veggies, plastic, and guilt

[hlao23]

We buy lots of fresh fruits and veggies whenever we shop. I have guilt about the plastic bags in which we put the produce.

I've switched to canvas bags to carry the groceries in but am not sure what to do about the produce bags. Just throwing everything into the cart doesn't seem like the way to go. Does anyone have any ideas?

[kwormann]

Well, we do just put most things in the cart, so as to not use the plastic bags. If we remember, we do take our canvas bags to carry the groceries home in.

kim

[RobinC]

What about recycling/reusing small paper bags? I generally try to use paper bags rather than plastic bags when buying produce. They are usually by the heavy produce - apples, potatoes, onions, etc.

[AndreaU]

I never use the plastic produce bags. I always use canvas bags (for which one supermarket gives us 5 cents per bag). As I shop for produce, I load it all into one or two of the canvas bags. At the checkout, I have to unload it and repack it, but I don't mind and I've never had a complaint from the cashiers.

[luv2cook]

a lot of grocery stores accept the plastic back. I personally use my plastic for cat litter

[funnybone]

I find the plastic that holds the vegetables and fruit to be very thin, so I have no guilt in using it. It is there for that purpose. I figure everyone else uses it and it never occurred to me not to use it. Oh well, I guess this is an area where I lack "environment friendly" habits.

One store in our area weighs everything at the produce section and places the bar code price on it, so you have to use the plastic bags, even for 1 onion, etc. I don't go there that often though.

[This message has been edited by funnybone (edited 05-20-2001).]

[ElinorC]

Paper is made from trees so I don't feel guilty about using plastic.

[makedah]

Plastic is made from petroleum, right? I feel worse about using it because its a non-renewable resource. Plus, it's not biodegradeable. They are, however, reuseable. And some grocery stores have a tub that they use to collect old ones.

You can use paper lunch bags to separate/weigh produce. Or you can recycle the plastic bags you use. I only use the plastic bags for wet stuff (green onions, etc.) or things that would otherwise roll all over the cart.

[emilycat]

All of the stores around here recycle the bags used to collectively bag your items at checkout, so I don't feel particularly bad about those -- I do, however, always tell them not to double-bag anything, and if I find that they're not using all the bag space efficiently, I start putting more items in there myself http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
As for the produce bags, I avoid using them when I can; I never use them for bananas, eggplant, lemons and limes, peppers, or any item I'm just getting one of.
I never use paper bags because I love trees. (And I always print out recipes on both sides of the paper http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif )

[ewatkins]

I just reuse the plastic produce bags by taking them back to the store with me--I keep them with my double bagged paper bags which I take to the store. I also rinse and dry them, then use to line my compost "jar", use for pooper scooping the back yard, etc.

[Mbart]

This is a timely post for me, because this really great new grocery just opened by me, and I feel really guilty about their plastic grocery bags. They are WAY too nice for groceries; I mean, they are super heavy, colored, printed, and they hardly put anything in them before they start with a new one! Not to mention the fact that they are really big; a small family could live in one! I can't just take them home and throw them away; what a huge waste!! So, I'm starting a little pile and sincerely hope they'll take them back.

[kwormann]

As far as the plastic bags used for BAGGING the grogeries, we reuse these in several ways. They are very good for cleaning out kitty litter, and I use them as my lunch bag and use ine several times before tossing it. We also use them in small trash cans.

Kim

[Liz K]

I don't reuse the produce bags, but I do reuse the plastic grocery bags to line my trashcans at home.

As many have mentioned, stores in many areas have barrels out front to collect your used bags. I don't know what they do with them though. If that is not an option in your area, you might see if a food bank can use them. When I was growing up, my mother saved all the plastic (and paper before plastic became more popular) bags to take to the local food bank.

[This message has been edited by Liz K (edited 05-20-2001).]

[makedah]

one more thing...

