I wasn't expecting to end up at the grocery store, but now that I'm here I guess I'll just have to take a bag. Sound familiar? Take this Disposable Bag Addiction Test to see if you have successfully kicked the habit or are a work in progress.
Please note that "disposable" refers to paper or plastic bags intended for a single-use. No cheating!
1. Have you ever chosen to continue to use disposable bags despite one or more disposable bag failures?
2. Do the choices "paper or plastic" feel like the only ones available?
3. Do you fear the inconvenience associated with ditching disposable bags?
4. Have purchases that could easily fit in your hand, pocket, or purse ended up in a disposable bag?
5. Do you request the "double bag" feature for heavy items?
6. Do your reusable bags tend to be "forgotten" when needed most?
7. Have you made a resolution or commitment to quit your disposable bag habit, but haven't fully kicked it yet?
8. Have you ever shifted the blame to the bagger or store for your habit?
9. Have you ever succumbed to pressure by the bagger to take a bag?
10. Do you feel depressed, guilty, or remorseful after you use or throw away a disposable bag?
11. Have you ever purged your house of your disposable bags, only to find them reappear a few weeks later?
12. Do you hide your disposable bags in cabinets, closets, or drawers?
13. Have you ever felt awkward refusing a bag when offered?
14. Have you ever lied to or misled those around you about how much or how often you use disposable bags?
15. Do you usually have "good" reasons for using disposable bags?
16. Have your fingers turned blue from carrying too many disposable bags at once?
17. Have you ever recycled your disposable bags and thought that your impact was a wash?
18. Have you ever conspired with friends about how disposable bags are more convenient?
19. Have you tried to control your disposable bag intake by switching between paper and plastic?
20. Have you ever decided to stop using for a week or more, but only lasted a few days?
If you responded "Yes" to any of the above questions, then we're here to say that a) we've been there, too, and b) we recommend either making your own reusable bags, or checking out some of the amazing and beautiful ones that just wait to adorn your purse, murse, backpack, and pockets!
So, how did you do?
Related Posts:
- Cleaning Your Reusable Bags
- Green Dilemma: Too Many Reusable Bags
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- 5 Tools To Help You Remember Your Reusable Bags
- 10 Ways to Remember Your Reusable tote
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I hardly think anyone is "addicted" to using disposable grocery bags.
Mostly, it's a matter of convenience. I can't recall how many times I've thought, "Oh crap, I forgot the bags at home after taking them inside last week!" I don't shop often, and I'm not the owner or primary driver of our car, so the thought never occurs to me to take them back to the car.
Plus, I always end up reusing my bags as small apartment garbage bags. Is it very "green"? Not really. I use my reusables when I remember them, and don't stress over disposables.
I always carry a reusable bag in my purse. It folds up to about the size of a small wallet so it's really easy for me not to use plastic bags on those last minute trips to the store. Mostly I refuse to give up precious storage space in my apartment to store some crappy plastic bags.
My boyfriend and I are pretty good at remembering out reusable bags, we used to not be as good at it, but about a year ago, the cashiers at the store he works at started tattling on us when we forgot them and the other wasn't there.
I was out of town for a few weeks last summer, and when I got back they told me how many times he had to use plastic bags! Haha. Now it's a game.
I regularly forget my reusable bags at home, but I just stick my purchases in my cart and transfer them to the box I keep in my trunk for such events. That way, not having my bags is not an excuse for using plastic or paper. You'd think someone walking out of the store with a bunch of unbagged items would get some looks, but I think the cashiers are getting pretty used to that sort of thing now.
I do the best I can. I have terrific shopping bags I got in France and Italy, about the size of two old fashioned brown paper bags which are really good for grocery shopping. Much easier to handle than a million plastic bags. For daily errands I try to remember to keep a re-usable bag in my purse. If the item is small enough I just put it in my purse, but sometimes I forget the bag and I have many errands to do and end up with a plastic bag to take home. My husband uses them when he cleans the litter box. Like I said, I do the best I can and try to do better the next time.
The stores need to be quizzed as well. I will tell the bagger, "thank you, I don't need any plastic or paper bags, everything can go in my (seven) reuseable bags. Then I look over and the bagger is double-bagging ONE candy bar or ONE toothbrush. wtf?
Paper is not better than plastic, also those 99 cent reuseable bags are terrible and hard to clean. Buy a long lasting cotton tote and pass it down to your kids.
I love my reusable totes - even the silly Macy's one I got during the holiday season a few years ago.
My husband is kind of addicted to the plastic bags so we do reuse them but he no longer lives with the delusion that he reuses them so it's okay because about a year ago the plastic bag holder I put up became full and has remained full ever since. Pretty much we just can't use them up as fast as they come in. We are both somewhat to blame because I don't want to argue with store clerks and both of us sometimes forget.
Ours end up being trash can liners and doggie poo bags. I do have some biodegradable baggies but I rarely use them when we are not planning on taking a walk. It's faster for me to run inside while I leave him tied up outside to just grab a plastic one. I don't want to leave him outside unattended for too long and I'm not always prepared for all of his business when I take him out - though I admit I should be.