Supermarket Economics

In my quest to keep the plastic bags out of my life, I have done well.  I remember my reusable bags greater than 90% of the time -- actually, darn close to 100%. Once in a while I will forget to bring it to the drugstore or a store like TJMaxx, but most of the time I either remember or I ask for no bag if I have forgotten.  I'm straining so much to pat myself on the back, I'm probably going to throw my shoulder out, eh?  But anyway...

 

I bought these cotton mesh produce bags a while back, to eliminate the thin plastic bags in the produce department.  [Edited to add:  The bags are the Garden Sac from here, but this looks like they're only available wholesale. I bought them from the produce department of my local "healthy" store.]  I'm not as good about remembering to use those, but I have been redoubling my effort.  For some reason, it's easier for me to remember when I shop at a "healthier" store than it is to remember at the regular supermarket.  Yesterday, though, I did remember to use them when I bought my asparagus and radishes. 

The clerk rang up the asparagus in the bag.  I said to her, "The thing is, this bag is heavy, so would you please take the asparagus out of the bag to ring it up?" In a way, I felt like I was being too petty, and I said to her that it will just be interesting to see what the difference is. Thankfully, she did not flinch or treat me with any disrespect or such. She canceled the first transaction and rang it up again, outside the bag.

 

Look at the difference!  Plus, she credited me 5c per bag.  I don't remember how much these bags cost me, and it would probably take me eons to recoup the cost of them, but still, it feels good trying to be plastic-free.

It'll feel even better in *mumble-mumble* months when I can grow my own asparagus and radishes.

Please note, Cynthia commented this:

They are available on Amazon from Greenfeet.

http://www.amazon.com/EcoSac-GardenSac-Reusable-Produce-Bags/dp/B000E8X3JS

$4.95 for a set of two.

 

 

Comments

[Geri]

Cool bags! Wow they are heavy though. I'm trying hard to use my eco friendly bags, but have not seen the produce bags. Those are great.

[gayle]

I'm counting the days to homegrown produce myself. Or, I would be counting the days if spring was anywhere near predictable up here...
Love the mesh bags.

[Carole]

That's certainly a noticeable difference!

[lisa]

Nice bags! If you can remember to take them out of the bag and lay the veggies on the bag on the counter, that'd help... I'll have to try to make/find something like these. AND to remember to take the produce out on the counter...

[margene]

I remember my bags 100% of the time, too. I must find some of you veggie bags! They look great!

[Mary Beth]

That's cool - thanks for showing that. I always use my grocery bags. Now I will try to find the produce ones too! I also do self check out most of the time, so I won't have to ask to have them weighed.

[Vicki]

I like those mesh bags. I'd like to plant, grow and harvest (successfully) SOMETHING this year.

[Bex]

That is a great idea! It probably helps to keep certain things fresher, too!

I am very grateful that in the last year or so (probably due more to cost-cutting than to environmental concerns) a lot of stores are offering the suggestion of skipping the bag. Its nice, so I don't feel like an alien when I ask.

[Jennifer]

I love my reusable grocery bags and try really hard to remember them too. I love those produce bags. Do you remember where they are from?

[marianne]

Fabulous bags, Norma, but yeah, cotton is not lightweight. (hee, we buy same stuff)

[Marcia]

Hmm, I have some biodegradable plastic bags made from cornstarch or something (I use them for taking kitchen scraps out to the compost bin) and think they'd work for produce at the grocery store. If I could remember to take them. I'm doing well with my eclectic collection of canvas, though, but wish those teen-aged boys who pack would not put quite so much in them....I'm old and not as strong as I look!

[Helen]

Love the produce bags!
If ONLY I could get DH on board with this plan! (He does the grocery shopping, which I love... but...)

