OT: Does anyone still have one use plastic grocery bags left?

[Extra Point_rivals157299]

I still have some one use plastic bags left, they are easy to keep in a pocket when going shopping. I was wondering if anyone else still had some left from saving them up when they were legal, or if you used them all up.

 

[ashokan]

Nope nope.
I go to Traders Joe's and such and its all paper
The paper is better than the plastic because in the car the plastic goes flat and stuff rolls around.
The vinyl (plastic) bags stores sell are better as well.
The paper is good for oil after fryng chicken wings
As crime and filth overtake NY, I feel better about not using plastic bags despite most things I buy coming in plastic.
I can be the change I seek - I am who I've been waiting for

 

[MrsScrew_rivals32693]

Nope. I stopped using plastic/paper bags years ago. I use these, can roll up one into a pocket or carry the whole pod in for a bigger shopping trip. They can be washed & dried & are extremely strong.

https://www.bagpodz.com/

 

[gef21]

Still have a few in the house but we have used reusable bags for years at the store.

 

[RUBigFrank]

Friends ask for bags when we are in Florida - they are used to pickup dog poop.

 

[Brisket and Bourbon]

Yes groceries…and small garbage can liners and house plant litter and so many uses!

 

[RUnTeX]

I still have some one use plastic bags left, they are easy to keep in a pocket when going shopping. I was wondering if anyone else still had some left from saving them up when they were legal, or if you used them all up.

Are you taking up a collection or just a random survey?

 

[Plum Street]

None left. Have a bunch of reusables . Baffles my mind that these geniuses in Trenton didn’t factor in the instacart and delivery services when making this legislation .
Now don’t get me started on the paper straws. Whoever votes on making that required should be forced to sit down with a bunch of 4 year olds, order milkshakes and can’t leave the table until the kids drink every ounce of those milkshakes with the paper straws . Justice !

 

[Lerxst72]

Nope. I stopped using plastic/paper bags years ago. I use these, can roll up one into a pocket or carry the whole pod in for a bigger shopping trip. They can be washed & dried & are extremely strong.

https://www.bagpodz.com/

I'd bought a set of these and liked them, for the most part. I liked their strong ripstop material, however two drawbacks - I found them to be on the small size and they don't hold their shape at all, so some grocery escapage would occur in the car.

I stopped using them when I left the storage bag, with 8 of the 10 bags still in it, carabinered to the cart I'd been using. DOH!

 

[yesrutgers01]

Friends ask for bags when we are in Florida - they are used to pickup dog poop.

They suck for picking up dog poop. At least half of them have some sort or tear, hole or rip in them. Plus- dog poop bags are pretty damn cheap.

 

[rurichdog]

I buy the plastic bags on Amazon. I need cheap plastic bags to tote cat litter into the garbage can on litterbox cleanout day.

 

[DJ Spanky]

Got a ton of them. Keep each car stocked with a bunch, and as others do above, use them to line small trash cans.

I also usually pick some up when I visit Tyler in Virginia.

 

[Letitrip]

Dumbest law ever. I reused those bags for many years as my kitchen trash bags. Now I have to buy hefty kitchen bags which are far thicker and I imagine far worse for the environment. Gas stoves are next on the silly parade coming from government.

 

[Mufasa94]

Do those of you who are in the banned areas use any “lining” in a small garbage container you may have in a bathroom, 1/2 bath, etc.

Those little grocery bags fit perfectly in them and I glad the bags haven’t been banned where I am.

 

[yesrutgers01]

Do those of you who are in the banned areas use any “lining” in a small garbage container you may have in a bathroom, 1/2 bath, etc.

Those little grocery bags fit perfectly in them and I glad the bags haven’t been banned where I am.

My wife would slice my hands off if I ever tried to like a garbage can with a shopping bag.

 

[MrsScrew_rivals32693]

I'd bought a set of these and liked them, for the most part. I liked their strong ripstop material, however two drawbacks - I found them to be on the small size and they don't hold their shape at all, so some grocery escapage would occur in the car.

I stopped using them when I left the storage bag, with 8 of the 10 bags still in it, carabinered to the cart I'd been using. DOH!

