The Tote Bag Trend Makes NO Sense

[@FutureProofTV]

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[@eropis]

I have a bagbag next to the door and one in the car. When the car bagbag gets empty door bagbagbags are transferred backt to the car bagbag.

[@blunderingfool]

Hey, had a thought. Infinitely reusable and easily sterilized Codd bottles should make a comeback, what do you think FutureProof?

[@ropro9817]

So, basically, social media will be the cause of the demise of humanity. (for more reasons than one) 😅

[@Lostboy811]

❤ ❤ ❤❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ Qqqqa1❤q​@@eropis

[@arturovillaluz2053]

So what's the alternative for reusable bags? Your hands?

[@as95ms98]

I honestly don't get it. The point of a reusable bag is that it's reusable. I've been using the same reusable Costco bags for groceries for the past 15 years and have never felt the need to get anything new.

[@jessip8654]

Same. I've used the same 4 reusable bags for over a decade. In theory switching the country to reusable bags should have worked, but consumers gotta keep consuming I guess.

[@Akanisen049]

Same here. I have several reusable bags I've used for so long I've forgotten where some of them came from 😂

[@Fernando-ek8jp]

Yeah, I only buy new ones when I forgot one. And even then I just tend to go for the disposable paper ones. Most of our bags have seen a ton of wear over the years.

[@elosacle]

I forgot how many years I've been using IKEA tote bags, but they've been with me through several moves, many donations, and lots of Costco trips.

[@JaguarFiend]

Yeah I have like 4 or 5 that just live in the trunk of my car and I've been using them for like 15 years. So much that a couple of them have torn and worn out. So I think I'm doing it right.

[@fishingfan1500]

When we had the "single use" bags, my family never just threw them away, they'd be used to carry things on random occasions, AND we used them as household garbage bags, so even though they were getting thrown out, they were being "used".

[@33Jenesis]

We have been doing the same for produce bags. They line trash cans.

[@Josh_Quillan]

I think there are very few households that didn't have a bag of bags somewhere in the kitchen for holding random stuff. Of course, now that we don't get free bags my supply has dwindled to nothing. But we have numerous recycled woven plastic bags instead.

[@Josh-yr7gd]

Exactly. Giant Eagle gorcery stores got rid of plastic bags and only offer paper bags or "reuseable" totes. This makes no sense, environmentally. Many items in the store already use non-recyclable plastic packaging which is far greater than any amount of plastic shopping bags. Paper bags have even less reusability than plastic ones. Paper bags aren't strong enough to carry a gallon of milk because the handles rip off, they get wet and tear in the rain, and you have to fold them to store them or throw them away (which requires more work). I reuse the plastic bags all the time. I keep a drawer full of them for future use. You never see people saving paper bags to reuse in the same way?

[@Josh_Quillan]

@@Josh-yr7gd Paper bags are biodegradable and can/should be made from recycled material; that is how to manufacture a good 'single-use' item. It makes plenty of sense environmentally. However it sucks for actually carrying shopping. The issue is that shops used to treat plastic bags as 'single-use', even though many customers didn't, to the point that they made them so weak they wouldn't survive two uses.

[@Josh-yr7gd]

@@Josh_Quillan What about the fact that most items in the store are already wrapped in some kind of plastic? How is that good environmentally? Even things that come in cardboard boxes have plastic inserts. Plastic bags only make up a small percentage of the overall amount.

[@TheOnlyTaps]

It's a shame how much reusable stuff becomes a trend and thus stops being "reused" coz people start collecting them in their droves thus defeating the point of reusability as they become just as saturated as the plastic bags we were trying to reduce use on

[@TracksWithDax]

And then once they go out of fashion, they have to find a way to get rid of them en masse

[@TheOnlyTaps]

@@TracksWithDax exactly

[@FutureProofTV]

no because this is Exactly! It! and then it just defeats the whole purpose 🤦‍♂️

[@FenixQubes]

It feels like people are getting more stupid by the minute nowadays

[@TheOnlyTaps]

@@FutureProofTV 🎯💯

[@evamg21]

The way the reusable bag suddenly worked in Europe: Shops were forbidden from giving bags for free. And people refuse to pay 20 cents every time they go shopping, in every shop. (Like clothes shopping. One bag is enough).

[@elizabetht308]

same in canada + some states in the US

[@jasonrafael5945]

The irony here in the US.. some states started doing that. And then they started wrapping fruits and vegetables in plastic 🤦‍♂️ Big Corp wins again, and we’re once again reminded all the other corps don’t give two shits any what they pretend they care about.

[@RunaroundAtNight]

New Orleans tried to ban one time use bags, but this was stopped by a law passed by the state. Louisiana, always on the cutting edge of failing it citizens.

[@mageyeah7763]

Ten cents per bag in California. Which amounts to a rounding error compared to the cost of the groceries in the bags. 6-8 cents profit per bag to the store, no money at all going to cover the environmental cost, which would be something like 15 cents per bag.

[@DeannaClark-oo9ut]

There's always been tote bags but they became a symbol of personal virtue...and now usually made by slave labor at that.

[@Theguyoverthere603]

When my fabric tote bags start falling apart, I use them as fabric pots for my garden. There’s a healthy bush of chives currently growing out of my free Barnes and Noble bag rn lol

[@afirewasinmyhead]

Solarpunk 😎

[@wolfsbane4516]

This is such a good idea! I need to remember this for mine!

[@007Julie]

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing

[@Talking_Ed]

I have some bags that are 20+ years old and they never fell apart yet, I guess I'll be like 60 when I will do this lmao

[@alexandra-q7u1m]

Just curious chemicals from the bag don’t harm your herbs?

