a peek inside the fishbowl

1 | Dagne

May 2nd, 2007 at 8:07 am

Love the bag Andrea! I have a huge pink straw bag that I got at an outdoor market in Montreal and a variety of (not so pretty but easy to stow) cloth bags collected from conferences over the years. I also use a plastic “bin shoppin” bin from Loblaws for when I have to carry really heavy stuff and am driving. I’ve been asked a few times by checkout clerks why I bother, which is frustrating.

2 | Marla

May 2nd, 2007 at 8:18 am

The big blue bags with the yellow letters spelling the name of the place that you can buy them from, which stars with I? I use those for groceries a lot, too.

3 | andrea

May 2nd, 2007 at 8:19 am

I have the plastic bins too. What annoys me is when (a) the cashiers ask me if I want my groceries packed in them. I’M NOT CARRYING THE BINS AROUND JUST FOR SHOW YOU KNOW.

(b) Many cashiers don’t pack the bins very well, with cans on top of bread etc. Does Loblaws not offer a grocery-packing workshop? Their lack of skill makes me look like That Crazy Lady Who Repacks Her Groceries. I’m sure they see me coming and close their registers.

4 | Porter

May 2nd, 2007 at 8:49 am

I use bins too, I find it so much faster to get through the cash and to unpack when I get home…if i’m walking then I have the stroller or wagon because my youngest is still young enough she can’t walk all the way.
I know you do WAY more than most people so this isn’t a slam (i swear) but what about the plastic bag your lettuce is in? They are bad too! I hate to use them because again, it’s a pain in the butt to unpack my stuff when I get home…but the cashiers ALWAYS put my loose apples in the little plastic bags…it drives me crazy!
I do draw the line with meat. I am a loonie toon when it comes to germs and stuff that I deem gross so I like my meat packed in plastic (even though it’s been packed on styrofoam and then wrapped in plastic)…I really prefer the paper that butchers use.

5 | Porter

May 2nd, 2007 at 8:49 am

oh and may i ask where you got your cool bag? i bet it’s another thrift find…i’m never as lucky as you.

6 | andrea

May 2nd, 2007 at 8:58 am

Tiggywinkles on Richmond Rd. !
BTW it’s made by Blue Q. (click and scroll down to “shoppers” to see other bag styles.)

7 | Anna

May 2nd, 2007 at 9:02 am

Hi, my name is Anna and I’m a bag-aholic! :-) i’ve been eyeing that bag at Tiggy’s for a while, but did in the end resist the temptation.

My favourite place for all kinds things reusable is:
http://www.reusablebags.com

Lots of Kleen Kanteen, Sigg bottles etc at great prices.

8 | andrea

May 2nd, 2007 at 9:08 am

Porter : I know what you mean re: the cello-type bag my lettuce is in. Lettuce is one of those things that’s hard to just plop in among the cereal boxes and cans of soup. I’ve actually been saving a few to reuse, but to be honest I haven’t actually done it. I am thinking about sewing a few small semi see-though baggies for this purpose and rewashing when necessary, but haven’t quite gotten to that point yet.

What I have been trying to do is reduce the amount of cello bags I use. So for example, if I’m buying a couple of lemons I won’t put them in a bag. I don’t take one for bananas either (and I have known people to put bananas in a baggie!) or if I’m just getting one or two peppers. If it’s a large amount of fruit (like 10 apples) or something that’s bulky and wet (like the lettuce) I will take one.

But I don’t get usually them for meat.

9 | kim

May 2nd, 2007 at 9:40 am

I love your bags!

I always use my reusable bags (the first generation, larger Loblaws grocery bags). What I love about them is that they have long shoulder straps so it is super easy to walk home from the grocery store with them.

10 | Kristina

May 2nd, 2007 at 10:09 am

If I didn’t have plastic grocery bags I wouldn’t have anywhere to put my garbage. We don’t use Glad – just the spare grocery bags.

I am slightly bummed out that those new Loblaws cloth bags are so small. Why couldn’t they have made a sensible sized “market” bag?

Love your new shopping bag though. Eco-friendly and stylin’! Nice!

