Plastic Grocery bags...rant

Lckymii · 05-30-2007, 06:58 PM

So today I am shopping and I grab some lettuce, it was wet so I shook it off and tossed it in my basket. I get to the checkout and hand the bagger my cloth bag and ask her to place all of my purchases in it.
She proceeds to place the lettuce in plastic bags and then into my bag. I tell her, no that is not what I wanted, please use my bag only. She says, but the lettuce is all wet!
For heaven's sake, I don't care, geez god forbid the bananas or cottage cheese gets wet! What is the point of bringing your own bag if your going to put everything in plastic?

Jordyn · 05-30-2007, 11:39 PM

a fellow gal who cares about the environment? kudos to you, girl

repped for avoiding plastic bags

Tyrbolift · 05-31-2007, 02:15 AM

She's doing what 99% (from my observations) of the customers want. wetness contained and isolated from other goods via plastic bags.

I thought the newer plastic bags much more biodegradable.
Not true?

Lowerthefever · 05-31-2007, 02:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyrbolift

I thought the newer plastic bags much more biodegradable.
Not true?

No, that's true. But by ' biodegradeable ' they mean weaker bags. Even if you put a few items in these bad boys, the ass falls out of them and your groceries go everywhere

MissThing · 05-31-2007, 02:59 AM

Normally I just bag things myself. I have a folded longchamps bag that I keep with me in case I have to do some some unplanned shopping. not only are plastuic bags a waste they take up precious kitchen space in my small apartment

claycat · 05-31-2007, 07:42 AM

LOL, I have to tell the bagger everytime that milk jugs, bags of potatoes etc. do not need to go in another bag, they are already contained. They like to double bag a milk jug so it doesn't tear through, why bag when it has a handle to carry it by?

Luckily, my store does use biodegradeable bags and has a recycling center as you walk in the door.

Christine_23 · 05-31-2007, 09:03 AM

I have my own bags I bring shopping with me too--although I do put meat in it's own bag. I really don't want chicken juice all over everything. Yuck. However, I tend to use up whatever platic bags I bring home when I clean the cat box.

Oh--just remembered another occasion where I was shopping at Marshalls, and I already had a bag. I told the cashier I would just use the bag I already had. She insisted that I wasn't allowed to, and had to take a new bag! In retrospect I think she was mentally challenged, but I didn't realize it at the time, so I made her call a manager over, and was allowed to use my own bag.

moon girl · 05-31-2007, 09:10 AM

That's so familiar! I hate how I end up with 10 half-full bags at the mall too. A while back I bought bras at this place that puts them in paper and then in a fancy little paper bag - which I just toss in the recycling bin as soon as I get home. I told the girl I didn't need the bag and first she just left off the paper. I told her again and she stared at me blankly for a few seconds before she handed me the bras. It's not THAT complicated, is it?

Anyway, at least around here you can recycle plastic bags - that makes me feel a little better about it. Plus I use them as lunch bags, garbage bags, etc.

skizbees · 05-31-2007, 02:02 PM

I don't mind getting paper or plastic bags, regardless of size. I find other uses for excess bags (liners for small trashcans), or if I'm not using them, they stay stored like how they are in typical grocery stores, until used. I haven't had to buy those 13, 33, or larger gallon sized garbage bags in almost two years.

SexyChic · 05-31-2007, 02:17 PM

The publix that I go to uses so many plastic bags to bag the groceries.
Thankfully they have recycling containers at the entrance for the bags....but I am sure there are lots of lazy people that still throw them away.

Wish more people had your mentality!

Jawk · 05-31-2007, 11:41 PM

Well, when I was around 14 I worked at a grocery store, this lady had a lot of items, and I started to bag them (in plastic), she watched (smiling) as I put them all away, and into her cart. Then she says to me "Oh, I wanted paper".
She then made me take all the stuff out of the plastic and put into paper bags.

I had forgotten to ask if she wanted paper or plastic. :-(

MsFit · 06-01-2007, 08:22 AM

Thumbs up to you for brining your own bag.

On a side note, a young boy bagging asked the lady, "save a tree or kill a duck." lol His point is you can't win for losing.

buffandspirited · 06-01-2007, 08:32 AM

I bag my own things, but for the same and entirely different reasons. I always ask for paper because I reuse them much more often and more times and they always put the wet things in plastic anyway. I also am very anal and when putting my groceries away it makes more sense to put the "like" things together so it's less time wasted for me. Granted, it's not much, but 5 minutes not putting groceries away if 5 minutes doing something else...

claycat · 06-01-2007, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MsFit

Thumbs up to you for brining your own bag.

On a side note, a young boy bagging asked the lady, "save a tree or kill a duck." lol His point is you can't win for losing.

LOL that is my husbands standard smarta$$ reply when they ask him at the grocery.

Amanda76 · 06-01-2007, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buffandspirited

I bag my own things, but for the same and entirely different reasons. I always ask for paper because I reuse them much more often and more times and they always put the wet things in plastic anyway. I also am very anal and when putting my groceries away it makes more sense to put the "like" things together so it's less time wasted for me. Granted, it's not much, but 5 minutes not putting groceries away if 5 minutes doing something else...

My ex was a bagger at an Air Force commissary when he was a kid and he said they had to go through training to learn to quickly sort and put like items (freezer stuff together, refridgerated stuff together, toiletries together, etc, etc...oh...and cleaning chemicals had to be in their own bag even if there was more room in another) in the same bag/squishable and breakable items on top. I remember things always feeling very organized as we left when we shopped on base. They had teired carts the baggers brought bags out with (always paper bags) and they never just "grabbed the closest bag." When we got home, Mom would tell us to take an entire bag to a room or area to unload it. It was very rare that something that didn't belong in a bathroom was packed with the toothpaste. I don't think I've ever had that convenience of unloading when shopping off base. Once I was told about the training, it made sense that the service baggers provided on base vs. off felt different. Anyway, just thought you'd appreciate that someone, somewhere decided your way of bagging was important enough to require training.

mandi.c · 06-01-2007, 10:29 AM

one of our major supermarkets runs a green points system the more you use your own the more points you get at the end of 3 months there changed in to vouchers for money off your bill

Eileen · 06-02-2007, 01:44 PM

Ireland introduced a 15 cent tax on plastic bags a couple of years ago. You wouldn't believe how much of a difference it made. Now, everyone is religious about reusing old bag, and bringing "bags for life" with them when they go shopping. And if they don't have a bag, most people would rather just carry the food than buy a plastic one. I've seen people carrying a frozen turkey in their bare hands rather than shell out the 15 cent for a plastic bag.

MauiZos · 06-02-2007, 08:20 PM

Just thought all you fellow canvas-baggers might like these:

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/girl+re...pt_/c_360/pg_1