On 5/3/2016 8:07 AM, HerHusband wrote:

[plastic "grocery bags"]

We take ours back to the grocery store. Personally, I would be happy if
they did away with the plastic bags and went back to paper. The plastic
bags always seem to break or have holes in them. And I could reuse or
recycle the paper bags.

We visit many stores in a typical shopping day. We use a reusable bag
at two of them -- lined with a paper bag (that we obtain from a third).
As it's always hot, here, we carry one or two coolers with us (even though
we're close to home). So, anything refrigerated or frozen goes straight
into a cooler -- no bags needed.

Most other things are large enough to not need a bag of their own
(e.g., a 12pack of grinder rolls, a 30 pack of toilet paper, etc.).
We keep an oversized milk crate (it's "rectangular" instead of "square")
in the back of the vehicle which we use to transport the larger items
and keep them from jostling around in transit.

We use the flimsy plastic bags when we purchase flour or sugar as
we wrap the sacks of flour/sugar with these bags prior to storing
them in the freezer. (I buy flour in 50lb lots -- usually when it is
on sale)

Every few weeks, the paper grocery bag "liner" that we use in the reusable
bag ends up with a "fatal tear". So, we'll replace ONE with the *one*
paper bag that we collect on that week's shopping trip and toss the
torn one in the recycling container

I frequently see those plastic shopping bags blowing around in town, caught
in tree branches or stuck to fences. Such a shame for something that won't
degrade in the environment.

Yup. And, they often get "sucked" out of trash bins in the neighborhood.

What I find most annoying is folks who will buy one little thing -- and want
it in a bag. Sheesh, it's already IN its *own* bag, why do you need
yet another?

Stores used to ask if you wanted paper or plastic, but the last several
years they don't even ask and just use plastic. For a while I asked for
paper, but they acted annoyed and often didn't have any at the register
anyway.

The place from which we obtain our ONE paper bag each week always wants
to double bag -- because the handles tear off the bags! So, *I* opt to
do the bagging and then just grab the bag from the bottom as we leave;
no need to discard TWO paper bags!

We did switch to reusable shopping bags for a while, but just stopped doing
it at some point. I don't remember why, probably just laziness.

We keep ours in the back of the car (stored in that milk crate). So, all
we have to do is remember to take them out before we head into the store.
Otherwise, it's a hundred foot walk BACK to the car to retrieve it...