I knot them if it's stuff that can easily slide out. I left my pod on a cart once, realize it when I got home fortunately when I went back to ShopRite it was still there on the cart

 

[RUScrew85]

I still have some one use plastic bags left, they are easy to keep in a pocket when going shopping. I was wondering if anyone else still had some left from saving them up when they were legal, or if you used them all up.

I bought a bunch off of ebay. If I need to take one into a store I drop a one in the parking lot in protest of the stupid law. FREEDOM!

 

[Plum Street]

I bought a bunch off of ebay. If I need to take one into a store I drop a one in the parking lot in protest of the stupid law. FREEDOM!

Ha

 

[koleszar]

I still have some one use plastic bags left, they are easy to keep in a pocket when going shopping. I was wondering if anyone else still had some left from saving them up when they were legal, or if you used them all up.

No I still use the get to the cash register and “Oh ****, I forgot the bags again” method.

Then it’s 30 items into the cart, out of the cart onto the belt, back into the cart then into the trunk, finally into bags in the driveway.

I can say the reusable bags work well from the driveway to the kitchen. And the 40 reusable bags I’ve purchased throughout the year make for nice kitchen decor..

 

[newell138]

No

 

[DJ Spanky]

No

Elitist!

 

[goru1869]

I have plenty left and still use them. Saved them before the commie scum signed this into law. Will buy more from Amazon when my supply runs low. Friggin tree huggers.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

I had forgotten you guys had them banned. I don't know how you all put up with your state government.

 

[MulletCork]

Yep! I take a ton back every time I go to Florida and use them shamelessly. One sandwich? Double bag it. One 6 pack? Quadruple bag it. I have hundreds of Publix and Winn Dixie bags I use here for garbage. Might as well. Makes no difference to anyone.

 

[Extra Point_rivals157299]

Are you taking up a collection or just a random survey?

Random survey. I want to be the last one in NJ to have some one use bags left

 

[Extra Point_rivals157299]

I bought a bunch off of ebay. If I need to take one into a store I drop a one in the parking lot in protest of the stupid law. FREEDOM!

If I see one in the parking lot I pick it up, inspect it and if it passes my inspection I keep it lol.

 

[Mr_Twister]

We bring them back from Florida, and calling them “one use” is misleading and incorrect.

 

[RUScrew85]

If I see one in the parking lot I pick it up, inspect it and if it passes my inspection I keep it lol.

I'm OK with that. But you are cancelling my political protest. ; )

 

[Lerxst72]

I knot them if it's stuff that can easily slide out. I left my pod on a cart once, realize it when I got home fortunately when I went back to ShopRite it was still there on the cart

I did go back to the store to look, but alas... was too late.

 

[iReC89]

just moved my kid and got a lifetime supply of reusable bags from Amazon/Whole Foods orders.

I keep insulated bags from SAMs in my car all the time and keep water bottles in them. I kind of have a crush on them.

but yes - I just found a stash of plastic bags in a forgotten container. They will all get used.

 

[T2Kplus20]

I buy the plastic bags on Amazon. I need cheap plastic bags to tote cat litter into the garbage can on litterbox cleanout day.

Easy to buy:

 

[T2Kplus20]

I had forgotten you guys had them banned. I don't know how you all put up with your state government.

The state government is a bunch of stupid people doing stupid things (and avoiding important issues since those are hard).

 

[mildone_rivals]

I would never throw them out, unless they were too badly torn. So I have what I'd estimate to be well over 1000, sitting in a couple boxes in my basement. Don't really use them for anything, but they take little space so holding onto them in case something comes up.

 

[RedTeamUpstream94]

I consider myself an environmentalist to some degree - with that said the bag and straw laws are ridiculously stupid and counter-productive.

We now have a closet filled with these multi-use bags which each involve hundreds(?) of times more plastic than a one use bag (which we commonly re-used for things like kitty litter clean up).

And the plastic straw ban. Soooo stupid. I now grab 4 paper straws every time I get a drink as they disintegrate way before you can finish your drink.

