I always get asked this when checking out at the grocery store. I usually get plastic and reuse them as bathroom garbage bags.

What type of bags do you prefer and why? Do you reuse them for something or recycle?

Wierd question, I know...lol

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 03:02 pm:

I like the plastic bags because they are easier to carry. If we need a bag to carry something somewhere else, they are a good-sized bag and work great. I like the paper bags because that is what we gather our newspapers together in. I try to go halfsies on the paper and plastic, since they serve different purposes in my life.

Really I like my meat in its own plastic bag, frozen in a nother and all the dry stuff can go in a paper bag.

By Yjja123 on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 03:07 pm:

We reuse the plastic bags (lining all garbage cans etc) so plastic for us

By Fraggle on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 03:11 pm:

Plastic-I reuse them, too. Any we don't need can brought to a recyling bin at the grocery store.

By Missy3 on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 03:11 pm:

I do prefer the paper bags only because it make for a nicely packed car. I do have a "thing" about all the bags as Dawn does. Meat I put in plastic bags when I pick it out, especially chicken. I do have to get the bags over by the produce though at some stores. I like the frozen in plastic, so I can identify them easier thus, put away all at once. I also LOVE my boxed stuff as well as canned goods in paper. I also request my bread in paper, otherwise it gets smushed and I can not stand smushed bread. Baggers hate me but it makes my life easier....

By Vicki on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 03:15 pm:

It depends on how much I get. The thing I don't like about plastic is they seem to only put a few items in each bag and that makes for tons of trips. At the grocery store, I usually ask for paper and tell them to pack them heavy!! At places like WalMart I always get the plastic, so I always have plenty of them for small trash cans at home and stuff like that.

By Colette on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 03:18 pm:

Usually paper and we recycle them, but if I get plastic I reuse them as lunch bags for dh or for trash liners in the bathroom.

By Eve on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 03:18 pm:

I get plastic at the big grocery store. There is a smaller, local grocery that we use as well and I only get paper from them. They have really high quality paper with handles. I use the plastic ones for stinky diapers and misc. trash, and I use the paper under my sink for my recycling.

By Candace on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 03:22 pm:

I always get plastic. I reuse them for dirty diapers and to line my bathroom cans. I have never really thought to use paper. Maybe next time I will just for fun.

By Cat on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 03:26 pm:

"Kill a tree or choke a fish?" Can't remember what tv show that's from! lol

I always tell them it doesn't matter because we always reuse both. We use the plastic for lining small trash cans (bathroom, computer, laundry room, bedrooms) and the paper make good crafts and also to cover small boxes for mailing. I also send paper bags to school for crafts at times (Randy's teacher last year needed 150 for a Christmas craft!). And newspapers fit really well in them! (great minds, Dawn! ) The baggers at the commissary usually end up putting everything in plastic except crushables (bread, chips, eggs). I do think the plastic are easier to carry. Okay, I know I'm strange but I really like the Target plastic bags. They're a little bigger than grocery or Wal-Mart bags and they're also a little thicker/heavier. They fit really well in the trash can I use for diapers (covered). Others are just too small. My little plastic bag quirk.

By Marg on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 03:56 pm:

I prefer paper! But guess what neither the Martin's or Food Lion in our town keep them in stock anymore. Rarely do they have them and rarely do you hear them ask you paper or plastic

By Mommyathome on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 03:58 pm:

Always plastic. We reuse them. Sometimes for stinky diapers. Sometimes for trash can liners when we run out of trash bags. Sometimes to transport something. Sometimes for weeding the flower beds. They just come in handy!

Interestingly enough, they don't ask "paper or plastic" at any of our stores around here. It's just always plastic. If you ever request paper they act like it's a big chore to get the box of paper bags out.

By Bellajoe on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 04:24 pm:

Funny, Giant Eagle used to ask what we prefer. Now they automatically bag my groceries in plastic bags unless otherwise requested.

I do like the plastic bags for other things as well, as Robin said. I like to have a couple paper bags on hand as well though.

We used to used the paper bags as book covers in school....did any of you do that too?

By Kaye on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 04:26 pm:

My husband is the engineer at a plastics plant, so always plastic at my house! We reuse, recycle, etc. Except meat ones, I throw those away...eww! The target bags are made from a different type of plastic, I do like them (not my hubby's company though..oops!). They ask here. Also here (texas) they ask if you would like help to your car.

By Coopaveryben on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 05:10 pm:

I always use paper when I can. My dad is an analyst at a paper plant and he always said, "I don't make plastic, somebody better be using paper". It's silly I know, especially since it is newsprint. But a large part of our community is supported by this papermill.