[@shiftyshilfee]

Japan resident here. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods tote bags absolutely have been a hot item here for many years, specifically because the stores don’t exist in Japan, so carrying one of their bags makes you look more international and worldly. They don’t sell for a thousand dollars though, good grief they never could have become so popular at that price. $10-$20 is typical (even in Tokyo, contrary to what the person quoted in the article believed). Also to have “seen [something] selling online in Japan for $1,000” (per the article) doesn’t mean anything. Online sellers will often set outrageous prices on items they are currently holding for a specific seller, or for whatever other reason is temporarily unavailable. Not a criticism, just a clarification. Love this channel :)

[@meghan9436]

I can vouch for this too. I've seen a lot of Trader Joe's tote bags out in the wild here in Nagoya. I know that I have also seen them kicking around at Book-Off. The online prices are quite inflated compared to what we're used to locally.

[@katea2895]

Makes sense. in Australia as far back as the 80s, and probably decades before, people who had been to London would display what a cultured person they were by bringing back a Harrods bag to carry around and show off with. Then in the 90s, at latest, a "schützt unsere umwelt" bag from Germany was pretty special. The tension between displaying a message you want to display vs. a brand that a shop wants you to display has a long history, and control of women's pockets and bags through fashion has an even longer one - at least big bags are practical, useful items, even if the way they're harnessed by corporations for marketing and greenwashing purposes is cynical. That's what corporations do, and we really should be complaining about the corporations, not the bags. The transition from single use to reusable bags in supermarkets was certainly a fiasco, but it only happened this way because the corporations could profit from it. I will continue to use the calico bags I've collected since the 90s, dragging around the solid ones from my student union until they wear out, taking more care of the nostalgic, hand printed ones from various collectives or events, smiling at other people with interesting bags, because all adornment communication, whether or not you like what it's saying. I'll completely ignoring the boring ones covered in boring brand names except to be glad when I see them being used properly instead of being thrown out and replaced, and keep trying to find ways to push against consumerism and slowly move the world towards real, earnest sustainability.

[@OGYouTubeEnjoyer]

When I lived in Kelowna back in the 90s Japanese tourists would take pictures of my blonde hair at the beach.

[@cour2knee]

lol. I lusted after some Harrods reusable bags to tote them around nyc- I had the same mentality, not everyone had them in the US so they were a little special, for a non-special item

[@jonbannan7647]

Sooooo wild that you post this today. Trader Joe’s recently restarted their program where, if you bring your reusable bag to the store, you get entered into a weekly raffle. Every Monday they draw a name and pay for that person’s groceries. Kinda cool incentive program to get people to ACTUALLY use their bags 😂

[@FutureProofTV]

what! The problem in NA is we have very little actual incentive to bring these things in so they're often forgotten and the disposables win out. This is actually pretty cool to see

[@Mialamorena1]

Not a recent thing, but the Trader Joe's in NYC doesn't do this.

[@383_Manual]

I was just in a Trader Joe’s and got entered in the raffle! Fingers crossed. There are also a few grocery stores around me that give you like $0.50 off each purchase if you have your own bag.

[@Alverant]

One supermarket chain gives you a nickel back if you use one.

[@chovue2363]

so you buy trader joes tote bag and return them for your money back and get entered into a raffle? sorry, im dumb.

[@spartan0x75]

Hold on a second. Why do you phrase 52 times as some crazy high number? There are 52 weeks in a year. I've been using my bag for over 7 years and counting and go grocery shopping at least 3 times a month

[@d-meth]

I've had my Trader Joe's bags for many years, they're great.

[@relatively_random4903]

The problem is you're not the norm. The problem is that most people don't use each of their 20 reusable bags more than a few times. This means that, *in aggregate*, it would be better if we just stuck with single use bags. The problem is that reusable bags only worsen the problem if the throwaway culture persists. The bags aren't the problem, people are.

[@d-meth]

@@relatively_random4903 people tend to not refuse the low quality ones that come from the supermarket for a $1.99. But it's very likely that children who grow up with reusable bags will reuse them. I use my Trader Joe's bags for years But never reuse the crappy plasticky ones from the supermarkets (stop&shop, food bazaar, BJ's, etc) because they just suck.

[@anum4776]

@@relatively_random4903 Exactly. Many people even reuse the single use plastic bags at least once as garbage bags. But there are also people who throw all plastic bags away immediately. And people who buy tote bags or any reusable bags as fashion statements, then get bored with them or the trend changes and the old bag is thrown away, just to buy new bags. I collect Moomin themed reusable bags grocery stores sell here. All of them are in constant use, either for groceries, waiting in different backpacks in case I need them in the store, loaded with certain hobby supplies so they're easy to grab when I go, as temporary organizers... they have served the 52 uses. But most people do not do this.

[@robertmusil1107]

​@@relatively_random4903he is the norm. People using that stuff as fashion are not the norm and therefore this video is trash

[@michellehanson984]

My mom loves reusable bags. She uses them for everything - groceries, of course, but also anytime she needs to carry anything anywhere. Going to the library? How are you going to carry your books? Going on a picnic? How are you going to carry all the stuff that doesn't fit in the cooler? Grandkids visiting? You can fit so many presents in a tote bag, and here's another bag full of food because how do I know you're being fed if I don't give you food?

[@leifmeadows3782]

Which is absolutely fantastic, and means they are definitely getting enough uses to justify their carbon footprint. I'm with your mom, I use them for a lot of things.

[@livefastpetkity]

YESS, same here, I have about 6 reuseable walmart bags that i've had for 3 years and use religiously for my grocery shopping or any other time i need something simple for carrying, definitely used each of them more than 52 times and will use them for years to come. It's a shock to me that people would not use these or treat them like a collectible :( they're such good bags

[@lalaithan]

I do this, but I don't LOVE them. I actually think they're quite annoying, but I don't want them to be wasted in a corner.

