Almost everyone I know shows up at Publix - at almost any store, really - with a bag full of reusable bags. We are all very good about this, to the point that when we forget our bags at home that one little time, because maybe we were running late or had a million things on our minds, we apologize to the high school or college student bagging our groceries with a mumbled, "I always bring my bags, I promise I'll bring these back and recycle them," and then we don't forget again, at least for a while.
This is a good thing. We've come a long way, after sliding a long way.
I can remember the days of paper bags in the grocery store, in the 1970s. My mom would unpack the groceries and then use the paper bag for the kitchen garbage can. When we put out our big trash cans for the garbage collectors, they would be full of brown bags full of mostly decomposable things - food scraps, boxes, and paper wrappers. We didn't waste things back then - at least, not as much.
Then the 80s came, and suddenly there were plastic bags. I don't remember when they first appeared at the grocery store, but I remember that fresh-out-of-high-school job at Caldor (the everyday discount store) and bagging everything in plastic, unless someone asked for paper - which was rare, but it did happen. Sometimes we used the bags a second time, and sometimes we didn't. We just didn't worry about it.
About five years ago, I was shopping at Publix, and some large canvas bags were hanging off the register, for sale. I thought this was cool, and then I thought about why I'd want one - because after all, bags are my "thing". When it dawned on me that the canvas bags would replace the plastic, I bought five at once.
Over the years, we've amassed quite a few bags, to the point where we have sets in both cars. The newer bags are not as nice - they are not totally canvas and I'm pretty sure they are made of nylon or some other threaded plastic.
But at least they are reusable, for quite some time. I've ripped a bunch and thrown them out, but those five original bags I still have, even though some are stained and worn.
A few months ago, Sheridan and I were standing in the produce department at our favorite Publix, marveling at the fact that even though we've all cut the use of plastic shopping bags, we were still watching produce bags being torn and filled by the half dozen. And so we thought, there must be a better option.
Searching under "reusable produce bags" on Amazon led to this gorgeous find:
So I bought a 6-pack, in different sizes, and we have been using them ever since. The cashiers typically marvel at them - "That's so cool! Where did you find it?" - so this is not a common occurrence for them, but I like to think that when the first reusable shopping bags appeared on the scene, the reaction was similar. In time, hopefully those plastic produce bags will disappear from common use as well.
The beauty of these bags, which makes them even nicer than the shopping bags, is that you can throw them in the wash and they come out as good as new.
Eradicating produce bags is low hanging fruit - pun intended. All it takes is a little thought before walking out the door and if you can't handle it, then just stow them in the vehicles. Easy? You betcha.
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