Am I really saving (talking about plastic bags here)?

hi! buying some trashbags, is not saving at all i think, because they are not very cheap and also not many of them are bio degradable. maybe the better way for saving some money from the trash, is using the same bag several times or just have a trash basket and so you don't need a trashbag

That was my exact question when all this about not using plastic store bags started coming up. It doesn't make sense to stop getting something for free then have to buy it. Think about it... who is gaining by this? Companies who make plastic garbage bags are the biggest winners. I will not buy trash bags in that size. I still take plastic bags at the store and will continue to until I'm forced to stop. Maybe by that time I'll have a big enough stash to last me the rest of my life!

I don't know if garbage bags are more biodegradable then other plastic bags and since they are normally larger and more expensive they tend to be unnecessary for small families. Here some stores still give bags and others have to be paid for. I think the biggest complaint was in places where people pack their own shopping putting say two things in one bag and another two in another get home have too many bags and through them out. The advantage is that plastic bags can and are recycled so for areas that allow for recycling this prevents the overloading of landfills. The only suggestion I can give is to compare the prices of normal shopping bags vs trash bags, then if normal bags are cheaper use older bags for the rubbish and buy an extra bag replacing the bags as needed.

Reusing and recycling plastics, whether it is plastic bags or bottles, old plastic bowls, dishes, glasses or even sunglasses and glasses frames, not only is good for the environment but also saves a non renewable resource, OIL! Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose in a land fill, while the same plastic can be remade into furniture, bags, even medical supplies. Our local store has benches outside the store with a plaque on it that states that the bench was made from 3000+ recycled plastic grocery bags. I even stuff my teddy bears with recycled plastic products that has been sterilized and made into fiberfill. Fortunately the manufacturers have gotten smart and made the trash bags more biodegradable than the grocery bags. Even so, there is still a certain amount of petroleum product that goes into a trash bag. I take big bags of plastic bags that I have saved to the recycling station for repurposing. After attending an ecological biology class I have changed the way that I deal not only with my recyclables and trash, but also my neighborhoods trash too. I have managed to get a recycling program started in the neighborhood. After all, when you figure that the bottles for water and other liquids are made of at least 20% recycled products, you can see where you do save the environment. After all our petroleum deposits will not last forever.

I also save plastic bags.. They come in handy for several different things.. Yes it may not seem like you are saving the environment by reusing your bags but you are.. Instead of just throwing away the empty bags you are filling them; instead of throwing the empty bags away and buying trash bags.. which fills the land fills faster.. you are slowing the process down.. If everyone was just as thrifty with their plastic bags I bet the land fills would be cut down by a third or more.. You are doing your part no worries

I don't know which is more biodegradable, but what I would do is NOT take my cloth bag to the store for a couple of runs and build up my supply of plastic bags for garbage. Then I would use my cloth bag again, until I ran out of plastic bags for my garbage, and then I'd build up my supply again. I wouldn't buy plastic trash bags if I didn't have to. Strictly an economic point of view...

I have a few cloth bags that I use at the one grocery store in town that has started charging for bags but I'm of the same mind as you - I USE those plastic bags! I can't imagine cleaning out the cat litter and putting it in anything else but a used grocery bag. I do see both sides of the coin and I agree that plastic bags can be wasteful, but when they're getting reused I do think that makes it better. I guess the best answer is to put garbage directly in the can but how many people are really able to do that?

Well, talking about trash bags...I think they are made to be quick degradable when they reach landfill, so there is no problem with using them. But you can also store your garbage in some damaged plastic bags that you can't use anymore. My suggestion for your shopping habits would be following: you could get yourself a cloth bag, whether buy one or make one for yourself. These bags are durable and will last longer before you'll have to get yourself a new one. Cloth bags are very popular in our country.