[@alexibarra4675]

I thought she was stuffing the Grandkids into tote bags 😅😂

[@sabresister]

I’m a knitter, I obsessively collect them to store WIPs in 😂

[@LarsaXL]

I can't be the only person on earth who noticed that the "single use" bags can be used multiple times, right?

[@tomorrowhowever7488]

If I have heavy stuff, the plastic/paper bags won't make the three block walk!

[@rachelrainbowphoenix]

they are becoming flimsier. but they work really well for packing breakable things like holiday decorations

[@suncoastcrafting6362]

I also reuse these 'single use' bags from grocery stores. We have 4 cats. So if my state makes plastic bags unavailable, I'll have to buy plastic bags to clean the litter box. Or to clean up after my mother's dog. Those plastic bags that I buy to clean up are truly 'single use' bags. It seems to me that the plastic bags I get with my purchases are 'many use' bags. They are handy garbage bags or storage bags for so many things. And I can take them back to the store and use them again for my next purchase. Multiple use bags.

[@LarsaXL]

@@tomorrowhowever7488 not really a problem unless you really overload the bags or use paper bags in heavy rain. They're not made of glass.

[@mh-do3pe]

I reuse them for groceries, car trash bag, trashbin liner, and my dog's poop bag

[@RCDiaz-Balart]

I'm only about a third of the way through this video, but I wanted to say that the IKEA tote bag that you buy for $2 at on IKEA the huge blue kind of tarp material is pretty much the only bag I use at Aldi and trader Joe's for the past 3 years and it still hasn't broken and I've carried upwards of 80 lb worth of groceries in a single tote.

[@ChrisWachtman]

Those blue bags are seriously fantastic. I use them when I need to do a bulk grocery trip at BJs. I also find them useful when we go on a trip involving more than 3 small tote bags. Its just faster to load/unload the car when I can grab one set of handles for the blue bag that has all the other bags inside it.

[@ifoldinhalfsoeasily]

I use mine on road trips, and even used a couple while moving. They're so strong!

[@SLClark-g5s]

Unfortunately, I don't have the strength to carry a bag that heavy. I'm the one who asks the cashier please even out the groceries in the bags (when I remember to bring them in the store, sigh) so I can carry them.

[@Phalaenopsisify]

They're the standard laundry bags of Sweden! Everyone uses them to carry laundry to and from the communal laundry rooms.

[@Suedetussy]

@@ifoldinhalfsoeasily Yes, in my circle, when someone moves, every friend helping with that move comes with their ikea bags to share.

[@paulopbga]

in defense for plastic bags, it doubles as a trash bag or a lunchbag.

[@zachariah7114]

yup, people have always reused regular plastic bags. companies are cutting costs, in the name of "doing good".

[@robertmusil1107]

In my civilized country you need to buy official trashbags at the store with logo and everything and then you throw the trash into them. This finances the garbage company of the city. So, no.

[@ronswansonsdog2833]

A cover for a paint roller…bag for wet bathing suits on vacay…dog poop bag….

[@tracygee]

Your problem is that “tote bag” does NOT mean “reuseable bag” meant to replace a plastic grocery bag. A tote bag is a certain *style* bag. They are rectangle, open-top bags, with straps long enough to put over your shoulder. They’ve been around forever and most purse companies make a tote in their lineup.

[@LunaRyuu]

Thank you! I was saying this the whole video lol. Tote bag is not at all synonymous with reusable bag, unless you want to call a purse a "reusable bag"

[@user-gu9yq5sj7c]

You can use any bag or box for groceries. Like a sturdy backpack. Why be fixated that it has to be a certain thing or wait around for people to tell people to use any reusable bag for groceries?

[@lidewijvos]

Yeah almost all tote bags are too small for groceries if you buy for more than one day of groceries. Tote bags have a completely different use.

[@MeridaEllaSinnottDBurtram]

Yeah, luggage isn't new. Market baskets have existed for centuries or more. It's weird to hear people claim that non disposable basic homeware is only 12 years old. The checkout bags upsell were cheaper options from traditional non ugly carry bags. Very weird video. Rage farm, I guess.

[@loosilu]

@@lidewijvos Tote bags come in all sizes.

[@valoriegibbons378]

Tote bags are not a new thing... the stupid prices for then are. I'm in my 70's and have used various tote bags in various sizes and styles most of my life. Started with one to carry my toys. Especially around the house or on cat trips. Still use them for various purposes, especially one my Mother made in 1985 for me of plastic grid canvas that she did needle work on. I use it to carry my needlework in. It's definately one of a kind. I also have one my Grandmother made in the 50's from left over curtain material.

[@irenicrose]

When you’re actually a sustainable minded person these trends mean nothing. I’m happy with my two totes that I use regularly for specific purposes, and my mom has used her reusable grocery bags for years at this point. Some of them are probably nearly as old as me.

[@eddythefool]

I just bought a foldable crate and pop it out when I need it.

[@ceoatcrystalsoft4942]

Its females. Your other comment about the Stanley Cup proves that

[@Phalaenopsisify]

@@ceoatcrystalsoft4942 First of all it can be anyone, of any gender. Secondly, the people you're adressing are called women, not females.

[@TheMoonlight1711]

@@ceoatcrystalsoft4942 take your misogyny elsewhere

[@Komplexitet]

Same here. I have been using my reusable bag for four years. I have a spare in my backpack that is two years old. It's a handy thing to bring with you even with the backpack. It's usually used to spread out the things that I buy between the backpack and the bag.

[@vesselinkrastev]

I have a couple of reusable bags that I bought willingly and intentionally without anyone trying to shove them down my throat and I've been using them for several years now. I intend to continue using them for as long as they last. I make sure to have some kind of bag on me pretty much at all times while I'm out and about in case I decide to run by a supermarket. I really don't get any of this.

