Community Chat

[suzyQ3]

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@Cakers3 wrote:

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@suzyQ3 wrote:

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@Cakers3 wrote:

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@suzyQ3 wrote:

Dumb question here: We have a ban on plastic bags here at check-out. I bring my own bags. But in the produce dept, they have plastic bags that are labeled with a 4 inside that recycling icon.

Does anyone else have those in their stores? If they're recyclable, why isn't the plastic that was used for packing also recyclable? Is it because they needed to be stronger and so that precluded recycling them?

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@suzyQ3Not a dumb question but a very important one.

We select our produce by hand; we don't buy bagged fruits/veggies and certainly not bagged salads and such.  I was to see the underside of the products but most importantly it's less styrofoam, one of the worst.

If the plastic has the icon with a number, then it is recyclable.  Unfortunately I think people don't realize it and just toss with the regular trash.

People think of recylcing plastics as grocery bags, plastic containers such as laundry soap containers, etc.

The plastic packaging has good points in terms of keeping the produce more sanitary and those little packages of things like carrot sticks are appealing to kids for lunch boxes.

But the plastic also can also be a breeding ground for any produce already contaminated with e-coli or other nasty things while being transported.

It's a no-win situation.  The best one can do is decide if the higher price of bagged produce is worth it.

Also, I can see why meat is bagged in plastic because of the juice run off.

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@Cakers3, sorry that I didn't see your reply earlier. Just to be clear, the majority of my produce purcases are loose, not pre-packaged or bagged, although the latter seems to becoming more prominent in my supermarket.

The bags that I was referring to are those that you pull down to put your loose produce in. They are marked as recyclable, so I wondered why the ones no banned at checkout for carrying can't be as well.

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@suzyQ3   Ahh ok.  I see the ones you mean.  Good question and it would seem that they will also be banned eventually.  I think it will take longer, though, because it is easier for people to bag produce in terms of check out-weighing is faster, imo.

It would be hard to buy loose and not bag, something like mushrooms, although those should go into a paper bag anyway.

There are produce bags one can buy for shopping instead of using the pull down bags.

Maybe those need to be advertised more?

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@Cakers3, I'm wondering the reason that if they're labeled as recyclable, they should be banned.

One major problem, on a different note, is those items that are recyclable but have labels attached that are not. Sometimes those labels are stuck on for life. :-(

[PodyPo]

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@Anonymous032819 wrote:

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@Peaches McPhee wrote:

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@proudlyfromNJ wrote:

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@on the bay wrote:

Does anyone have cats here?

Or young babies with diapers?

I always re-use the plastic bags for things like that.

I use the Breeze system with the pads underneath and put them in the plastic bags then in the larger can.

I don't know what I would do without them.

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@on the bay   I save my grocery store bags for my niece who lives in Massachusetts for the cat litter. They are banned there.

But I am hearing they are going to be banned in NY soon.

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Plastic shopping bags will be banned in New York State in April 2020.  My husband and I use them for so many things -- including cat litter.  We are stock piling.

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They make waste basket trash bags, which is about the same size as the shopping bags.

You can always use the waste basket bags for the kitty litter.

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I get these, use them in three small wastbaskets and then empty and recycle the bags. Nothing icky ever goes in them so I can do that and use them 10 weeks or more before they get tossed.

I use grocery store plastic bags for litter, but even my high end grocery bags leak like sieves. I am looking for a better solution for litter. If anyone has ideas, I am listening. Would like to stop getting plastic bags altogether.

[Cakers3]

@PodyPo   There are eco-friendly pet disposal bags-biodegradable, compostable.

You can search Amazon for them. 

[sissel]

I got those insulated bags from QVC (TSV) different sizes leave them in the car, big bag is for frozen & refridge food another for other items. Az, gets HOT and grocery shopping those bags are great just take the plastic bags & put them into the Q's bags less trips from car to house. I love those totes. I can get 3-4 grocery bags into a tote. It's the Calif. Innovations brand. 

[sissel]

My grocery store sells wine/beer etc... they provide us with canvas bags if you buy 6 of the same item you get 10% off, I drink wine & do buy cheap bottles so notice I have a few of these bags, I bring them back to refill which I don't need to do but want to recycle my bags. So one day looking at the bags that have 6 pockets is now my new cleaning bag. I put bathroom cleaners, windex, etc... I just carry this bag into the room I need to clean and I have all of it without running under the kitchen sink cabinet. I also am thinking of using these bags as garden bags, my gloves, shears, fertilizer sticks. Still am amazed they don't charge us for these bags. They aren't the best quality but serves the purpose of carrying 6 bottles of wine or 6 bottles of my cleaning items. 

[lovesrecess]

Almlost all of the plastic bags stores use now are recycled plastic...seems like each time something is recycled it gets weaker and thinner...double-bagging seems to defeat the whole purpose of saving bags, doesn't it? There was major opposition to the huge WM they built not far from our neighborhood...we didn’t want it because of the traffic, congestion, and loitering problems at all hours in the parking lot that they allow. Bingo! It has been open for business about three years now...and everything we warned about has come to pass....along with huge potholes in their parking lot that they don’t maintain...and the tractor trailers and RV overnight parking lot that is there every night with the full knowledge and blessing of management. Shopping carts are stolen by the dozens and are abandoned at nearby bus stops and apartments. Walmart as a neighbor=train wreck.

[50Mickey]

I agree Cakers. Some states have already moved to ban these plastic bags. it's just a matter of time before all staes ban them. In Chicago retailers charge 7 cents per bag to discourage the use of plastic bags. If I buy a dress in Macy's I pay for the bag.  

[suzyQ3]

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@50Mickey wrote:

I agree Cakers. Some states have already moved to ban these plastic bags. it's just a matter of time before all staes ban them. In Chicago retailers charge 7 cents per bag to discourage the use of plastic bags. If I buy a dress in Macy's I pay for the bag.  

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@50Mickey, online purchases should also be required to use recyclable bags. As it stands right now, some do and some don't.

[VanSleepy]

@sissel  I do the same thing with those liquor bottle bags.  I also have one on the inside doorknob of my coat closet holding umbrellas.

[SharkE]

I just saw a commercial where it said robots was coming to Walmart.

Maybe they will be more helpful then the associates. LOL