11 | liss76

May 2nd, 2007 at 11:56 am

Nice bag!

Re: lettuce and other produce

I have four or five of those small cloth LCBO bags in my stash. They’re divided into four inner compartments that fit wine bottles. I often jam a few icepacks into one compartment and then (gently) put my zucchini, romaine lettuce, etc in the other three compartments. It works like a charm and keeps things from getting crushed.

I also use them for bottled milk and other bottled items.

And I kwym about the cashiers and their lack of packing skills. I tend to announce right away that I’d rather pack my own bags/boxes and make sure that I’ve placed things on the counter in the order I want to pack. Sometimes, if I see them picking stuff from wherever on the belt, I’ve even specifically requested that they scan things in the order they’ve been placed. I’ve gotten a few weird looks, but once they see how much faster and fuss-free the customer-packing experience is I’ve had some comment that it went really fast–usually (according to the cashiers) cloth bags and the boxes are a big hassle for them.

I don’t worry about placing meat in plastic bags, as all my shoppinbg bags are machine wash/dry. I generally put it in one of the cloth bags and then place it into a bin with my juice cans. (It never ever goes near fresh produce–that sort of thing freaks me out too.)

BTW, weren’t you surprised at how much stuff fits into those new little black Loblaws bags??

12 | Roz

May 2nd, 2007 at 12:00 pm

I would also like to know what others use for kitchen garbage bags. Does anyone buy ones that are biodegradable? Currently I “reuse” the bags from the grocery store…

13 | liss76

May 2nd, 2007 at 12:53 pm

Right now we use regular garbage bags. This is something I’ve been thinking about as well.

I’m considering going to a leak-proof kitchen garbage can, not lining it, and just emptying into our big outside garbage can (lined with a bag because, and I may be wrong, I think they have to be).

Garbage cans are pretty easy to wash out when needed–a bit of oxyclean, some hot water, a soak and a rinse is all I ever used for our cloth diaper pail (which was essentially a garbage can in construction).

14 | DaniGirl

May 2nd, 2007 at 1:01 pm

I can’t see the pix from here, but I’ve just started using those black bags from Loblaws and I am totally in LOVE with them! They hold way more than a plastic bag does, are easier to carry from the car, and don’t flop all over the back of the station wagon as I’m driving home. Most impressively (to me, at least) I’ve actually remembered to throw them back into the back of the car after every use, so I’ve actually had them with me when I went shopping. I’m so proud of me.

While the cashiers at my local Loblaws have proven themselves capable packers, the first day I bought them the very young cashier actually put my three bags INTO A PLASTIC BAG before I saw what she was doing and suggested she might want to pack some groceries into them.

15 | Patti

May 3rd, 2007 at 7:29 am

Look at it this way…

If you live in an apartment (as I do), you can reuse those plastic grocery bags for your garbage (they fit perfectly into the garbage chute) and avoid the cost and environmental impact of buying specially made garbage bags. I also reuse plastic garbage bags for cleaning my cat’s litter box, for carrying my lunch to work, for wrapping leaky stuff in the fridge, carrying odd items here and there, etc., etc., etc.

If you *really* wanted to make an environmental statement with your choice of shopping receptacles, you would eschew the expensive, store-bought, plastic-lined and decorated canvas bags for simple, undyed, home-made cloth or net bags made from recycled clothing or yarns.

16 | andrea

May 3rd, 2007 at 7:37 am

I think it’s great that you’re reusing grocery bags! More people should be as diligent as you are. The unfortunate reality is that a lot of them still end of in the garbage. And then there’s the issue of *quantity* – some cashiers double bag stuff, or don’t use them to capacity. e.g. putting one or two things in each one.

Here’s an idea.

What if grocery stores developed better bags? Biodegradable ones like MEC? And charged a nominal amount for them … say 25 cents each? That way people who want them can have them -whether they’re using them for as garbage bags or pooper scoopers or whatever. And those of us who don’t want them can go on using our own grocery bags.

What do you guys think? It could work. It would just take one chain to start the trend. Hmm. I’m thinking of writing to Loblaws about it.