I am certain that a legit/ non-biased study would find ZERO environmental benefit of these laws

If anything I wonder if they do harm: (1) actual create more waste and/or (2) create public cynicism and resentment about environmental laws

Honestly these are just “feel good” laws - intended to make us feel good that we are “making a difference” when we sip on soggy paper straw as we drive our single occupancy monster-size SUV down the highway to our McMansion surrounded by an acre of manicured lawn. But, hey, no plastic straw… we saved the polar bears!!!

 

[mildone_rivals]

Dumbest law ever.

Take you maybe 30 seconds, if you're a slow typist and reader, to do a web search on dumbest laws ever and figure out just how far off you are with that statement. Or skip the web search and just think about it for a half-second or two.

This is actually a law where the intended consequence works as designed (it reduces the use of plastic a little) and there are no problematic unintended consequences at all. All laws should be this dumb.

 

[toby83]

No bags left but I have six or seven of those plastic hand bins

 

[RedTeamUpstream94]

….there are no problematic unintended consequences at all. …

I am not so sure that is true.

The “re-use” bags involve far more plastic than the tiny one-use bags (which I personally re-used)

And I think the very prevalent public resentment and cynicism over these laws (due to their questionable benefits) is absolutely problematic

These laws are the equivalent of crying wolf

As I said above - they are “feel good” laws intended to make the lawmakers (and certainly some members of the public) feel good about themselves that they “made a difference” when really it is very questionable if there is any environmental benefit at all (or at a minimum NUMEROUS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT things that should be done to help the environment)

And I say the above - not from a Trumpy/ MAGA perspective- but from a quite different point of view. These laws don’t help much - and as someone who does favor IMPACTFUL environmental regulation - I think they do more harm than good in the end simply for the resentment and cynicism they create

 

[mildone_rivals]

I am not so sure that is true.

The “re-use” bags involve far more plastic than the tiny one-use bags (which I personally re-used)

And I think the very prevalent public resentment and cynicism over these laws (due to their questionable benefits) is absolutely problematic

These laws are the equivalent of crying wolf

As I said above - they are “feel good” laws intended to make the lawmakers (and certainly some members of the public) feel good about themselves that they “made a difference” when really it is very questionable if there is any environmental benefit at all (or at a minimum NUMEROUS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT things that should be done to help the environment)

And I say the above - not from a Trumpy/ MAGA perspective- but from a quite different point of view. These laws don’t do a damn thing - and as someone who does favor IMPACTFUL environmental regulation I think they do more harm than good in the end

My reuse bags have no plastic, are much larger than the single use plastic bags, and have held up great to years of food shopping. I went from using tons of those plastic bags (which I saved for reuse, but rarely actually reused) to using almost none. My other plastic use stayed the same.

Reading through the thread, I'm not seeing any harmful unintended consequences. Some people are working around it by purchasing plastic single use bags. But it seems most have embraced reusable bags. Nobody's actually suffering in any way. Inconvenienced doesn't equal suffering, right?

The net result of the law, for me personally, has been entirely positive. Bigger bags, less trips. Easy and painless.

So even if just some people are doing what I'm doing, while some people are maliciously non-compliant, it still means plastic use is down a bit at each store, and that adds up to a decent cut-back in plastic use. And I'm an incrementalist - I prefer small incremental painless change over time to crisis-driven rapid change that's painful.

Also, putting any environmental concerns aside, plastic isn't particularly good for humans. There are cancer and other health concerns. And plastic is made from petrochemicals for which the planet does not have an endless supply.

If there was some kind of pain involved, that'd be different. But there really isn't. It's just people whining about a tiny change in their lives. Nobody in the thread is saying "I cannot shop for food anymore", right? They're either doing what I did and using reusable bags, or they get the one-time plastic bags elsewhere and still use them.

No pain. Less plastic. A good law that, like all good laws, isn't going to solve everything all at once, but moves us in a good direction in small increments over time.

 

[RUBlackout7]

I assume anyone who still uses leftover plastic bags lives in a trailer park.

 

[RUHotTrumpetMonkeyLove]

No, but every time I'm in the supermarket I grab about ten plastic produce bags for the reasons others have mentioned (cat litter, small bathroom garbage cans, kids car sickness).