I realized that it's a little silly to be all about carrying my tote bag to the grocery store and yet take a new bag every time I want to get some apples or bulk lentils etc, so I created this system for making sure I always have some in my handbag. This little plastic case (packaging of some sort that I'm reusing) manages to hold about 10 bags.

Here, a depressing video about plastic trash on Midway Island to accompany it.

To say nothing of the great pacific garbage patch. Cry. I try not to take these bags, unless I really need it (they don't take kindly to dumping loose lentils on the thingy). But I re-use them for lunch bags too. And shoe bags when travelling. And to wrap shampoo bottles in etc. Shannamuppet · 2010-11-13: 19:40

Yep, I do that too!! :D I hear there's a plastic gyre in the Atlantic, too. :'( Liiisa · 2010-11-13: 19:41

Veggie bags are like gold in our house as they're used to pick up dog excrement. (Excrement being my word of the week.) Oweena · 2010-11-13: 21:39

Excrement is a great word. Maybe we should be saving our extras for those among us who have extra excrement to be, er, extirpated? Excommunicated? Exorcised? Liiisa · 2010-11-13: 21:47

Happy cozy little bag You're like the Bob Ross of sustainability. phona · 2010-11-14: 07:49

Yes, you are the Bob Ross of recycling. Luckily you don't have the hair to match. Tulpje · 2010-11-14: 09:44

I like that you've named the style of bundling them. The Stuff Grape Leaf roll. Great idea. elora · 2010-11-14: 10:13

lmao! That may have to be a new sigline. Liiisa · 2010-11-14: 11:07

Im not quite as organized. I wash them out, and just shove them into a cloth bag. reach in for one if i need it. I use very few when i get groceries, except for bulk stuff. kitegypsy · 2010-11-14: 11:39

Whatever works! I was trying not to use them when shopping for veggies, but they look grumpily at me at the cash register when I dump a massive wad of wet kale on the belt. Plus keeping differently priced stuff separate at the farmers' market, etc. Liiisa · 2010-11-14: 12:17

I feel very wasteful now. ;) rezinka · 2010-11-14: 13:43

If you get your bulk foods at MOM's (My Organic Market for you non-Balto-DC peeps), they feature corn based compostable bags for their produce and bulk food. I just fille them with veggie scraps and dump into the compost pile. For the Farmer's Market I usually use those reusable Green bags. Any odd new plastic bags that do "slip through" get used for disposing of Scaredy's uh, excrement. ;-) Seriously, my use of disposable plastic bags as gone way, way down. thisismizb · 2010-11-14: 15:20

They look like bags of pot websterella · 2010-11-14: 16:56

That sounds like a lot less work, MizB! Liiisa · 2010-11-14: 19:25

ha ha. ShangriLa · 2010-11-16: 19:37

Hm, maybe I should start doing this. Most of the time I just dump the veggies on the thingy - it seems doubly pointless to use the bags when I'm only buying one or two of each item and it is something I'm going to peel. Usually the checkout people are fine with it - small boy trying to talk to them helps. :) KateR · 2010-11-23: 23:08