I live near a certain grocery store which has stopped supplying plastic bags. Instead, they sell ones made of polyester fiber. Well, polyester is not very biodegradable. The bags may be reusable but they are so bulky when folded up that you can barely fit them in a large jacket pocket. Suppose you don’t have a car and you don’t carry a purse, being a man and all, you aren’t going to be carrying a couple of those around with you all the time like you would with the old plastic ones. So what happens is that they pile up. You start using them as garbage bags but they keep coming too fast to get thrown out at an equal rate. Now you have a few of these bags filled up with a bunch more of the bags. So now you have to start doubling or tripling them up as garbage bags. I think you get the point. They are even more trouble than they are worth.
I can find biodegradable non-woven shopping bags on Alibaba for 2-6 cents each. So why am I paying a dollar each for these bulky monstrosities? How much does the store REALLY pay for them, and if it’s more than 6 cents then why? I really think they make most of their money from these expensive bags. Why not a choice? You can have the dollar bags or you can have the 10 cent bags (after markup). All I know is that I have awfully expensive garbage bags right now, and not liking it one little bit. —Jim
This article appears in Feb 16-22, 2012.
http://grist.files.wordpress.com/2006/08/g…
You are so… DUMB! You’re actually worried about your level of manliness being effected by carrying around grocery bags? Learn to fold the damn things, they certainly fit in my pocket. I can’t believe you would use those as garbage bags either, of course they’re worse for the environment when you throw them out, they’re not supposed to be thrown out! Grow a set and stop being so insecure about being a dude who’s hungry!
epic enviro scam..thanx greenies
well that and ew.. they’re made of soft fiber. So imagine if a chicken leaks in that and you reuse it for fresh fruit. Hello salmonella…
You have to wash them to keep that kind of crap from happening. Which uses water.
The plastic bags (at least in my house) get reused for garbage. Instead I now buy bigger white bags that are larger than the can they go in. And so there is a waste of plastic anyway.
Saying it’s a scam is an understatement.
thecaptain you don’t use plastic grocery bags for garbage??
Weird..
Of course I use plastic garbage bags for garbage. What I don’t do is use re-useable bags for garbage bags. You know, the ones that cost a $1.00.
“Plus it’s not a purse, it’s called a satchel. Indiana Jones wears one.” – Alan
“Suppose you don’t have a car and you don’t carry a purse, being a man and all, you aren’t going to be carrying a couple of those around with you all the time like you would with the old plastic ones.”
“I can find biodegradable non-woven shopping bags on Alibaba for 2-6 cents each.”
What a lot of people don’t seem to get is that the old plastic bags are just as re-usable as the ones they are selling for a buck. So, here’s a novel idea, ya brainwave…how about you buy the cheaper biodegradable non-woven shopping bags you mentioned and keep a few in your jacket pocket. They compress down to nothing and aren’t bulky at all, as you’ve mentioned. That way, you always have bags with you and you can get the cashiers to pack them with your groceries instead of buying the polyester ones. OR…better yet, when you go shopping at another store, (ANY store, not necessarily ‘grocery’) keep THOSE plastic bags and it doesn’t cost you a cent.
It’s really not of a hard concept to grasp.
Sorry, that should read: “It’s really not THAT hard of a concept to grasp.”
Jim, re-use and recycle.
It is very manly.
And there you have it.
“It’s Italian!” – Jerry
donk, i love that guy http://clothesonfilm.com/wp-content/upload…
I thought everyone was aware that this superstore was a scam and avoided it. If they were really trying to help the environment they wouldn’t be charging > 400% markup on the bags which carry their products (all of which are packaged in plastic).
i know this can’t be joe howe stupid store, they give them for free. scbeys, well i don’t know about them. and no shills, well they are just fucking shitty.
Just steal the bags and say it’s recycling
You can get the kind that squish up really small…
this one manly enough for you?
http://www.lovegroverepucci.com/images/Col…
You can also make your own by fusing plastic bags together, like this :http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/9025/upcy…
if you are truly a MAN… and you don’t have a car… then you must not have that much money… and so without money, no chance at landing a girl anyways….
so forget about appearing all manly and just carry the bags…
in your purse,… sissy.
oh shit… next up is going to be the designer grocery bag phase isn’t it?
ed hardy, chanel, louis vuitton grocery bags
yack.
I’m surprised Coach hasn’t tossed it’s hat in the ring, because, OBVIOUSLY there is a serious lack of designer, $400 multi-use shopping bags out there.
Why not just keep carrying around plastic bags like you said you used to do? You can get them in other stores…
The concept here is have reusable bags to cut down on the number of plastic bags going into the landfill. Regular plastic bags do not break down expediantly and this effort is to get people reuse at the grocery store.
You don’t repeat don’t use them as garbage bags, that defeats the whole purpose. You’re also saying that it’s problematic and unmanly to carry them in your hand on the way to the store?
Why does being earthwise bring out the laziness and stupity in people?
I always get a kick out of these grocery stores going all eco friendly with the trendy bags or charging for plastics to reduuce waste…because last I checked wasn’t plastic recyclable?? Mundo scammage.