Eco bags?

[molala]

I often see lots if people using those eco bags when going to shopping...i did that one time too..maybe for 3 weeks or something..but i can't manage to keep that habit because i have no bags for my food compose and cat litter...so i'm curious how do people manage to use those eco bags and have enough plastic bags for their garbage?

[brunes]

I often see lots if people using those eco bags when going to shopping...i did that one time too..maybe for 3 weeks or something..but i can't manage to keep that habit because i have no bags for my food compose and cat litter...so i'm curious how do people manage to use those eco bags and have enough plastic bags for their garbage?

Just one grocery trip nets about 10 plastic bags if I don't use my reuseables. Add on top of that the other various shopping through the week and it adds up fast.

I don't use bags to line my garbage bins, except the kitchen one. I do have cats, but use a large box that only needs changing about 3 times/ week. So I use maybe 4 - 5 plastic bags / week, which is way more than I get if I don't use eco bags.

[hjello]

I try to use the eco bags for major grocery shopping trips. But don't use them for stops when picking up a few things (ie. walmart, shoppers etc)

So, then I have those plastic bags from the other trips.

When we had our dog, we couldn't use the eco bags as we really needed the plastic bags for stoop and scooping. So we would often buy a few extra bags when at price chopper because we used SO MANY of them.

[molala]

i have two cats..so it's impossible to clean the litter box every other day...
i clean up their litter after supper and put them in the food compose bag to try to conserve...but i don't know whether or not it's appropriate

[JeffTaylor1985]

I was wondering this too, and it turns out that you can now buy plastic bag alternatives. They look and function similar to plastic, but they are actually made from corn and they compost/break down within 6 months.

This blog post has some good insight on plastic/biodegradable bags:
http://www.natural-environment.com/blog/2008/01/13/biodegradable-plastic-bags-eco-friendly-or-not/

[Yumeji]

I'm actually pretty anal about remembering things. My boyfriend probably things I'm already acting like a nagging wife because of it. However, at least we try to always bring our Superstore, TD and Save-On-Foods bags with us (you earn extra points at Save-On when you bring them). We tend to leave them in the trunk at all times.

Unfortunately, we're not perfect, so we don't bring them EVERYWHERE we go. There are times when we will carry a plastic bag with us out the door from the pharmacy, HMV store, or what not. However, since we have a cat and a dog, they come in pretty handy for walks or cleaning out the litter box.

I was looking up the different types of "biodegradable" bags out there to replace the plastic ones we've been using for our kitchen or the animals (my landlords refuse to get a composter or bury organic materials in their garden). I also submitted a question to the Green Guide that will be published this fall regarding biodegradable bags. Who knows, maybe they'll have something interesting to say.

[MacGyver]

We stockpile grocery bags for disposing of the cat litter. Typically we'd end up with about 15 a week, and about 30% of those can't be used because they have holes in them. Right now we must have at least 100 bags, so lately we've been using the Loblaws bins for groceries. But when we run out of bags, we'll stop using the bins for a while.

[JeffTaylor1985]

wow, the same thing used to happen to me - holes in half of them!

I wonder if there is a good solution to dealing w/ kitty litter or other waste (like grease from cooking). Are any of you using the compostable bags or something similar in these situations?

[jjtsl]

I always line my bag for food scraps with newspaper/flyers below as they will absorb any unintended liquids even though I try to drain all liquids before dumping them into the bag. This is not fool-proof, but at least this should make the bags with holes useable to a certain extent.

The only supermarket that I know that uses bio-degradable bags are the T&Ts in the GTA. Having said that, I still try to use our own reuseable bags when shopping there. Mountain Eqpt Co-op also uses biodegradable bags.

[hoob]

I've been using my Dominion eco-bags pretty regularly for about a year now and they're all falling apart.. They're the recycled woven plastic bags, not the cloth-like ones. The seams are coming apart. I suppose if I had a sewing machine I could fix them? :(

[nornet]

I was wondering this too, and it turns out that you can now buy plastic bag alternatives. They look and function similar to plastic, but they are actually made from corn and they compost/break down within 6 months.

This blog post has some good insight on plastic/biodegradable bags:
http://www.natural-environment.com/blog/2008/01/13/biodegradable-plastic-bags-eco-friendly-or-not/

Several companies are now mailing their annual reports in this newer "plastic". I tried to test it but wasn't sure how to accelerate the decomposition other than wetting it.

[Dustbunny]

wow, the same thing used to happen to me - holes in half of them!

I wonder if there is a good solution to dealing w/ kitty litter or other waste (like grease from cooking). Are any of you using the compostable bags or something similar in these situations?

If the holes are in the bottom, couldn't you just tie a knot in the bottom of the bag before filling it?