[@bethyeary8995]

Lol. I have 2 that I've had to sew the straps back on on.

[@d_maboroshi]

Ironic fun fact- one of the reasons the inventor of the single use plastic bag created it was because he saw it as a more eco friendly alternative to paper to reduce deforestation. The idea was that the plastic bag used so little plastic that its lifecycle footprint would be less than paper. Great example of good intentions leading to unforeseen disastrous consequences. Wonder what he would think now...

[@boathemian7694]

Same as the guy who invented the coffee cartridge machine?

[@robertmusil1107]

Deforstation was a huge problem and he was actually right at the time and is probably still right. Paper bags in comparison are probably even worse.

[@FastRedPonyCar]

My wife inherited about 6 or 7 grocery bags from her grandmother. They're blue, pink, etc with paisley designs and stuff and every so often, I'll be at the grocery store and a cashier gets hit with some HARD nostalgia seeing them and reminding them of their mom or grandmother too. We've been using them for 15 years now. My dad and granddad always got paper becuase they could use them to start their grill fire or take them camping to help start campfires. Plastic had zero practicality for them and I only get 1 plastic bag when I'm getting groceries and that's to wrap packs of meat in so they dont' accidentally leak.

[@heystacey2124]

I use a tote bag every single day, and I keep them handy everywhere, including in my purse. I use them when I travel, either as an extra bag for storing T-shirts or socks. They're not just lying around; they're actively used. I have around 10 of them, ranging from thin material to strong ones.

[@Uncle_Smidge]

Same! I have a cute little pouch shaped like a fish with a collapsible bag inside patterned like salmon nigiri. I use that sucker all the time.

[@Phalaenopsisify]

They're great for storing dirty laundry while travelling or an extra pair of shoes!

[@cmkellygirl]

that's the thing...u have to USE them! overnite bag, groceries, clothes to the laundromat, keep ur pajamas in, take things to goodwill, take lunch or to gos!...i have so many reuseable bags i don't count them. but family have told me to take some to goodwill! they keep coming out with more sizes, stronger and made of plastic bottles, and yes, different patterns or colors! my local grocery store knows the way to my heart in new patterns BUT they still offer plastic bags! that's the problem! came back from UK where they charge you to use their plastic bags and encourage u to reuse! they even have reuseable mesh bags for veggies! can't tell u how many bags i HAVEN'T used when asked if i need a bag...cuz i keep a small one folded in my purse for impulse shopping! and i am learning to make PLARN! cutting plastic bags up to make yarn that crochets up as sturdier, more reuseable bags or mats! So don't just buy bags for show, USE THEM!

[@TheBrockwayBabe]

I have been using the same 3-4 canvas shopping bags for almost twenty years. Recently thought I had lost one of them at the grocery store and went back frantically looking for it, it was A gift from Zappos back in 2011, have had and used it nearly everyday and the thought of losing it made me so sad I cried tears of joy when it was handed back to me from the lost and found counter.

[@vf1923]

I arrived at a store one today to find the one I had bought had just... fallen off my shoulder somewhere and I hadn't noticed. I retraced my steps all the way home, but couldn't find it. I hope it's living a happy life. It was a nice bag.

[@graces811]

I've accumulated such a large collection of a bag filled with bags that lately I've been donating used things I no longer need inside of extra reusable bags instead of plastic/trash bags.

[@Rayne_Storms]

Food banks and other charities are another great place to donate these. I work with a community aid group and we always need these to pass out other donations in.

[@rationalraven8956]

I've been using my "resuable bags" as actual trash bags lol

[@Yungmasterflex]

@@rationalraven8956bruh

[@gabrielleperson4794]

I wanted reusable bags. I use reusable bags. We use them for groceries, for travel. We use them for years! Years! We don't resell them, we don't give them away. They are not fashion statements. But tote bags to me are not the same thing. They are given out at festivals to carry items you pick up from the festival. We still might use them for groceries. Or cat food cans. (We buy 42 a week for our 4 cats.)

[@traildoggy]

But you can store your collection of limited edition steel travel mugs in these.

[@katarh]

I keep waiting for one of these to end up at the local Habitat for Humanity so I can snag it for my husband. Surely the craze will die down soon....

[@traildoggy]

@@katarh That's actually where I got my steel mug for 50 cents. 👍

[@katarh]

We use our reusable bags. They live in the laundry room. Prior to grocery shopping, we have a little checklist of things to remember: Shopping list pen, quarter for Aldi (who charges for bags), and the whole dozen bags, including one giant insulated reusable tote I got like 20 years ago at Sam's Club and repaired at least twice. All the cold stuff goes in there - important to keep ice from from dying in the summer in Georgia. I'm sure some of those bags have made it through about 500 uses now. I only say goodbye when they have developed an actual hole. If we do forget a bag, we get paper bags. We keep those, too - there's always something that they can be reused for later on, even if it's just wrapping a package to ship out at Christmas.

[@epicurioh]

I was thinking last week: isn't it kinda wild that we got upset at the thin plastic bags, so stores got rid of them, and now plastic bags are back, THICKER than ever and often say "rip resistant," or "anti-tear," or even "Don't throw me out!" Plastic bags got a glow-up, or rather a rebranding.

[@akoiya6300]

I actually thought those bags were supposed to be a mix of reusable and disposable. Or am I the only one who used them that way😅

[@sprockkets]

I got many many uses out of those tough plastic bags from Aldis. They are the best in every category.

[@MustachioFurioso9134]

​@@akoiya6300 they're reusable, most people don't seem to use them that way though. IMHO, all of them should just be compostable, since we know people won't reuse them anyway

[@kalenalexisbeauty9102]

@@akoiya6300I've always reused mine, just fold it up and store it somewhere for next time. They fit better in my purse too! Until they rip, get food drippings or something they are good. Or I'll use them to hold my recycling before taking it downstairs. Someone came to stay with me and threw them out as he got them. I was taught to reuse things. There's also the whole recycling is a scam thing, I honestly have no idea but I just try to separate out as much recycling as I can from the trash. Wish I knew if it meant anything, please someone link a video if there's concrete evidence.

