop off point for your clean and dry plastic grocery bags. We will store the bags and recycle them to the circulation desk for distribution to library users who charge out books when it is raining or snowing outside. The bags will protect the library materials from water and dampness which causes paper and books to swell, warp, and cockle. These conditions can also cause pages to stick together or mold and mildew to grow. In addition, users should wrap books in a plastic bag when returning them to the library if the weather is bad. Collecting the bags will be an ongoing activity for us, as they will be continually recycled. There will be a drop off box just inside the main entrance to the Preservation Office. Thank you for your assistance. The reception of this notice by library staff was very positive. We were not inundated with bags, but managed to fill about an 8 ft3 box with them. Since then bags have been taken away and new bags have appeared. There have not been any problems with food or vermin in the bags, nor with storing them in the our office. This program is a no cost alternative to printing a logo on plastic bags purchased from a vendor. Plus most of the bags are recyclable, for real. Robert Milevski *** Conservation DistList Instance 8.16 Distributed. Thursday, August 25, 1994 Message Id. cdl us. ***

Have a stash of reusable bags in the back of my car to grocery shop with. But sometimes I forget to bring them with me when I shop. Now what? This bag was designed so I'd never have this problem again. It's made of 100% hemp, so it won't mildew. The production of the yarn itself didn't add more chemicals into our environment, since industrial hemp requires no pesticides or fertilizers to flourish. It's worked in a solid garter stitch at the bottom, where all the stuff I buy will sit, with a little smooth lip around the base in case little things want to try to escape. The mesh stitch lets it expand almost infinitely, but keeps the bag as light as it can possibly be. And it folds up into itself and can be tucked your purse or backpack, so you're never without it.

I thought this post was going to be about how grocery bags are now only expected to hold one or two items. I used to come out of the grocery with a big sack of stuff. now I come out with ten little bags of stuff. But apparently I'll soon be bringing home ten little bags of little stuff. Great. curiousbaker Jul 03, 2008 01.49PM | link

Curious, you are so right about the size of paper grocery bags. They used to reach the top of my kitchen recycling can. Now, the bags from Acme are about five inches shorter. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods still have decent sized bags -- with handles yet! the dog ate my homework Jul 04, 2008 06.19AM | link

It is simply less wasteful to reuse grocery bags than to get a new one with each store visit. Think about how many bags you use and how briefly each is actually in use. How can I do this? Save paper and plastic bags and bring with you to the market each time you go shopping. Also, invest in cloth or plastic shopping bags that are made specifically for reuse.

My mom and I mainly use the grocery bags for trash(without holes), and our lunch that may spill. We also reuse those with holes to put in our shoes for the gym or traveling so that it will keep our clothes clean. So it seems the main effort is to tell grocery stores to STOP providing these bags to customers, I will now HAVE to buy kitchen PLASTIC bags and garbage PLASTIC bags. I do not understand this logic, please explain this logic to me. Do you think those companies sell the kitchen and garbage plastic bags is a big push behind this?

I too use grocery bags for trash but have cut down drastically by using paper bags and reusable grocery bags at the grocery stores. I use the plastic bags from Target as they are heavier and can be used more than once. Using from just one store keeps my on-hand supply smaller and gives me space as well. I don't think we will ever be without store plastic bags. When I go shopping on a Saturday I bring home several from the department stores, etc. I reuse these as well. I don't see having to buy more plastic bags in my future.

Approximately 500 decorated grocery bags will be returned to Publix on Sea Island Parkway on Friday and customers who purchase groceries during the holiday weekend can request the illustrated bags.

Our cloth grocery bags, organic produce bags, and reusable lunch bags are a great option when looking to replace paper, plastic, or single-use bags. What makes our bags different from other reusable bags? Read more about our reusable bags now! - Read Press. - Check out Customer Reviews. - Compare bags Bags at a Glance.

Approximately 500 decorated grocery bags will be returned to Publix on Sea Island Parkway on Friday and customers who purchase groceries during the holiday weekend can request the illustrated bags.

Our cloth grocery bags, organic produce bags, and reusable lunch bags are a great option when looking to replace paper, plastic, or single-use bags. What makes our bags different from other reusable bags? Read more about our reusable bags now! - Read Press. - Check out Customer Reviews. - Compare bags Bags at a Glance.

The Grocery Bag Trash Can is the environmentally friendly can that utilizes an item that's become an (un)natural resource - plastic grocery bags. Molded from recycled materials, the can has a clever design that secures the grocery bag to the can by the handles. Secure the bag over the lip on each side of the can to keep the bag fully open. The depth of the can takes advantage of the entire capacity of the bag, yet still supports the bottom to prevent rips and tears. The rectangular shape makes it space efficient. Store extra bags in the bottom. It's perfect for the kitchen, the bath, or the RV - either in or out of a cabinet. The Grocery Bag Trash Can performs a useful function - and means you don't ever have to buy this size plastic bag again!

Berkeley city officials are gauging reactions to a possible citywide fee on plastic and paper grocery bags, but the response from Berkeley residents has been ambivalent so far. An online survey administered by Mayor Tom Bates' office in August determined that of the 165 respondents, 43 percent were initially in favor of the surcharge and 44 percent were opposed to it. Fifty-eight percent found the topic worthy of further study by the city. If implemented, the bag fee, designed to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills, could run up to 17 cents per bag.

