Here's the deal. I like cloth shopping bags. I've been a fan ever since I lived in Germany, where you have to buy your shopping bags whether you want cloth or plastic. I actually have a large stash of cloth bags from my days in Germany, and I use them all the time for different things. Never for shopping, though. I like getting plastic grocery bags because I use them for my small trash cans around the house. It seems crazy to use cloth bags and then buy trash bags--then I'm still not cutting down on the use of plastic, plus I'm spending more money.
So. If I ditch the plastic grocery bags and use cloth, what am I supposed to do for my small trash cans?
18 comments:
Maybe you're supposed to use cloth trash bags, too, and then just wash them after each use. Conserve plastic by wasting water!
We use the plastic bags for trash around our house, but I always find we have more than we need. So maybe alternate between using the cloth and the plastic. Or maybe use your produce bags around the house?
We run out of bags long before we run out of trash. (Thank Madeline.)
I'm a fan of the grocery bag trash liner! I only use the cloth bags at Sunflower Market because they gave them to me for free and then they pay me to use them.
There's no way to win. Let your cloth bags stay in the corner as an ode to environmentally savvy Germans (and Austrians). Or stick them in your car to let people passing by see them and admire "how environmentally conscious she is!" And we run out of plastic bags way before we get them, too. I can't help but be done with being environmentally conscious because just by breathing I'm killing something, not to mention bringing all my kids into the world. But don't worry, i do recycle. I could tell you were worried until I said that.
I thought I had the same dilemma, but Elise convinced me to try the cloth shopping bags.
I got a roll of small size trash bags at the dollar store, they even smell "good". I don't always remember the cloth bags or use them if I am just getting a few things, so I get some plastic bags to use in the trash too.
I do like to use the cloth for shopping because they are bigger and stronger, so instead of using 20 plastic bags, I use about 5 cloth bags. Lots easier to carry into the house.
OK, remind me to get the cloth bags and I'll do a little of both. I have plenty of plastic grocery bags if you need any.
I do like being environmentally sound.
I have come to terms with the fact that having small children is rarely compatible with being environmentally friendly. I recycle what I can...unless my recycling bin is full and I'm too lazy to take it to the big bins in the garage, then I just throw recyclables in the garbage. Is that bad? I try to limit my plastic bags and use fabric ones instead...but then again I use about a million wet wipes a day...for things like washing hands/faces/ tables/stains...things that I could totally use a cloth for. But then I'd have to wash that- Wow, apparently I had a lot to say about this. So I say do whatever works best for you.
I'm with Dave. Use the cloth bags in the trash cans and them wash them. Can't be more gross than cloth diapers.
I've recently actually found a few different brands of biodegradable diapers as well as cloth/reusable diapers... Of course I've never tried them and am really interested in hearing what real users think. I know this is about garbage bags... but that could cut down on Madeline waste, thus creating less need for garbage bags. In our babyless family, if I were to compost (don't do it yet, but hoping to start soon) and recycle (do it and use my plastic bags for it) everything I can, we produce one, maybe two grocery bags worth of garbage a week. That's not that much. With all that we come out even on the grocery bags receiving and using. I figure if I'm reusing that plastic bag at least once, that's a success. Right?
Maybe we should empty the contents of Madeline's diapers onto our plants for fertilizer.
Works in third world countries to keep people healthy.
So many comments...and I must be the only greenie, but I NEVER have to use grocery bags for trash. If something's messy, like food or a diaper, I take it to the main trash which gets taken out more often, and other dry things like paper, tissues, etc. go in the small cans that I just periodically empty out and once in a blue moon may actually have to wash. Yikes, extra work.
I got my cloth bags from Sunflower for free because I went to the grand opening many moons ago. How fortuitous for me! :)
Wow! It is amazing how much people have to say about plastic bags. If you really want to be "green" you can use diaper pail liners and then just empty them into a larger garbage can and wash the liners. You could also go with a eco-friendly/recycled brand like 7th Generation.
I use reusable bags for my groceries but occasionally, like when I just need to run in for a few small items, I don't bring them. This is where I get my bags to reuse for small garbage cans.
Mary, I have to disagree with you in that it IS very possible to be "green" and be a mom of small children. I do it and I know many other moms of small children who do it. It just seems intimidating at first, just like cloth diapering seems really gross (it isn't, but I thought it would be before I tried it).
When Dave was a baby we used cloth diapers. We'd put them out weekly for the service to pick up. One night someone stole the week old bag of dirty diapers from our front porch - bet they regretted that.
no no dave, those things are quite valuable. People charge $8-10 for USED ones.
oh wait, but i'm guessing they weren't exactly BumGeniuses or Fuzzibunz, nevermind
I was just a little stressed leaving my 45 diapers at the laundromat to dry today,
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