[@LeTushie]

They’re meant to be reusable but I guarantee people don’t lol. On top of that, they’re not allowed in the curbside recycling bins either

[@JEKAFISHER]

I have a lot of these, most of them are about 8 years old at this point and they are not a single-use item. We use these for groceries, yes. But also for camping, BBQs, moving, book, honestly anything we can use it for. They are great, and I've used each of them way more than "52 time".

[@eamon3287]

My wife buys them as gifts for friends when we are on holiday, I really don’t understand it 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@AhhhSukeSuke]

😂 I think we all become forced collectors of these annoying items, and assume others do it by choice!!! I have a number of cloth bags.... as much as I try to always have one avail to use, I also inevitably forget to bring it/forced to buy one for groceries 😢

[@FutureProofTV]

The WORST reusable bag is the one you didn't ask for...

[@vcutler4735]

A friend got me a reusable cotton tote bag when she was on a trip... that said it had a design she knew I personally would love so I do use it lol. It's like any gift, gotta know your audience.

[@RyanonBasss]

Guilty .... I bought them for my mom and sisters when I visited Japan ...

[@Seskoi]

OMG this is a divorce matter.

[@RC-qf3mp]

I bought a designer tote bag and the cashier put it in a plastic bag.

[@user-te2vz5re1o]

When working retail - dont automatically bag things or ask would you like a bag. Ask do you *need* a bag, and many people will take a beat to think and realize they don't "need" one when it's framed that way.

[@lmshanyfelt]

I usually don't want a bag, but I get caught up in paying that I often forget to tell the employee before my stuff is already bagged. I appreciate when I am asked, because it keeps me from forgetting.

[@user-te2vz5re1o]

@@lmshanyfelt Exactly this! And for some who are introverted, they don't like having to ask someone to not bag/unbag. I really did find being proactive about it from the cashier side had me doling out far fewer bags per shift than my colleagues.

[@Uncle_Smidge]

This. Hell, I often visibly have a bag and have to remind them that I told them not to bag my stuff.

[@LuckyFootwork]

Where I work we charge 8 cents per bag, so people stop and think anyway.

[@somethingsomething404]

@@LuckyFootwork25c here

[@ally679]

I live in Canada. Since the plastic bag ban, I've accumulated hundreds and hundreds of reusable bags. I get 90% of my groceries delivered because I don't drive and they mostly arrive in reusable bags. I recently had to throw out approximately 500 reusable bags because I had no choice and I hate that. My apartment is small and I was running out of closet space.

[@cmkellygirl]

omg! i bet u could sell them online though! if u can't take them to a thrift store to donate at least give them away to people? leave them at the bus stop? i wish i could take them and help u. i bet they are good from canada!

[@bcamping1]

Give them back to the shop

[@ritamorides1682]

There are companies that recycle them why throw them out. Doesnt make sense

[@TheStitchWitchPodcast]

where I live there are no plastic bags, so everyone needs and uses reusable bags. I definitely have gotten more than 50+ uses out of each of my bags!

[@Kaienhere]

I'm surprised to find this is not more common in more countries

[@juliajs1752]

If someone goes shopping once a week, the environmental cost has been evened out within one year of use. It's really not that big of an issue!

[@elizabetht308]

same~~ coming from canada, everyone i know uses reusable bags, especially since the plastic bag ban

[@mck1029]

Yup. In the UK. They charge for single use bags here so my reusable get use almost every day.

[@rationalraven8956]

Since plastic bags were banned, I've accumulated over 100 "reusable" bags because I'm too much of a forgetful idiot to actually bring the empty ones back to the car before I go shopping again

[@DrewPeabawls]

We use a single bag for our grocery shopping. It’s like a fishers net bag so the load and strength capacity is insane. After that, our store has compostable plastic bags for bagging vegetables and alike which we then use to line our compost bin. When we need a bag at check out we’ll take paper bags which we then use to put our recycling in or consolidate our compost for the week. Lastly, we take the cardboard boxes given by the store to stack grocery items if we have a large load. Then the cardboard box can be broken down and recycled. It’s not complicated. It’s easy and practical.

[@ashleyhall1185]

Genuine curiosity: what do you do with eggs and bread?

[@connors3356]

i put all my groceries ina big bucket and then dump that bucket inthe basement where it is cold and dark

[@autumnumberger3883]

​@@ashleyhall1185 (not the US) There is one brand of eggs where I live that is sold in a tiny woven basket with grass inside and stapled shut. You can buy these pretty much anywhere you can get eggs. All other eggs are sold in plastic containers. Another specialty shop near me sells farm eggs that are sold in paper bags filled with shredded recycled paper (newspaper, notebook paper, etc). In the US, though, don't they still sell eggs in paper/cardboard cartons?

[@DrewPeabawls]

@@ashleyhall1185 Not sure exactly what you are asking but here in the USA, we get Vital Farm eggs which are pasture raised. The shells can be composted and the containers are cardboard which we simply recycle. Lastly, we don’t consume a lot of bread but when we do we get it from a bakery. Sometimes you get it in a plastic bag but you can ask to wrap it in a paper bag if needed.

[@PreventiveCarnivore]

I've been using reusable bags for over 10 years. They're bigger, hold more weight & each one lasts for YEARS. I've never thrown one away. We use them for camping items as well as groceries. If they get dirty, they're easily washed with a damp cloth. I do not see a controversy here. It absolutely makes good sense to use sturdy, reusable bags!

