What kind of bags are good?

StarSong said:
Anecdotally, since the single use plastic bag ban, I see almost no bags on the side of roads or freeways. They used to be commonplace.

I use thin plastic produce bags to pick up after the dog.

You're right that it seems nearly everything I buy is wrapped in plastic or housed in a plastic container.
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I agree - I rarely see plastic bags on side of road here either

You can get compostable bags for dog poo here

I agree more plastic packaging could be reduced o n some things - I guess reduction is an ongoing process. Things change though - grapes which used to be in little plastic bags are now in paper bags, for example. And loose produce bags here are compostable.
 
Jules said:
While travelling in the US in the 90s, I bought heavy cotton bags & nylon Safeway reusable bags. A couple are E.A.R.T.H. (every American’s Responsibility to Help). They wash up well.
I also have some larger heavy plastic bags that were free advertising with something.
There’s an insulated bag that fits in my trolley if I’m walking to the store.
In the summer, I keep a cooler in my trunk. Also, the grocery bags go back into the trunk.

Considering I shop for groceries almost every day, I need, or think I need, a selection.

When out for my daily walk, I wear a backpack and have a nylon bag in it just in case I buy more than expected.

The idea of using the square containers for laundry is sensible. Now I need to go to the grocery store tomorrow and pick up a couple.

You’d think I’m shopping for a mob. It’s just the two of us. I consider the stores as my pantry.
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Keeping a cooler in the car is an excellent idea.
 
I have accumulated a variety of reusable bags for groceries. On my weekly big shop day I take the insulated square box (use it for frozen veggies, frozen dinners, ice cream pints etc), the insulated big cloth bag (use it for milk and other dairy items, plus fruits and veggies), several of the washable polyester/nylon bags for the rest of the items (the eggs get a bag to themselves, just in case I drop them again).

When I walk over for a few items at my local store I carry an 'insulated lunch bag' to carry home frozen items, and a few of the polyester/nylon bags for anything else. I'm not happy with the bags when I'm walking home from the store, because I'm so short that the bottoms drag on the ground (so I carry them with the handles over my forearms most of the time).

But aside from them being a bit too long to walk home with, I love the nylon bags because they weigh nothing, fold up really small, can be washed with my laundry, hang to dry in minutes, and are great to take in my suitcase when I travel to use for dirty laundry (the empty bags seem to use zero space in a suitcase). I've had mine for 7 years now and only one has developed a small hole at the bottom corner.

insulated grocery box.jpg nylon bags.jpg insulated lunch bag.jpg insulated cloth bag.jpg
 
California's single use plastic bag ban was enacted in 2014. It's quite astounding to see that more often than not, grocery shoppers were buying those those thicker plastic bags (usually 10¢ each) for their entire order.

With California's new 2026 law, they'll presumably be buying full complements of paper bags every time they shop.

I just don't get it. 🤷‍♀️ What's so hard about reusing bags, or doing what @hollydolly and I described above, or coming up with another strategy?
 
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