apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I go for paper simply because I'm sick of seeing plastic bags blowing around, getting stuck in trees and bushes, and just generally looking ugly.

I can re-use either paper (for recycling newspapers and covering books) or plastic (for just about anything else), so I'm evenly divided. I rarely throw either of them out. I used to have a large stash of plastic bags because I used them for cleaning the cat litter box. But since I've switched to reusable bags (Envirosax) for groceries, my supply has dwindled to almost nothing. Instead, I've ordered (and just received yesterday) Biobags. We'll see how those go. They're a little small to aim the cat crap into, but maybe I'll just get more skilled.

I don't take either. With all the reusable totes out there, and many folding up into tiny envelopes in a purse or pocket, there's no reason anymore to take a bag from the store.

I use my backpack when I can, carry items if I can't, and use paper if none of the above works.

I actually can't remember the last time I was given the choice. Every place I go to just uses plastic.

Whenever I plan to go out shopping, I bring reusable bags. When I go shopping on the spur of the moment, and I don't have one with me, I try to just pick up a few items and use no bag at all.

But as to which one is better if you had to choose, the debate on EcoGeek brought up some good points. While plastic does use less energy up front, it's not a renewable resource. And paper easily biodegrades at the end of its useful life.

Has anyone done a study on bioplastics, such as those made from corn? How does it compare to paper and plastic in the energy used to make and ship, how well does it biodegrade, etc?

Plastic bags are essentially garbage before they are used the first time. I question the value of any product that will outlive my grandchildren, but cannot be passed down to them as an heirloom. Yikes! that's most things!

I recently heard a story from a friend about his house cat who got caught inside a plastic bag. Kitty did a few hundred dollars worth of damage to the house in a panic and cost his beloved human a visit to the people vet to treat a nasty bite wound. This is a problem for wildlife, too, when our plastic bags don't make it to the dump. I guess those warning labels are only for human safety.

We can talk all day about the consumer's responsibility to choose wisely, but I applaud Whole Foods for taking responsibility as a merchant. In my experience, European grocery stores do not provide any free bags. Bring your own or buy a reusable bag in the impulse section before the checkout lane.

i get weird looks every time i say i don't need a bag, or put one store's purchases in with another store's purchases, or pull a bag from my purse to use instead of a new one.

i'm not 100% vigilent about the bag thing - but i do notice the almost robotic way we go about these things in retail environments - i'm not even talking about grocery shopping, which is its own animal!

however, i would never pass up getting a shopping bag from a department store, cuz those things last forever and always help me lug stuff around.

I tend towards plastic when I fail to bring my totes with me.

I have a much easier time recycling plastic bags where I live, and I can reuse the plastic bags in more ways. One of which I have undertaken is knitting extra plastic bags into a reusable tote bag that can then be recycled.

I'll choose paper if I have to. I'll always reuse them.
As for refusing bags at the store... I was shopping at Century 21 and said I didn't need a bag for my new purchase (just a couple pairs of socks!) I wanted to just put it into the bag I already had, but they refused! They forced me to take a plastic bag and stapled the receipt to it. When I made a fuss, a big security guy came over and forced me to take the plastic bag. He said I wasn't allowed to take merchandise out of the store if it wasn't in a Century 21 bag. Even after I paid for it! Sounds like a TERRIBLE policy to me. They made me feel criminal.

I take plastic, b/c then I can reuse it as a trash can bag. It's hard to reuse paper bags, unless you use them to store and then throw away your paper recycling. It used to be I had no end of plastic bags to use for trash, but after I started diligently bringing a cloth bag to the grocery store my supply quickly dwindled.

kkf,

i cannot believe they actually enforced that! silly policies, boring old convention, bad judgement.... ok, NO judgement.

i would've offered to walk out of the store with my hands up in the air, one hand clutching the purchase, the other clutching the receipt - a la "hands where i can see em!" because you're obviously a thief ;)

We re-use our grocery store paper bags as trash receptacles. They're sturdy enough to stand up on their own without the need for a plastic garbage bin. Whenever possible I try to avoid plastic bags since, as others have posted, I too often see them snagged on tree branches high above human reach.