[@Thorny_Misanthrope]

Visit any coastlines in Southeast Asia, and you’ll appreciate this trend. Plastic bags are disgusting. The riverbanks in cities used to be choked with plastic bottles and bags. it’s not as bad as it used to be. Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good.

[@mjc0961]

Hmm, no, I won't appreciate this trend. Wait until people start getting rid of their reusable bags because they're not trendy anymore and are in the riverbanks where the single use plastic bags used to be,

[@user-bi8ko7kc6h]

You are the one who doesn’t understand. Firstly, they are MINI size. Secondly, people are buying 10s of the same bag in different colours then use them as handbags, not grocery bags. Once they are out of trend people will bin them. The trend isn’t them getting one bag each and use it as a reusable shopping bag. Just like the Stanley cup trend. People bought like 50 reusable cups. Do you think it makes it sustainable?

[@user-gu9yq5sj7c]

@@user-bi8ko7kc6h That's a few terrible people. Many people do use reusable bags to help the environment. Look at the comments here. Those people who love to shop would shop a lot regardless if the grocery bags existed or not. What's wrong with these bags? Let people have their choice. What's your solution for the environment then? Just because this channel criticizes a problem with something doesn't mean you have to blow it up bigger than it is, go to bad extremes, or vilify everyone who uses this bag. Plastic is a scam cause they have a limit to how many times they can be recycled and then become trash.

[@user-gu9yq5sj7c]

@@mjc0961 Plastic litter is worse and more toxic than natural fabric reusable bags.

[@BastiatC]

@@user-gu9yq5sj7c The few terrible people influnce social trends to change normal people's behavour. I have a tote stuffed FULL of totes. I've never bought one, I've gotten them all for free without asking. They're becoming exactly like plastic bags except the impact is going to be 10000 times worse.

[@althetutor]

I just passed by some tote bags yesterday when getting groceries. They had them positioned as the first thing you see when walking into the store. I see people buying them at checkout all the time. You'd think people would reuse the ones they already have just for the sake of not having to pay for bags every single time they go to the store, but alas, I live in a world where too many people are too eager to part with their money to avoid putting in even the tiniest bit of effort. I bought my first two bags around late 2015 to early 2016 and have been using them ever since. I unexpectedly got a free one mailed to me by a charity that was seeking donations and haven't had the need to use it as of yet. It's not that hard to use them; if you forget to take the bags out of your car, just take your cart to your car and move the items into the bags. Also, it won't kill you to take an extra 30 seconds to push your emptied cart back to one of the cart corrals.

[@gladtobe5]

Your suggestion at the end was a joke but that’s basically how we manage our reusable bags. We don’t own a car so we just have bags stored in backpacks, larger bags, bike bags, my purse etc. all with the goal of always having one when we need it. Also those folding bags are very convenient, they even fit in pockets.

[@sd-ch2cq]

Same. When I'm done unpacking my groceries I immediately put the bags back into my bike-bags and back-pack. I always have a small bag with me in case I want to do a small impulse shop, f.i. at the train station on my way to work

[@Arionlappy]

Love the conclusion with practical advice at the end. So many people tell you about a problem without offering helpful solutions. I'll get on that "not eating" thing.

[@kaieden]

You can pry my totes from my cold dead hands 😠 Seriously though, I use totes every day for regular shopping, avoiding the uk grocery bag charge, carrying the odd small possession when I go out, organising things when travelling, and broadcasting to everyone that I read the New Yorker.

[@hilaryhongkong]

I use my tote bags every day for work. I literally need to use them. If I don't have tote bags, I would have to either bring a backpack (much less convenient and also cannot see how that's more or less sustainable than a tote bag to begin with) or keep using relatively fragile plastic bags and replace them probably every week or so.

[@uribove]

Exactly! I have 2 cheap tote bags from uni, a self made shoulderbag, 3 grocery bags and ALL of them see use at least once per week AT MINIMUM

[@connors3356]

i am going to be visiting the united kingdom in order to see a big rock. i will be there for 19 months, i plan to use a harbor freight 5 gallon bucket for my groceries. when life gives you lemons, utilize harbor freight 5 gallon bucket

[@gailneal]

I can't even imagine a world where a "single use" bag is actually single use. Those things are gold!!!!! Trash bag, poop pickup, lunch box, shoe carrier, overnight bag, shower cap, rain bonnet (in a serious pinch), and on and on and on. I give the ones I don't use to homeless people to carry ... I could go on for hours. They are NOT "single use" 🤦🏾‍♀️

In Africa they use “single-use” plastic bags as an alternative to refrigerators.

[@yetinother]

My mom always got the paper bags because she could cut them open and turn them into free craft paper for us kids to draw on. Also we could make book protectors out of them every fall when we got new textbooks. You learned real quick to pick them up in the right way from the bottom or folded on the top (or both) to prevent them from tearing

[@aimee-made]

I still make book protectors! When I read a hardcover book I remove the pretty, artistic book jacket and put on a brown paper book protector. Otherwise the oils from my hands (or the snacks I'm eating, or whatever), make the actual cover of the book get all grubby. Yeah, I like my books 🙂

[@notpurrfect6397]

Thanks for the memories. We also used the paper for notes and gift wrap.

[@Grlinadk]

Good video. There have been totes that have been pretty popular for many years. LL Bean was a huge deal when I was a kid, I’m GenX, barely. Also, I have collected TJs totes and reusable bags for well over 20 years. It’s funny how so many people think some of these trends are so new, they aren’t. They’re just cycling back around. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@ungesagt]

I have my tote bag for 3 years now and I go shopping three times a week. So I got over 400 usages out of it. It has a small hole now, maybe I need to replace it someday, but I think that´s a lot better than buying a new plastic bag at the grocery store every time.