17 | kim

May 3rd, 2007 at 8:19 am

While Lululemon has opted for paper bags instead of plastic, they do offer an environmental discount if you opt to not take the bag (I can’t remember if it’s 5 cents or 25 cents).

I thought that was a great idea. From a consumer perspective, I think people are more likely to go for it when they feel that they are getting something in return (such as a discount).

18 | andrea

May 3rd, 2007 at 8:24 am

MEC has biodegradable plastic bags, and if you don’t take one it donates 5 cents to an environmental cause. According to their website that added up to $57,000 in 2006. More info here.

19 | Jen_nifer

May 3rd, 2007 at 9:00 am

After reading through all the comments my interest has been piqued. Andrea – what DO you use inside your garbage pails?

20 | andrea

May 3rd, 2007 at 9:16 am

We use Glad kitchen-size garbage bags in our kitchen garbage but we don’t line our garbage cans with bags in other rooms i.e. the office and the bathrooms.

It’s a tough one, isn’t it? We reused grocery bags in the kitchen for a long time, but found the whole experience messy and annoying and switched to store-bought bags. I try to stuff them to the max. When they’re full we bring them into out into the larger container in our garage.

I wish there was a better/easier solution. Perhaps I’ll try the grocery bags again.

21 | jenn

May 3rd, 2007 at 11:08 am

That is fantastic what MEC does – I didn’t know that and I shop there all the time! A few years back they offered a huge heavy duty cloth bag for something like $5 and I use it all the time. Loblaws also gives $0.10 off for every bin or cloth bag you use (I use the bins). I also have this handy bag that I keep in my purse – it folds up into a pouch a little larger than a change purse but but is really roomy – it is very handy for the quick impulse buys!

22 | liss76

May 3rd, 2007 at 12:08 pm

You have to remind the Loblaws cashiers about their discount, though–it’s also a little unfair for the people using bins. I think bins should be a $0.50 discount, as they fit 4-5 bags’ worth of stuff.

23 | Paul O

May 3rd, 2007 at 5:55 pm

My congratulations to all of you who are taking steps you find useful. I must take the alternate position.

For my purposes, I need those bags from the store. And there’s no way I’m paying an extra 25c for a bag that’s worth less than a penny. If some stores want to give a discount way larger than the value saved, that’s their choice. They’ve tried that before, and it has never lasted in the past – at least not in the bigger stores: it isn’t profitable on thin margins.

When I go shopping, I have no idea how much I’m going to buy. Or how it’ll fit. I don’t want my caustic cleaning solutions in the same bag as my veggies. Ever. Sometimes I’ll have crushables (eggs, bread, some meats, vegs), sometimes not. And that means more bags sometimes, other times more in each bag.

And over a year, I’ll have a small fraction as much plastic in shopping bags than I do in just milk bags (well, if I saved them all). I’m glad to see Loeb is taking them back. Please don’t confuse what you choose to do with what others require.

24 | Anna

May 4th, 2007 at 8:28 am

I almost forgot about this – but in Sweden you get charged for the plastic bags you need. However, they tend to be of much better quality than here and could probably take the contents of about 2-3 bags here. The cost is about 25-50c per bag.

It forces you to think about how many bags you really need and is a great incentive to use your own bag/basket/box.

25 | liss76

May 4th, 2007 at 1:39 pm

Food Basics used to charge for bags–do they still?

26 | liss76

May 10th, 2007 at 5:30 am

Plastic bag use to be cut by 50% in Ontario?

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2007/05/09/ont-plastic-bags.html

Interesting!

27 | andrea

May 10th, 2007 at 3:55 pm

Liss – it is interesting, but a little on the wimpy side. Don’t you think? They want to halve the number of plastic bags within five years. Five years?>

Whereas there’s an outright ban in San Fran and grocery store owners have something like six months to comply.

If you’re going to take action, TAKE ACTION!

28 | liss76

May 11th, 2007 at 7:22 am

Yeah, I know. I rolled my eyes.

It’s sad when one has to constantly qualify environmental plans from the government with “well, I guess it’s better than nothing.”

On the upside, I took my handy-dandy new shopping cart out in the hood for errands last weekend. It works like a charm and is a real attention-getter!