It isn’t easy…
Yesterday Sam and I ran errands before my birthday party. I brought my Envirosax and at our first stop, Trader Joe’s, just handed one over to the cashier, who used it without question (I usually bag my own groceries, but I was holding Sam). Our next stop was Target, where I practically had to tackle the cashier to give her my bag, but she used it without any trouble once I made her understand.
But the guy in line in front of me. He had two items. Two small items. And he wanted them bagged separately. And when I gave the cashier my bag, he took the plastic bag she’d readied for me and double-bagged one of his small items. So for the one bag I didn’t use, he wasted TWO. Three if you count the one he’d have gotten anyway.
One step forward, two steps back. So I am reusing the Styrofoam container my leftovers came in the other day to make up for it. Somehow that seems right. I can’t save the environment all by myself, but I’m going to do my part.
July 8th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
You’re definitely making a huge difference. Just think if you got 2 bags like that guy did.
You’ve inspired me to recycle much more. We really weren’t recycling much because our landlords only have one blue recycle can out back for 6 houses! It’s now overflowing thanks to my contributions. I am sick of bugging them about stuff (we have a wasp’s nest, scary trespassers doing God knows what back in the alley, etc.) I think I will just call Culver City myself and ask for another one. I use those Trader Joe’s bags for shopping now whenever I can now. They are better bags, anyway!
Oh, I have this zine called Croq, and this issue is “The Trash Issue” with lots of recycling things into crafty stuff (yarn mainly) but also how to use trash to help your garden and a few other great articles about environmental acts. I’ll pop it in my knitting bag and one of these Thursdays when we’re both there I’ll show it to you.
Sorry for the loonnng comment!
July 8th, 2007 at 10:58 pm
Geez, what an ass that guy is!
I am very lucky to live in an area where not only do they thank me for bringing my own bags, but they take ten cents off my total for each bag I use. I’m saving the environment and I’m saving money!
July 9th, 2007 at 3:49 am
Like Allison, I’ve had issues with our recycling bin. We’ve got one bin for four flats, which hasn’t been a problem in the past, but all four flats have started recycling now and it’s getting too full. It hasn’t helped that our council hasn’t emptied it for about three weeks (a letter of complaint has been sent)!
July 9th, 2007 at 5:21 am
Once at a Target, I put my canvas bags on the platform for the nice cashier…and he bagged everything in seperate plastic bags and stuffed them inside the canvas ones.
I think that, short of my being an amazing bitch, there are just some places where I can’t pull off bringing my bag.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:10 am
I so envy those who have recycling bins. We have to take all of our recycling to the recycling center. It all piles up in our apartment (since we have no storage outside) and then once a week off to the center it goes! Of course it is less often now that we have Jack, since it’s harder to get out there. This city sure doesn’t make it easy.
July 9th, 2007 at 11:09 am
I was at Target on Saturday, buying a garbage can for my office and some other small stuff. I asked them just to put the small stuff in the can, since I had to carry that out anyway, and didn’t really need bags. Which they did, but only after bagging the small stuff. Ugh.
July 9th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Man, that guys sucks. But you, you are awesome. I wish I could have come to your birthday party, maybe I can fly over there near my birthday and we can party in the new McEwen pad then.
July 9th, 2007 at 11:53 am
Well, I bought those sacks when you linked to them in your green post, so because of you, I’m not using plastic sacks any more. So you can chalk that up to your efforts. :)
July 9th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
That guy may have had a legit reason for wanting all the bags. My grandmother,who taught me to be environmentally consious, always gets extra bags specifically at Target because their bags are bigger. She uses them to line her trash cans at home. She brings her own bags everywhere else but there specifically to get more bags.