[@Gooeybrowniebaby]

I have about 20+ tote bags, from posh ones (Fortnum & Mason) to free ones. In all shaped and sizes. They’re extremely useful, and I have used all of them more than 50 times already. Because I don’t live in America, we don’t go shopping twice a month and hoard everything in our freezer for the rest of the month. We go shopping like twice or three times a week, and because I like having even weight distribution, I like having at least 2 bags. And I usually separate the wet and the dry, so I usually use about 3-4 bags each time I go to the supermarket. So that’s 200+ times a year, and that’s just grocery, not including personal care, clothes and other stuff.

[@vf1923]

Yeah, I feel this "nobody uses their tote bags" thing definitely comes from very particular lifestyle and life choices. Those thin plastic bags are not good for walking with groceries or carrying anything heavy over any distance, so anyone who shops on foot or on a bike is obviously going to prefer a backpack, a rolling bag, or a tote bag. In fact, often when the plastic bags still existed, people would constantly try to double bag heavy things. Lots of people switched over a decade ago to reusable bags of some description and just take a bunch with them when they go on their big shop or just a small one when they're not sure if they'll be shopping--it's pretty ingrained. If you're "forgetting" every time, that's a deliberate choice you're making at this point--and I really mean that. If you drive, just put the bags back in your car when you've unpacked. If you stop in on your way home, keep a small bag rolled up in in something you always have with you like whatever you put your waterbottle or laptop in. When you get home, put it BACK. I bought a plastic "Bag For Life" from a particular store in 2013, and... I still use it. I do a grocery shop at least once a week, so doing the math I've used that bag about 520 times. I have not mended it. I have been using the same tote bag for the same hobby activity for ten years. It needs sewing back up but I can do that no problem since my terrible sewing will be on the inside of the bag. When it rips, yeah I guess that's the end, but ten years isn't bad! Obviously collecting anything new for no reason other than wanting it is stupid and wasteful and people should stop.

[@DMINATOR]

When I visited US maybe 10 years ago, the lady at supermarket asked me - "paper or plastic?" I couldn't figure out immediately what was that all about it, turns out it was the type of bag I could choose to pack my goods into !

[@FutureProofTV]

always used to think paper or plastic meant cash or credit but 🤔 that makes way more sense

[@DMINATOR]

@@FutureProofTV so did I :) but the thing is there were two ladies, one cashier and the other packing my bags.

[@katfoster845]

My granny has been using the same reusable bag since before I was born. I have several that I rotated when I was walking, but I now use a wheelchair and I just use my backpack+ my basket under my chair. I still keep hold of the others because they're useful, just not in daily use any more because my circumstances changed.

[@Akanisen049]

I really don't understand why people don't reuse their bags. Like, why??? I use mine for groceries, when I move somewhere, packing for travel, and so much more.

[@Uncle_Smidge]

I have some really raggedy bags from reuse!

[@pvanukoff]

I reuse my grocery bags for picking up my dog's poop.

[@leifmeadows3782]

I mean, my plastic bags get used as trash bag liners, for scooping the litterbox, for picking up dog poop, etc. They're still going to wind up in the landfill, but at least they are saving me from having to buy doggie bags, which are expensive.

[@Truth-of-the-matter]

I work in a grocery store and I'd estimate only about 5-10% of people actually bring in a reusable bag. The most common statement I get is "Oh I forgot my bag in my car" and some even get a bit annoyed when charging them a bag fee even though it has been in place for years. People are what people are, mostly un-prepared for their shopping trips. Until you forcibly get rid of bags in stores there will always be environmental waste from 1x use bags.

[@k.w.1459]

I have suggested to people who "constantly forget them in the car" to create a proximity reminder on their phone. I know iphone has this option; not sure about other brands. The short of it: you create a circle/perimeter around the address where you do your shopping, then once you(r phone) reaches that location, it pops up with a reminder. This is a repeating one too that you do not have to re-set! :)

[@Myheartsease]

I live in a state that has NO plastic bags in stores. You can pay for paper or you have to bring your own bags. Sometimes I forget the bags that are in my trunk so I take all the groceries to the car loose in the cart and put them in the bags in the parking lot.

[@absinthealice]

I've gotten in the habit of asking the cashier/bagger to just stack my groceries back into the cart if I've forgotten my bags in my car. It takes me maybe 5 minutes to bag my own things when I get outside. Plus, it helps me remember to bring my bags in next time.

[@jAujAl1]

I don't get the "I forgot my bags in my car" excuse, can't you could just wait a few more seconds til you've reached your car to bag up your items then? Your car is your destination anyways, why do you absolutely need your groceries bagged up for the small trip across the parking lot? It would make more sense if they said they forgot their bags at home, but forgetting them in the car is a complete non-issue. 98% of the times I do groceries, I bag them up while putting them in my trunk anyways, it's really not that hard.

[@user-te2vz5re1o]

Since you are in Canada, you may not know that the orig/larger cloth totes from Trader Joes are good quality/wear well after repeated washings, have a side pocket, and are still widely avail/for sale at a reasonable price. The ones blowing up on socials and ebay are a new mini version being sold in addition to the tried and true larger size. Longtime TJs fans know what they are getting in a smaller size better for lunches and whatnot. I still have 20yo old orig cloth TJs bags that have outlasted many others I have tried. So yes, influencer consumerist bs afoot, but also an item of known quality in a diff practical size.

[@mindstalk]

I have a pretty old TJ bag. No side pocket, it's just a shapeless canvas sack. Might be from the 1990s, not sure.

[@mageyeah7763]

Before they were banned, I used single use bags as trash bags. Post ban, grocery stores sell "reusable" plastic bags that are just heavier duty disposable bags. They're much stronger, hold more groceries per bag, and are way better as trash bags. And $100 dollars of groceries fit in like 40 cents of bags, so I just keep getting them. Most get reused once as a trash bag.