Info from website. Product Features Recycled grocery bags fit easily into the top opening Mounts on the wall or under a shelf for easy access Mount in a cabinet for space efficiency Product Description The simplehuman grocery bag holder mounts on a wall or inside of a shelf for quick, easy access. Stores 30 plastic grocery bags—simply tuck them into the top opening, and pull them out from the wide dispensing area on the front of the holder. Durable stainless steel construction. Screws and double-sided tape included. Product Description The SimpleHuman KT1000 Grocery Bag Holder is a more efficient and convenient way to store those grocery bags you save. The durable, functional and space-saving design allows it to be mounted on any wall or cabinet, dispensing grocery bags used by your household. Dimensions(WxHxD) - 6.6 x 15.6 x 3.5 Recycling, Kitchen organization, organize

Donna, from GarbageGifts. com, shared this craft which shows you how to transform a handful of plastic grocery bags into a great pumpkin. Materials Needed.

Scissors Instructions. Cut the paper towel tube to about 5 long. Take about 3 pieces of newspaper, lay them in a single layer, and fold them over until they're about 2 wide by the length of the paper. Glue ends to secure the folded pieces of newspaper. Make about 6 folded strips. Set aside. Take the bags, at the center of the bottom, and pull through your fingers to make it 'flatter'. Glue each bag, from the center bottom with the handles up, next to each other all the way around the paper towel tube, about 3 from the top. This combination should resemble a pompom. Begin gluing the strips of newspaper to the tube, starting at about 3 from the top. They should be over the glued ends of the plastic bags. Wrap the strips around the tube, gluing as you go around. When you get to the end of one newspaper strip, add another piece so they are end to end. Now, pull each bag down by the handles, over the newspaper rib, to the bottom of the tube and then stuff the handles up into the tube. Repeat this for all of the paper bags. As you pull down more plastic bags, it gets a bit harder to stuff the handles into the tube so Donna suggests using the end of a pen to shove them in. To finish your grocery bag pumpkin, pinch and slightly fold in the top of the tube with your fingertips. This will be the stem of your pumpkin. Paint the pumpkin (grocery bags) orange. Stain the stem with green paint that has been mixed with water to give it a more realistic look.

Yoko Wang, owner of Toshio's Teriyaki in Rainier Valley, is not too worried about a possible ban on Styrofoam clamshells in Seattle. She's confident that biodegradable containers to keep her broiled, boneless chicken hot will be available by the time the city mandates the switch in July 2010. She was shocked, however, to hear the ban would extend to plastics, right down to each chili-sauce container and fork. "Everybody is going to have to use chopsticks," Wang said after her Monday lunch rush. "I can give lessons." Today, the City Council will hold a public hearing on Mayor Greg Nickels' proposal to ban foam at restaurants and grocery stores, and impose a 20-cent fee for each disposable paper and plastic bag used in the checkout line at all grocery, convenience and drugstores. Both are likely to gain council approval. Even if it's costly, Nickels says shoppers, consumers and businesses need to do right by the environment. Council President Richard Conlin, who helped draft the plan, said the changes are needed because "we know about the environmental problems caused by plastic in the middle of the Pacific, to the plastic that clogs our drains, to the litter we find on our streets. Here's a chance to do something where there are excellent substitutes available." The city modeled the bag fee on a similar program in Ireland that reduced plastic-bag use by 90 percent. Portland and several cities in California have already banned foam food containers. The proposals before the council follow a series of laws the city has adopted to reduce the amount of trash Seattle sends to an Oregon landfill. Recycling aluminum, paper and glass has been mandatory at most homes since 2006, and if residents don't comply, the garbage gets left on the curb. Nickels recently issued an executive order ending the purchase of all bottled water by city departments. Starting in April, all single-family homes will be required to recycle food scraps. Grocery-store associations oppose the bag fee, saying it should extend to all retail stores. With rising food prices, now is not the time to add to the consumer's grocery bill, representatives have said at council meetings. Councilmember Bruce Harrell wonders why plastic bags aren't added to the list of items that households must recycle. Residents recycle 13 percent of all plastic bags, according to the city. Some have questioned why the city would require low-income families to pay for disposable bags. The city plans to distribute some reusable bags for free at least one per household. "I still want questions asked on the impact on low-income people and small businesses," said Harrell, who has not taken a position on the bag fee or the foam ban. "The challenge is when you ask difficult questions some want to view it as environmentally unfriendly." The foam ban would take effect in two stages. In January, foam products would be banned at restaurants and groceries, which could switch to plastic products. In July 2010, plastics would be banned and only biodegradable containers allowed. The city estimates a restaurant would have to pay 10 cents more for a compostable food container. Cups would cost 5 cents more. Wang, who has run Toshio's in Rainier Valley for the past seven years, says she understands the city's desire to preserve the environment. "We have to cooperate for global warming." She is not sure whether she would raise her prices to pay for more expensive biodegradable containers. "Everything is going up chicken, beef. That is the hard part. I don't know what I should do." Several customers said Monday they would be willing to pay another dime to protect the environment. "It might drive up costs in the short run but it will be worth it in the long run," said Genghis Navarro, who was standing in line. The price of the chicken teriyaki, according to the sign on the wall, is $5.71. According to another sign, prayer is free.

Crafter Amanda turns simple plastic grocery bags into tote bags, wallets, floor cushions, and waterproof liners for beach bagsby fusing them together with an iron. Cut, flatten and layer six to eight bags on the ironing board, place parchment paper over them, and iron the whole stack to meld it into a useful, reusable thicker plastic for sewing together every which way. See the post for examples of what you can do with the stuff. Don't forget you can also crochet grocery bags, too.

One of the hottest trends -- that's the word, like it or not -- in the country right now is BYOGB, "bringing your own grocery bags." It has gone so far that designers like Natthakur London have been driven to make handbags that resemble the carriers of our supermarket deliciousness. Check out this leather grocery bag with old-school stripes. According to the website, it was voted Number 1 in the "50 Best Christmas Gifts for Women" in the

Tags. groceries, grocery bags, GroceryBags, leather, leather bags, leather handbags, LeatherBags, LeatherHandbags, natthakur london, NatthakurLondon, shopping