Eco-friendly shopping bags

[yarnyviolet]

When I lived in Germany almost everyone piled all their groceries back in the cart and took them out to their car either in plastic boxes or bagged them at their car. Some stores had a counter where you could bag you groceries before you left the store. A lot of times I just had boxes in the trunk of the car and threw everything in there and bagged when I got home. I carried cloth bags in the trunk of the car. The R's go Reduce, Re-use, and THEN Recycle (and there is Reclaim and Remediate after that). They go in order of being environmentally friendly. So crocheting your own bags is much more environmentally friendly than recycling plastic. Re-using your plastic bags as garbage can liners is better than recycling but not as eco-friendly as using cloth or crocheted bags. I am planning on crocheting some bags to supplement my cloth bags.

[Krystal16]

A store here that I shop at regularly ("Discount") doesn't have plastic bags. Instead, you pile your groceries back in your cart. There is a long shelf at the across from the registers, and the store piles their opened cardboard boxes for customers to take their groceries home in. Other customers bring their plastic bags IN and reuse them, or just set them on the shelf for others to use. I think it's great because not only are they saving on plastic bags, they're NOT throwing out all that cardboard. When I get it home, it gets broken down and recycled at my house.

 

I also have canvas bags for groceries, but they tend to be in the wrong vehicle when I'm shopping, or I forget them at home.

 

Plastic really drives me nuts because (with 4 kids) I come home with about 12 bags twice a week, and they just accumulate and accumulate here. I tried making plastic yarn out of it, but I didn't have the time to be making it.

 

I think reducing and recycling is finally coming of age in the USA. There's been talk about it, but only certain areas really took hold with it. Now it seems that no matter where you turn, SOMEONE is trying to do something. I've even held onto my kids' outgrown sneakers (not worthy of ever being worn again even as play sneakers), because I have heard they can be recycled but haven't found a place to take them yet.

 

I personally would recycle a whole lot more, but where we are there are few things that are accepted. I hope they start mandating things like getting rid of plastic bags, incandescent bulbs (california) and other things that are small but cause great impact.

 

I remember seeing a show about this man that recycles baby diapers into plastic pellets or something like that.

[LeahB]

I have actually been thinking about crocheting up some shopping bags. One grocery store (Aldi) I shop in actually charges for every plastic bag you use (they also make you bag your own groceries). Anyway, I shop there regularly because the prices are great, but I've been thinking that a crocheted bag would be a nice addition to the stash of canvas totes that I keep in the car. I may have to try some of those patterns out. Thanks!

[CloudyDays]

This thread reminded me of a pattern I saw here some time ago. It was for "Econo-Shopping" Bags and it was posted by natalie058. However, the link to the pattern no longer works. Is her pattern still around? Or has it been removed and published perhaps?

[Burgandy]

Its is goofy question time once again. I usually shop at Albertsons or Walmart for my groceries and day to day items and both places have someone bagging your purchases for you. How do the rest of you get the baggers to use the homemade bags? Would you just hand the bags over to the bagger before you unloaded your purchases or do you just unload them on to the belt before your groceries?

[ankey]

This is slightly off-topic and sorry I'm so clueless, but if you don't use plastic bags as trash can liners, what do you use? If I didn't use the plastic bags that I carried groceries home in, I'd have to go out and buy some... I've been thinking of making some shopping bags since I've started buying groceries for myself (no more mom buying groceries for me in college...) but haven't yet because I use plastic bags for my trash can.

[Erskinelake]

http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=2325

 

Another one at Bernat also!

 

Great idea!

 

Thanks!

[quietheart]

Here are some others:

 

http://www.canadianliving.com/CanadianLiving/client/en/Crafts/DetailNews.asp?survey=1&idNews=1189&idSM=307&idpub=3

 

http://www.coatscrafts.co.uk/Crafts/Crochet/Projects/Crochet+Project+-+Crochet+Bag.htm

 

http://www.stephthornton.co.uk/crochet/drawsbag.htm

 

http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/Plastic%20Bag%20tote.html

[olive]

This is slightly off-topic and sorry I'm so clueless, but if you don't use plastic bags as trash can liners, what do you use? If I didn't use the plastic bags that I carried groceries home in, I'd have to go out and buy some... I've been thinking of making some shopping bags since I've started buying groceries for myself (no more mom buying groceries for me in college...) but haven't yet because I use plastic bags for my trash can.

 

I agree with you. It's better to reuse shopping bags than go buy some to line your trash can. That's what we do too.

[giaana]

Thanks for all those great links! I've been eyeing some of these and thought they would be great to make! I especially like the crochet me and bernat patterns! I use canvas most of the time now (except for when I forget them in the car) but would love to make and give these out to others to start using!!! Here's another thing to put on my ever growing list!!

[Thumpy]

I have made this bag so many times I can't count them. To use Sugar n Cream you need 6 balls of varigated or 5 balls of solid colours. I line the bag with a cotton fabric so it doesn't stretch out of shape and they last for years. I have one that is about 10 years old now and still looks like the first time I used it.

