Paper or Plastic?

I know the perfect answer is, No Thanks, I brought my own. But, I've been to the grocery a gazillion times after the stores started selling reusable bags and I can't say I have seen more than 2 people actually use reusable bags for their groceries. I have reusable bags but I have gone to the grocery a lot of times when I either forgot my bags or I only had 2 bags when the groceries I bought required at least 5. I normally would then go with paper because I thought it is the more environmentally friendly alternative. But then I happened on this article:

http://www.greenfeet.net/newsletter/debate.shtml

and now it's looking like paper is no better than plastic. So, I'm throwing this poll out there just to see what everybody else thinks.

I use paper because most of the time I find other uses for the thicker paper. --Josh

I have two reusable bags but I never remember to bring them, and most of the time, my groceries use up more than two bags. I use paper if they give you the option but sometimes I'm stuck using plastic. :(

i like the plastic because i use them as garbage bags.

I'll use plastic on occasion, because I do recycle the bags as trash can liners, but I normally bring in my store bought bags because I tend to bag my own items. I'm too particular for them. O_o

We usually get the plastic bags, and find uses for them after we get home.

Reusable :D

After I unload the groceries at home I put them right back in my truck, so I never can use the excuse that I forgot them ;)

Plastic for me.

paper! why because plastic is bad!
alot of paper bags are made of recycled paper.
plus its renewable
plastic is made from an oil product and they are almost never made from recycled plastic, plus if they get tossed or blow away the do not biodegrade

I just got home from getting groceries at Wal-Mart. I normally don't grocery shop there but it was the only one open at 11PM. I got my reusables but had more groceries than can fit in the bag, so I asked for paper and the lady said, paper what?. I said, paper bags. And she said, I don't think we sell those. And I'm like, no, I want my groceries bagged in paper bags. And she said, Oh, we don't do that here.

There's only plastic in Wal-Mart! Interesting...

I use reusable bags, most of which I've made and used for years but I do have a few of those ones you can buy at the grocery store too. What I like best to use is these plastic crates that my grocery store sells too. The carts fit 5 of them so you can get a huge load but only have to transfer 4 or 5 crates from the cart to the car to the house. It's easy to put them away without unpacking too.

As a pp said I also put the bags/totes right back into the car once I'm done unpacking.

We use plastic because I reuse them as snake room trash liners, dog poop p/u bags, to wrap baggies of frozen rodents so that you can't see them in the freezer, etc.

I never ask for anything different than what they give me.

HOWEVER Nothing beats the almighty Paper Bag IN a Plastic Bag.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Little B-Py

i like the plastic because i use them as garbage bags.

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me too! I think of it as i'm recycling it by reusing it. Right? :weirdface

I ask for paper at the stores that have them, and recycle when finished. The plastic ones get used as trash bags, especially in our cars. Just hang a loop over the gearshift.

In the last few years I've become very conscious and recycle a lot of our waste. But I don't think I'll ever have it down to recycling all of it. Anyone got some recylcing tips that aren't obvious ones?

Yeah, don't ship things to places to have them recycled. Aside from low melting point metals it does more damage to the environment to have them driving around producing gases, chemically breaking things down, smoging up the atmosphere, etc. Make shift jobs are stupid :P

Penn and Teller's Bullhooey , season 3 I think.

I have reusable ones. I used to forget them, but then I just started keeping them in my car, so I always have them. When I'm done unloading the groceries, I just make sure to put them back in my car for next time.

Sometimes I'll use plastic bags, so I can reuse them for spot cleaning tubs or scooping the litter box.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shadera

I ask for paper at the stores that have them, and recycle when finished. The plastic ones get used as trash bags, especially in our cars. Just hang a loop over the gearshift.

In the last few years I've become very conscious and recycle a lot of our waste. But I don't think I'll ever have it down to recycling all of it. Anyone got some recylcing tips that aren't obvious ones?

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We love Hawaiian Punch! They come in 1 gallon plastic containers with a handle. When all the punch is gone, we rinse the plastic containers with bleach solution then put regular water from the tap in it and store it in the upstairs closet. We have a bunch of those lined up in there = at least 50 of them. When the aquarium needs filling, we use that water. We also use it for pet water including snake water bowls. Dunno if this is advisable though -I just heard from somewhere that if you let tap water age then those chemical additives become less harsh - or something like that. Then one time, my "Tim Allen" husband was digging up a trench and accidentally whacked the main water line! So, we didn't have water for 2 days... We used up all those water bottles for cooking, drinking, washing, and bathing. Anyway, we just rinse them out again and refill.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Oxylepy

HOWEVER Nothing beats the almighty Paper Bag IN a Plastic Bag.

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as a former bag boy, (fastest in tucson by the way) that is the worst thing to hear come out of a customers mouth....

well besides my son pooped on aisle 10.....

I've just started to grab paper bags lately from Meijers. They make wonderful cage liners, and I already had a bunch of plastic bags stored away.

I always use the plastic bags as small trash can liners and stuff like that. But I'm totally digging the paper bags as tub liners! Just like kraft paper! :D

we use paper and then reuse them the next time we go. It's like a free reusable bag, the best of both worlds

I went to the reptile store yesterday to get a bunch of stuff and the lady bagged it in a reusable cloth/nylon/polyester/dunno-really bag!!! I was very impressed!

I like the plastic bags... They get reused anyway in my house... After all the groceries have been put away, we use the bag as garbage bags for those small garbage cans in the bathrooms, and store the others in a little shelf.