By Mommyathome on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 05:21 pm:

OMGosh Patti...I forgot about the book cover thing LOL. We use to have to do that in middle school. I remember it basically became a doodle pad. I completely forgot about that!

By Melanie on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 05:31 pm:

I always get plastic so I can reuse them as well. And yes, all my books were covered with paper bags too! LOL.

By Palmbchprincess on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 09:08 pm:

Plastic here, that's all the have at HEB to my knowledge. I reuse them too, for really stinky diapers, or liners for the wastebasket in the bathroom. I got tired of stuffing them into on big bag, so I used one of the fridge pack Coke boxes and put them in there. (Works like a dispenser, and keeps them neat)

By Amy~moderator on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 09:51 pm:

That's a pretty cool idea, Crystal. I'm going to try that!

By Insaneusmcwife on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 11:30 pm:

We usually just get plastic. I use them for everything. I keep some in my trunk incase dd has an accident, I have something to put her dirty clothes in. If people forget things at my house I label a plastic bag with their name and put it in the hall closet to await their return. the "fat bag lady" as my husband calls her (her name is really "tidy hidy" from Xmas around the world)usually runs out of bags before my next adventure to the commissary.

By Kernkate on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 01:02 am:

OK I am the odd one here.Worked in a grocery store for over 10 years ..I always get paper.
Only because I can fit ALOT more groceries into them {the paper bags}and I can also recycle them with my paper items. I hate to carry 5 plastic bags when I can carry 2 paper bag. And they all recycle the same way. Instead of using 10 plastic I use 5 paper.

By Ladypeacek on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 03:55 am:

I use plastic, easier to carry and i mail alot of packages back to the states for family so i use them for cushion and also in the trashcans for bathrooms. I get bread in paper though and use those for wrapping packages!!

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 05:50 am:

I use the plastic bags to line my kitchen trask container. (I have a small container, since up until last May it was only me.) I use paper for putting out paper recycling. I prefer to have stuff packed with a paper bag inside a plastic bag because (1) when they use plastic only it doesn't hold much and doesn't stand up in the trunk; (2) sharp corners on boxes poke through the plastic. Either way, I recycle by dumping plastic bags in the recycler at the supermarket or putting them out for paper recycling.

Trader Joes has these lovely large heavy cloth bags with handles and I have bought several. I keep a couple in the car for shopping at Trader Joes or when I'm doing small shopping (no more than two TJ bags full), and use others for my library books - one bag for those I've read and plan to return, another holding those I haven't read. These are great bags, cost around $5 or less, and multi-purpose. They are made so they will stand up in the trunk and have sturdy handles.

By Sunny on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 10:00 am:

Doesn't anyone else ask for paper and plastic?

Our store will start bagging in plastic unless you request something else. If I just used plastic, I'd have 30 bags - I buy a lot of food! LOL I don't find them sturdy enough or able to hold as much. I always ask for paper in plastic for heavy items. It holds as much as a paper bag, but has handles for easier carrying. I keep all the bags and reuse them for things already mentioned...lining small trash cans, covering books, lunches, broken glass (I wrap it in the paper/plastic bag before putting it in the regular trash), etc.

By Babysitbarb on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 02:17 pm:

I take the plastic also because I use them for our small garbage cans and for stinky diapers also.

By Eve on Friday, March 12, 2004 - 09:33 am:

Crystal-I stole your idea for plastic bags! Thanks! I've been folding them up and putting them in a drawer in my kitchen cabinets. So, I now have another whole drawer that is FREE! Good tip, thanks.

BTW-My DH thought I was brilliant for thinking of it. I hated to tell him it was your idea. LOL! But, I did!;)

By Amy~moderator on Friday, March 12, 2004 - 09:46 am:

Lol Eve, I think her idea is ingenious, I can't believe I've never thought of that before. I can't wait to try it.

By Palmbchprincess on Friday, March 12, 2004 - 10:54 am:

Glad I could help... it was just one of those things that hit me. Probably because I drink so much soda, I have those boxes all the time!

By Bea on Saturday, March 13, 2004 - 01:10 am:

I ask for both. They put a paper into a plastic for me. It reinforces the paper, and gives me a handle when I need it. They work wonders when lining our large trash can in the kitchen. NO MORE LEAKY BAGS. I store the other plastic bags I get, and reuse them for tons of different things...litter scooping....packing shoes in my suitcase....dirty laundry when traveling...lining waste basket etc. Whatever I have left at the end of the month I bring to the consignment shop where I volunteer. They use them. Our newspapers come in long narrow plastic sleeves. These are great when storing French or Italian bread, and the rest go to my next door neighbor to use when he walks his two beagles.