[molala]

I've been using my Dominion eco-bags pretty regularly for about a year now and they're all falling apart.. They're the recycled woven plastic bags, not the cloth-like ones. The seams are coming apart. I suppose if I had a sewing machine I could fix them? :(

why not just buy a new one??

[hoob]

why not just buy a new one??

The whole point is that they shouldn't be "disposable" -- they should last more than a year of semi-frequent use, otherwise what's the point?

[molala]

The whole point is that they shouldn't be "disposable" -- they should last more than a year of semi-frequent use, otherwise what's the point?

but they're recyclable...whereas plastic bags are not...

[Rokkin]

I think most places replace "green" bags for free if they start falling apart.

[st7860]

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=e1b94b52-06a5-4ef4-8bca-a054804a55e2
Metro Vancouver is asking its member municipalities to press the provincial government to move faster toward a ban on disposable plastic shopping bags.

The Greater Vancouver Sewage and Drainage District board passed a resolution to that effect Friday after hearing from a group of industry stakeholders looking for ways to reduce plastic-bag use.

The resolution also calls for Metro Vancouver to work with local business associations, retailers and consumers to discourage the use of plastic shopping bags, and directs staff to prepare an education program.

Surrey Coun. Marvin Hunt, chairman of the sewage and drainage board, said directors wanted to go further than an industry proposal, already adopted by B.C., Ontario and Manitoba, to reduce the use of plastic bags by 50 per cent in the next five years.

"We don't think 50 per cent is enough. We need to go past that," Hunt said.

The board was told the West Kootenay community of Rossland has reduced plastic-bag use by 75 per cent. "If Rossland can get up to 75 per cent, surely there's a better number," Hunt said.

He said the resolution was part of an overall goal to get rid of plastic bags that clog up landfills. The push beyond a 50-per-cent reduction was just the next step.

"Hopefully in two or three years down the road, that's an easy target and ... we can push for something in the 60s-or-70s-per-cent range," said Hunt said. "When we get to the end of it, then maybe there's a ban."

Hunt said Metro Vancouver, as a regional government, doesn't have jurisdiction to impose an outright ban. But it could encourage and promote charging fees for disposable shopping bags through outreach to local business associations. He added municipalities would be allowed to institute a ban indirectly, through a littering bylaw, for example.

In April 2007, Leaf Rapids, Man., a town of 550 people northeast of Winnipeg, became the first municipality in Canada to institute a ban. Those who ignore the bylaw could face a $1,000-a-day fine.

tlai@vancouversun.com

[Jennipher]

I use the recycled pine litter which kind of looks like pellets and dissolves when exposed to cat urine.

I just scoop out the poo frequently, and I can flush the sawdust out once a week or so.

That way, no bags....

The litter is more expensive than the stone litter, but really that clumping litter can cause little clumps in their lungs I heard, so I stopped using it ages ago.

I heard someone the other day say that they used the wood burning pellets that you get for the wood stove, and that would save a whole lot of money too...

it's like 7 bucks for a 40 lbs bag...cats get used to it quickly too and it doesn't smell like litter when you walk in the house.

[gman]

I use the one I bought in Costco. It is huge, strong and durable. I once carried a case of water + grocery in one bag. It was damn heavy though. The cashier was amazed. :D

BTW, I did not take a shopping cart and I was carrying that bag around the store.
I have been using it for 3 years now and it has not shown sign of wearing out.

[daddysgirl]

I hate plastic bags! I am so tired of them collecting under my sink. I use reuseable bags that fold up very small. That way I always have a couple in my purse. I don't have cats but I have gerbils. They make their bedding and litter out of small boxes and toilet paper rolls (I don't buy woodchips). When it is time to clean their cages I put it in the compost bin. I also buy compostable garbage bags. They are great but cost a little more. I think it is worth it.

[molala]

I use the recycled pine litter which kind of looks like pellets and dissolves when exposed to cat urine.

I just scoop out the poo frequently, and I can flush the sawdust out once a week or so.

That way, no bags....

The litter is more expensive than the stone litter, but really that clumping litter can cause little clumps in their lungs I heard, so I stopped using it ages ago.

I heard someone the other day say that they used the wood burning pellets that you get for the wood stove, and that would save a whole lot of money too...

it's like 7 bucks for a 40 lbs bag...cats get used to it quickly too and it doesn't smell like litter when you walk in the house.

I used those before but I can't stand the smell. I ended up throwing out hallf of the bag

[teknoluv]

The "eco" bags I use are corporate gifts from clients. A few of them are really strong and can hold a lot. But when I run out of plastic bags for garbage, I know it's time for T&T or Sobeys.