[Jena (the yarn harpy)]

I just never use them anymore - just put my loose veggies on the counter and usually they are fine. I guess that won't work when I get a big handful of green beans... but I suppose one bag on very rare occasion is better than using them all the time.
What really chaps my butt is when I give the bagger the number of bags I know I will need for my order and they put 80% of the groceries into one (usually the one for that store, which isn't the strongest of all my bags) and then distribute the remaining few items between the other bags. Or put everything in one bag and then put the remaining bags on top of the groceries. Yet when they bag with the plastic they have, they put one or two items in each. Even when I forget my bags, I always ask for paper, unless it's pouring rain *and* I've forgotten my bags, in which case, I have to suck it up and accept plastic - which are then always recycled back to the store. :)

[Cynthia]

Hey Norma. Thanks for the tip about the cotton bags. They are available on Amazon from Greenfeet.

http://www.amazon.com/EcoSac-GardenSac-Reusable-Produce-Bags/dp/B000E8X3JS

$4.95 for a set of two. Looks like I'm going to be doing some shopping online today!

[Melissa G]

Actually I was impressed by the cost of the asparagus--$2.79/#!!!

[Carol]

I got some mesh bags many eons ago that are pretty light. I think they are nylon. Maybe I should ask to take the produce out too? Unless there are multiple fruit/veg, I don't use a bag at all. Asparagus, broccoli, etc get no bag.

[Cheryl S.]

I, too, would worry about paying extra for the bag. I try not to use bags for the produce at all unless it's something that needs to be contained (mushrooms, bean sprouts, etc.). And lately I've been packing a few of the plastic produce bags in my other bags, so I can reuse them instead of getting new ones.

I was really ticked off at the grocery store yesterday. The bagger used my bags, but first tried to pack EVERYTHING in one canvas bag, even though I had 2 canvas bags and an insulated bag for the freezer stuff. I asked him to please put the frozen foods in the insulated bag, but he didn't understand and just took some things out of the first canvas bag and shoved them in the second, still leaving the insulated bag untouched. And he put heavy cans and boxes on top of my produce. Sheesh. The cashier said the bagger didn't understand. Well, if he doesn't understand, and he doesn't know how to bag groceries, then why is he working as a bagger? I'd rather bag my own stuff, thank you. Before it all gets smashed. I gave up and just took everything out of the bags and repacked them myself.

[Cookie]

Great idea! I've been wondering about a way to avoid the produce bags. Since I don't have a cat anymore, I don't really need them.

[Lucia]

At 5 cents per bag that's only (about) 100 shopping trips.

We use reusable grocery bags, but haven't been so good about remembering them other places. Gotta work on that.

[Sarah]

Totally going to try growing radishes next week.

[Seanna Lea]

I made asparagus lemon risotto last night, which was both delicious and, more importantly, reminded me of spring. I'm hoping that we'll manage to get our condo sold and a house bought by the beginning of the growing season. I really want homegrown tomatoes instead of the sad supermarket ones this summer.

[Josiane]

I've bought these reusable mesh bags, but they're actually pretty much the same as onion mesh bags, so my collection has been growing (for free) since I initially purchased them. They're ligthweight and really don't take much space, so I always have them in my reusable grocery bags.

[sandy]

Great bags! I too am remembering my reusable bags 99.9% of the time. Almost perfect!
xo

[Charlotte]

I'm working on remembering to take my reuseable bags with me. I've never seen those produce bags but if I had them, I just wouldn't put the produce in them until it had been checked unless it was multiple small things like green beans. Today when I went to Aldi's, I surprised myself by thinking, "Do I have a bag in the car?" I keep them in the trunk and knew that the sort of canvas but not really canvas ones were on my kitchen counter. I did have an older sturdy plastic shopping bag so I took it in with me.

At knitting group today we talked about gardening. I'm not sure I'm going to plant anything this year. I only have some big flower pots for a garden and last year the squirrels got all my tomatoes and my bean crop was three beans total from two plants. I might try some lettuce this year because it seems like I should plant something.

[Renee]

I hate when I forget my bags in my truck!!
Spring will be here soon - I hope. Be nice to grow stuff here again.

[elizabeth a airhart]

tis mardi gras night new moon have a good one

[kmkat]

I am thinking perhaps I could make a mesh produce bag, maybe from a mesh laundry bag. I think we have an extra one.

[Carolyn]

Nice.

[Jennifer]

What a brilliant idea! I'm still working on remembering to bring my green bags from the car INTO the grocery store every time I shop. Sigh. Now I have tons of Trader Joes bags that are filled, with, Oh, I don't know, knitting projects? ; )