I reuse plastic produce bags to hold 'yucky' food that I think might make the trashcan too stinky or wet otherwise or draw fruit flies, like banana peels or raw chicken.

I can NEVER remember to take my old grocery bags back to the store for reuse. However, I use paper bags to hold my recycling.

I have one canvas tote for shopping, I'd like to have more.

[funnybone]

My sons kindergarten class received a "bench" in their playground area that was made out of recycled grocery store plastic bags. I have not guilt using these bags as I do recycle. This is proof they are put to a good cause.

[luv2cook]

I do, however, always tell
them not to double-bag anything, and if I find that they're not using all the bag
space efficiently, I start putting more items in there myself

Oh, I'm worse. I don't let them sack my stuff at all. I got sick and tired of 500 bags for $50 worth of groceries and/or my cold being in with my cans or my cat litter in with my cheese so I just do it myself. PLUS I am 100 times faster than the sackers and can keep up with the checker. (I worked in a store before and during college)

[BlueMoose]

I only use the plastic produce bags for stuff like lettuce, green onions, etc.

Another way to reuse plastic grocery bags...places like thrift stores always need them. I also know of a natural pet store and an antique store around here that reuse bags.

[hlao23]

Thanks everyone for all the info.

Kim and Andrea - I'll try both ways and see which works best for me. I had wondered if the cashiers would be irritated if I tried those methods. It's good to know that they work out okay.

funnybone - I had always been suspicious (even if I can't spell it) of stores recycling plastic bags. It's good to know that they actually do get reused.

Emily - How funny! I also make sure I use both sides of printer paper whenever possible. My office drives me nuts! We print out copy after copy of reports for various people to proofread and then just throw them away. I used to keep the paper to reuse, but I could not possibly need to print out that many recipes. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Julie O]

Something to keep in mind--The plastic bags for produce are NOT (usually) made of the same plastic as the plastic grocery bags. The grocery bags have a recycle code 1. The produce bags are usually a 4, although in rare occassions a store will us the code 1. The code 1 produce bags are very flimsy and tear very easily. You cannot recycle the plastic produce bags in the grocery bag container at your store unless the produce bags have a 1 recycle code. The code 4 cannot be recycled. If you put a bag filled with code 4 into the code 1, you are potentially contaminating the whole bin when it's processed. (If they don't catch it when it's unloaded.) Then, you're undoing the efforts of everyone who put bags into that bin.

[Kelli Kerrigan]

Where does Saran Wrap fall into all of this?
For those concerned about the produce plastic bags, do you use Saran Wrap? Just a thought............

I don't use the produce bags, yet I do use Saran Wrap. I also use the grocery bags for my garbage bags. As a single person, I normally only have two little bags of garbage a week. Sick, huh?

[hlao23]

I do have plastic wrap but use it only rarely. I try to use tupperware as often as possible (I know, I know - also plastic but I owned it before I thought about such things).

We buy a specific brand of garbage bags made from a high percentage of post-consumer plastic.

[funnybone]

There was a discussion about re-using plastic bags/wraps a while ago. I'll see if I can find it-

Here it is:
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/005889.html

[Julie O]

Saran Wrap is low density polyethylene, code 4. Hmm...or is it polypropylene, code 3?? Either way, you can't recycle it.

[Anne]

I try and limit my use of plastic bags and reuse the ones I do get as much as possible. I usually take my day pack to the grocery store and pack that at the check-out. It is much more comfortable to carry a load in the pack than in plastic bags.

[tammy/MN]

here in minnesota, most grocery stores make you bag your own, which at first i hated! but now i hate going to the fancy ones that bag them for you. at cub foods, they sell boxes to put your groceries in for .75$ & they usually last me a year. i try to only use one plastic bag in produce for all the little ones, put them separate on the convayer belt, then put them back in the same one.

i always use the plastic ones from target in my bathroom trash can, or for cushions when mailing something breakable. i hate getting the ink on my hands from the newspaper!