July 9th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
PS: Evan and I went to Trader Joe’s today and when we were almost done shopping, I realized I forgot my TJ’s reusable bags in the car. Instead of saying “oh well” and taking more of their bags, I took Evan out of the cart and went out to my car and got the bags and returned to my cart (still there and full.) Seriously, I thought of you when I did that. Probably saved part of a tree and a bit of landfill (makes up for all the diapers we put in. Oh well.)
July 9th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Jamie, that’s a great point and I hadn’t thought of that. I do have trouble believing anything so reasonable of this particular guy, because he was so weird and cagey about the whole thing. But it is certainly possible.
On recycling: we are super lucky, as there is a woman who regularly goes through our building’s dumpsters for recyclables; we just put ours in a grocery bag next to the dumpster and she gets the 63¢ at the recycling center.
July 10th, 2007 at 12:03 am
Hey, there’s another Jamie? What the heck, man?
Target bags ARE good to use in little bathroom-sized trash cans; ’tis true. Not a kitchen-sized can, though. Unless you want to take the trash out every five minutes.
July 12th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
I love those Envirosax, but most males (even one as comfortable with his sexuality and masculinity as I am) would likely have issues with the patterns. Guess I’ll stick to my (butch) plain canvas TJs bags… ;)
July 12th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Psst…
July 13th, 2007 at 10:33 am
FYI, they are on sale for $29.70 here:
https://shop.bangalla.com/categoryNavigationDocument.hg?categoryId=13
July 16th, 2007 at 8:09 am
I am totally on board with the reusable bags at the grocery store now. I am really surprised at the price of the Envirosax though. They are very pretty and all , but don’t sound much different than the bags we can buy at our local store for only 99 cents. Those bags hold up to the equivalent of 3 plastic bags ands are quite attractive, washable and waterproof. I usually use the canvas bags that my husband and his city cohort hand out at the Farmer’s Market, but if I forget to bring a bag or need an extra, the 99 cents is really do-able.
July 16th, 2007 at 9:49 am
The main appeal of the Envirosax (other than being very pretty) is their size. I have several canvas totes and I never, ever remembered to bring them anywhere. The Envirosax hold as much as any of my totes but fit in my pocket when they’re empty. I keep them in the glove box and always remember to bring them back to the car after a shopping trip. I know they are not particularly frugal, but I am getting a lot more use out of them than I’ve ever gotten from my Trader Joe’s $2 reusable bag, so I think it is worthwhile. And honestly, if the cute appeal gets more people to stop using disposable bags, I think it’s worth the price. I’ve had several people ask me where I got my bags.
July 16th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Oh, also – only TJ’s has waterproof bags (that I know of), and they are new. The bag I have from them is burlap and structured, with wooden handles (no fun to carry), and after that one they made regular canvas bags, and now the plastic-coated totes (which I assume are spot-washable).
July 18th, 2007 at 7:36 am
Yeah, what is it with them looking like you just handed them a balloon animal? Envirosax are even made just like the plastic bags they already use. Just put it on the same wire-thing and stuff! Sometimes they take things out a few times to reorganize while I just stuff, stuff, stuff until I can’t anymore. Geez!
July 20th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Catching up on blog-reading still! I’m so with you on this frustrating issue! It’s gotten so that at my local grocery store, I only go to one cashier who gets the whole BYOB idea. I swear if I buy a bottle of wine and a box of crackers, they’ll want to put the wine in a separate bag inside my bag so it won’t get broken. WTF?
Nowadays I never really go anywhere without a shoulder totebag because I’ve got baby in a sling–I need my hands free so I really can’t be carrying 5 bags of groceries in my hands. It doesn’t take long to become habit.
Your baby is so big now! And cuter by the minute!
July 21st, 2007 at 9:53 am
I just bought these bags and are waiting for them to be delivered. I’m very excited about them, because I’ve been in search of cute affordable reusable grocery bags for a while now. Thanks for the recommendation!
July 21st, 2007 at 10:24 am
[...] got the recommendation from Annika (which my sister actually pointed out to me). I’m waiting on their delivery, which they [...]