San Francisco is the first US city to ban plastic bags. Unless you are a mom and pop shop. Then you can use all the plastic bags you want.
We have the Trader Joe cloth bags, but I always forget to take them to the store. Sigh. This is what I get for living amongst hippies. 🙂
image from SF Gate
robin k
March 28, 2007
I was happy to hear SF banned the plastic bags. I don’t understand why people like them so much. They require so many more trips from the car to the house. I also like to use the paper ones for my garbage can under the sink.
Sara
March 28, 2007
that is cool!
our old town in France banned all free bags at the supermarket (paper and plastic) you either had to bring your own or pay for the reusable ones in the shop, just that extra few cents was good motivation to remember the bag.
michelle
March 28, 2007
Oh how wonderful! I have to practically beg my grocer to just put my things in my cloth bags! I do recycle the plastic bags though, in fact the heap in my closet is growing…gotta get on that. But I digress…so excited that SF took the plunge, maybe NYC will follow soon?
Paul Ferney
March 28, 2007
Walking the groceries home just got even worse…
Anonymous
March 28, 2007
I think it’s a bit ridiculous –
liz s
March 28, 2007
i think it’s a little ridiculous too. a couple nights ago at the grocery store they were out of plastic so i had to use paper and it was so awkward to carry just two full paper bags
Beth
March 29, 2007
We are in a city where it is 20 cents to buy a plastic bag, so we’ve got plenty of strong cloth and hemp bags in our collection now. They are actually much more comfortable to carry groceries too since you can put them on your shoulder – and backpacks work particularly well!
robin k
March 29, 2007
I understand now that it is more difficult to walk home with groceries in paper bags instead of the banned plastic ones. But I heard that they will be coming out with compostable plastic bags soon – those won’t be banned. I’m glad. The banned plastic bags are made using petroleum, don’t decompose and create a huge litter problem.