Tothill

We have been using reusable bags for a long time in my part of British Columbia. The City of Victoria has banned single use plastic bags.

It is not difficult or onerous to wash the bags. I only wash the ones that have been in contact with meat after each use, the others are used several times.

I buy the reusable bags at the grocery store, for 50 cents to a dollar, it is not worth my time to make them. I did buy 4 that are out of thin nylon that fold into a pocket at Ikea. Those I can easily fit into a pocket, but most my bags are just stuffed into one bag and it is easy to carry them into a store. A friend has hers folded and in a bin in her car.

Because it is so common around here clerks do not bat an eye when they are handing the bags. It is second nature to carry bags into a shop. One grocery chain gives a 3 cent discount for each reusable bag.

When I was in Europe in 2017 and 2018, I brought the bags from Ikea and used them in Italy, Germany, France, The Netherlands and England. I would just hand them to the clerk, or bag my own shopping. In Italy, single use produce bags were all compostable.

I am planning a long road trip this May and I plan to bring my bags with me. I will report back on my experience handing them over in various cities.

I think back 40 years when groceries were packed in paper bags, sandwiches were wrapped in waxed paper, department stores used nice paper carry bags and we all managed without all the plastic.