 

http://www.canadianliving.com/CanadianLiving/client/en/Crafts/DetailNews.asp?survey=1&idNews=1189&idSM=307&idpub=3

 

I went grocery shopping last night and the store I was at had really nice bags made from recycled plastic, they feel like fabric, for .99 each. I bought 3 and was amazed at how much groceries fit in them, about twice what you would put in a plastic bag. The great thing about them is that they are flat bottomed and nice and soft on the handles so they don't hurt my hands. And I brought home what would have been about 6 or 7 bags full of groceries in 3 bags!

 

Carol

[gsaundrs]

Earth Day was just celebrated and I started crocheting with recycled grocery bags. My first project will be a tote. More information for creating the "yarn" and some patterns are available here: http://www.myrecycledbags.com/

 

The fabric is extremely strong.

[deleight]

I'm really glad our county went to single bin recycling as opposed to the three bin system we used to have. The only down side is you can't recycle glass curbside anymore, but you can recycle plastic bottles which you used to have to put in the trash. I like it because they give you a 90 gallon toter to put all your paper plastic and aluminum in. Much better than the small bins you couldn't get much in and much more gets recycled. Glass? We just collect it in one of the old small bins and periodically take it to the recycling yard. :-)

[HomekeepingGran]

Twice, I think, I have asked a Wal-Mart checker if I could use my own bags. One checker said yes, one said no. I think they encounter it so rarely they have no fixed policy. I haven't been brave enough to regularly take my bags in and see what would happen. Another local store has you bag your own groceries and there I try to remember to take my canvas bags inside. Perhaps Wal-Mart needs a wake-up call?

 

As far as lining trash cans we are required by our county pick-up to have trash in a plastic bag. We buy 13 gallon ones for kitchen trash, but I try to be sure each bag is full nearly to overflow before taking it out. This is the South; recycling is a thing of the future, not present, here.

[Beaglelady]

I didn't know either that there's been talk about banning the bags. If 'whomever' doesn't want paper ones to save the trees and no more plastic then what is supposed to get used? I get some paper ones and use them for the newpaper/magazines and cardboard for when I go to the Transfer station with the trash for recycle. I use the plastic grocery to line my bathroom waste can. All the others I save and give to my SIL who has her own VEGGIE stand. Hmm....interesting topic.

[miller3602]

I tried making a coaster with plastic bags--it did not turn out well! I just don't like cutting up ALL those strips, and then cutting or sewing in ALL those ends...too much work!!! I think I'll stick w/ yarn 4 now!

[debora]

hey Miller, check out this website for a way to make plastic yarn were you dont have to sew in any ends. you still have to cut the strips but if you have a paper cutter it goes pretty fast.

http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/Plastic%20Bag%20tote.html

[julie5813]

This thread reminded me of a pattern I saw here some time ago. It was for "Econo-Shopping" Bags and it was posted by natalie058. However, the link to the pattern no longer works. Is her pattern still around? Or has it been removed and published perhaps?

 

Her pattern was published in the 2007 Crochet Pattern-a-Day calendar.

[CloudyDays]

Thanks Julie!

[yarnyviolet]

It is the number of plastic bags you use to line your garbage cans. You can reduce the amount of garbage by using one main bag. I just put the "yucky" garbage in a can with a liner. That bag is in my kitchen. Obviously my used cat litter goes in a plastic bag too. It is just a habit you pick up after a while. In Germany all our garbage had to be carefully seperated or you got fines. You couldn't have any left outside the bin. Our lawn was huge and we never had enough room in our compostable bin so when the neighbours went on holidays we used theirs. They did the same with us!

 

Rachel

[zeropixie]

I didn't know either that there's been talk about banning the bags. If 'whomever' doesn't want paper ones to save the trees and no more plastic then what is supposed to get used?

 

I was curious about this as well so I asked my sister if she had heard about it and she said yes. She lives in Washington state and they are trying to make stores use biodegradable bags or cloth ones. I got to thinking how easy the white Wal Mart bags tear and wonder if they are more degradable than the old blue ones. I was also wondering about the farmers markets and other piddly things we use plastic bags for and wonder what are we going to do. Our great grandmothers lived without them and did just fine so I guess we should 'woman up' and do it too.

With summer coming it should be easy to find canvas/cloth bags on sale just about every were. I know that our Dollar store has some great medium sized one that are actually very sturdy so we are going to try and make a complete switch by the end of the year.

[deleight]

I was curious about this as well so I asked my sister if she had heard about it and she said yes. She lives in Washington state and they are trying to make stores use biodegradable bags or cloth ones.

 

Hmm... I live in Washington state also, but I haven't heard that. Of course, I don't watch the news much so I probably missed it.

[Aphadon]

We ahrdly use ANY plastic bags, except when we go to non-grocery stores. We normally shop at places like Costco that you can take cardboard boxes or just carry out in your own bags, or we request paper and use them to hold recycling. I currently have a paper bag in my room for each paper and plastic/glass/cans. When we need to carry in a bunch of stuff, we use Loblaws green bins, or we bring a plastic bag or two that we reuse again later.

 

Although, I may do up a nice shopping tote to help cut down on bags I get from places like Wal-Mart - even if we rarely throw out the plastic bags, they do start to pile up *lol* I think they really need to improve recycling facilities though, so that we could actually recycle them. It would save SO much garbage.

[Teesachu]

This almost should be a CAL ... LOL

 

Just for moral support at the very least

[Burgandy]

I would do a CAL for this project!