Comments about ‘Officials urge shoppers to remember reusable bags’

I have used recycleable brown paper shopping bags for years and avoid the plastic ones when possible.
The local grocery store where I do most of my household shopping gives their customers the choice of paper or plastic. Choose paper whenever it is available.

"...Harmons stores have sold 89,000 bags in 2009 at $1 apiece. She adds that from May to August Harmons gave out just under $20,000 in reusable bag credits, which means 400,000 reusable bags were used. This means customers are paying $89,000 for reusable bags, but are only getting $20,000 back in savings."

The last sentence is misleading. Customers paid $89000 in 2009, and got $20000 in savings in 2009. Those same customers will continue to receive discounts in future years. At a cost of $1 and a discount of 5 cents per use, a bag will pay for itself in 20 uses.

Excellent program. Though it seems ironic that they are making useless products (e.g. magnets) to promote reducing the need for useless products (i.e. plastic bags). Also the math at the end seems a bit fuzzy. I believe it assumes a 100% profit of the $1 sales price of the reusable bag. Though it would be pretty cool if they grew naturally on trees and shipped themselves to the store.

Interestingly, China has banned plastic bags altogether.

They save tons of landfill space and polluting barrels of oil that way. And they help prevent all the litter caused by these bags blowing about and getting into the ocean, harming the birds and sea life.

Having lived in South Africa for a few years - they made it easy to remember your reusable bag by charging a few cents for each plastic bag you used -
worked like a charm.

Plastic grocery bags are recyclable in many areas (our curbside recycling in WVC takes them) so if you do forget your reusable bags, remember to recycle the plastic ones.

We started using cloth reusable bags for shopping more than 20 years ago. Still have some of the original bags in use. Over the years we have added more. Remembering them IS the biggest problem. We take them into the house and then forget to take then back to the car. Because of that over the year we have added to our bag collection. There are time though that we do use either paper or plastic. I like to have some used plastic bags around as I send people home with them with goodies that we make. The paper bags are reused for some trash. So, it not the end of the world if we forget our cloth bags but I like them best because they do not break and spill the groceries.

RE: recycling
why does WVC take plastic bags and the other municipalities only take #1, #2, or #3 plastics?

Keep in mind that there is more than one way to skin a cat. I always get plastic grocery bags (although I usually ask the bagger to fill them up all the way so I get fewer bags). I then use my plastic grocery bags in the trash cans around the house.

I have a neighbor who swears to me all the time about how environmentally wonderful her reusable grocery bags are. Yet I see her carrying out her garbage in white Hefty trash bags. What's the difference?

I "recycle" my plastic grocery bags by using them as trash bags. Others get reusable grocery bags and buy plastic bags for their trash. In the end, we both put about the same amount of plastic into the landfill, and I save a few bucks.

The merchandise that you buy at the store has a far bigger effect on the environment than the bag you carry it home in. Most people buy lots of stuff they don't really need. If you avoid needless purchases, you get the added bonus of not having to worry about what kind of bag you use to bring the stuff home in.

Another way to avoid plastic bags made from oil that take thousands of years to biodegrade, is to bring sturdy cardboard boxes with hand cut-outs to the store.

You can buy these at an office supply store or supermarket. They are often called Banker's Boxes. They are light and easy to reuse.

Start charging for the bags. Also, if you buy one or two items, decline the bag. If you have them, reuse them. These things are a huge problem.

Plastic bags are recycled into composite decking all over the country. What ever happened to paper bags? The energy used to make plastic bags in minor compared to what it takes to make all the processed food people buy.

I guess stores like Sams Club were ahead of their time. They never offered any kind of bags. I wonder will all these plastic products going into landfills become the oil of the future?

I pledge to help the environment by avoiding plastic shopping bags. (Does this mean I've been brainwashed by the president's socialist agenda?!!)

I don't know the details of why, but WVC recycling accepts all plastics #1-7.

work great for garabage...they are free and i love them.

I love how plastic grocery bags have become so controversial... I'll be sure to double bag from now on.

As Anonymous noted, the last paragraph is misleading. Not only will the users continue to use the bags, but they got back $20000 in just 3-4 months so would get back $60-80000 in just one year.

I've switched over and carry a big bundle of bags in my car. They are much easier to carry than plastic or paper anyway---just swing over my shoulder!