Grocery shopping and our environment

Shopping is about cooking, isn't it? You can't cook unless you bring home the groceries, after all.

Today I got to thinking about all those grocery bags, and about the very different points of view in different places.

A week or so ago I read that Seattle is starting something new - you either bring your bags along with you when you shop, or you pay for each new bag you carry from the store. I suppose a lot of shoppers will go ahead and pay, but many others will see this as a wake-up call to begin wasting less of earth's resources.

On the other hand, my friend in Florida reported a very different scenario. She tries very diligently to carry bags with her so that she isn't responsible for wasting them. Most of the time that works out well, but not long ago she ran into a store policy that was just the opposite.

When she told the clerk she wanted her purchases put in her cloth bag, the clerk said no. She was required to put them in a disposable bag with the store logo. She did say she could set the store bag inside the cloth bag if my friend wanted her to! She said thanks, but she guessed that would defeat the purpose.

Both of these communities are very big on recycling, so it isn't as if the store was not aware of the need to be less wasteful. It sounds like they just aren't thinking.

Now that the news about Seattle is out, I'll be waiting to see if the idea spreads - it would save retailers a ton of money while helping Mother Earth, but it will sure be difficult for those of us with wandering memories. I can't think how many times I've taken my cloth bags along, only to leave them in the car when I go in to shop!

People like me will be getting extra exercise - with those trips back out to the parking lot to get bags.

I don't guess the bag industry will be very pleased - just think what would happen to their sales if we all started carrying cloth bags, or re-using the plastic and paper bags until they fall apart.

So... my thought for the day - take at least one of those cloth bags you have stashed and put it in your car right now, while you're thinking about it. And then, try really hard to remember to take it in the store next time you go for groceries.

And I will too!

Health and happiness,
Marte

Marte Cliff
writer@marte-cliff.com