[@AToutProductions]

I'm so distracted by the background. Why are there empty frames on the wall? Is that a hand mirror hanging from a string? Why is the desk and plant blocking a door? I don't understand!

[@rightwingsafetysquad9872]

I thought the original purpose of the tote bag was to carry all the paperwork home after signing a mortgage. Then every salesman in the world realized they could order them with their logo to give away as "marketting". Tote bags are several decades older than implied in the video - they're older than plastic grocery bags.

[@buttershy_]

true ive been saying this. the amount of water and carbon and everything it takes to produce just for people to not even reuse them!

[@FutureProofTV]

exaaaaactly

[@michelleappenheimer4670]

When plastic bags started coming out, they were promoted as being environmental because you were saving trees by using them.

[@qwerknet]

Huh. I have a canvas tote bag which I've been using since around 2008. I've been using it for school, for clothes, for traveling, for shopping, and yes for groceries. I bring it almost everywhere to save me from getting more bags. Although I usually get weird stares from clerks when I ask them to use it, I'm at an age I no longer care. LOL. Aside from looking worn, it has held up very well considering all the abuse it had received in the past 15 years.

[@SoVuS777]

I have a few large ikea reusable bags and I use them for pretty much anything and everything- groceries, moving apartments, returning/recieving food from family, travel and even as laundry baskets!!

[@howellomaha]

I use them and love them. When I go on a big grocery shopping trip I can use just four bags as the big ones hold a lot. People around me are double bagging plastic and have only 3-4 items per bag. I can carry so much more comfortably in my reusable bags.

[@robinclemmons7712]

I make pet food/feed bags into totes for grocery shopping. There are always some in my trunk ready to pack my groceries into. They are sturdy, washable (not in a washing machine!), and hold much more than regular grocery bags. They stand upright in my trunk and fold up to stuff into one bag for storage. They have many uses aside from groceries, as well as lasting darn near forever.

[@gabrieldomocos7570]

Normalize granny carts!

[@elaineb7065]

The trolley bag I have carries all the heaviest groceries from the shop. When I go to town (I live in a village), it's usually a day out, so I take the trolley bag, containing a chill bag or two, & my tough carry bag, which in itself contains several bags-for-life. When I take the bus back, the trolley bag is full, the tough carry is full, the chill bag has fridge & freezer food in it, & at least two others also have stuff in. Sometimes I have spare bags, but better that than run out while shopping

[@jm.varian911]

Then Levi has to make another video about insanity of granny carts trends that everyone got really hype about, and that's on you.

[@RhiKlowho]

I bought a grocery trolley when I moved. They are great for getting heavy groceries. Backpacks also work pretty well if you can handle the weight.

[@mindstalk]

@@RhiKlowho Plus you can keep some other bags in your backpack, and go home fully laded with backpack + bags in hands.

[@klarabarunovic9841]

I'm 22 and I have one, much easier to carry a lot of stuff if you don't have a car🤷🏻‍♀️

[@LandNfan]

When the grocery where we shopped first offered sturdy cloth bags, my wife latched on to the idea. The only problem was the cost, about $5 each. So I went to a local craft store and bought an unloved remnant of a light canvas material. An hour spent with scissors and sewing machine and we had a full dozen unique bags for a total investment of less than $20. That was 30 years ago and we are still using them.

[@timwauman]

In the early 1990s, a local bookstore had a membership plan that you paid a one time membership fee (I can't remember the amount) and you got a membership card that got you 10% off most paperbacks. You also got a heavy duty, LLBean tote with their logo on it. If you had the bag when you came in the store, you got 15% off. I've been a big fan of LLBean boat totes for years since I don't have a car and they are great to schlep my groceries back on the bus.

[@rpere008]

In the UK you don't find single use plastic bags at the till and you have to pay for reusable plastic bags; there are signs in the parking lot asking if you have remembered your bags and deliveries arrive in a crate - there are plenty of incentives to reuse your bags in the UK

[@anne-mariep.5767]

I tend to always use my bags and try to reuse the same ones over and over and not fall into the trap of the new cute bag at the store . However one new issue I had about 'bags' was when I tried to order my groceries online! Depending on the store you might get stuck with disposable bags, boxes or even more reusable bags! It really put me of of that!

[@mjc0961]

That is a big reason why I gave up on "order online and have it delivered to your car" The other big reason is because the frequency with which I would be told items I ordered were out of stock, only for me to go into the store to see if I could get something and then find exactly the thing I had ordered was way too high. If I have to go in _anyway_ I might as well just pick up everything myself and skip the frustration.

[@elaineb7065]

With home delivery, you can opt out of bags, & have your own ready for when they deliver. I did this a LOT during the pandemic. Freezer food: one chill bag. Fridge food: other chill bag. Bread: bread bag so it didn't get squished. Heavies: trolley bag. Everything else but the bulkies: assorted bags-for-life. Bulky items lined the path from the door to the stairs. Still have most if not all of these bags now

[@ThomasZadro]

German here. We have used cotton bags for decades, and I can confirm that most of us use them more than 50 times. What certainly helped was the fact that one has to pay for a plastic bag for ages. It very much depends on people's commitment and how serious a society is when it comes to doing something that makes sense.

[@JaimeLeighArt]

I was given a stack of reusable bags by my best friend, who lives in Maine where they don’t use plastic bags at the grocery store anymore … and surprisingly I use those bags all the time when we go on road trips or camping . They’re perfect for packing food or the little extras that don’t go in the suitcase or travel bag. Ironically, I never remember to take them to the grocery store 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@AutoReport1]

Carbon footprint was not the selling point of the ban on plastic bags. It was the pollution. You don't see reusable fabric bags lying in the street or in drains and rivers, half buried in the beach, caught on wildlife and propellers etc.

[@CosmicPotato]

We use our bag of bags weekly. My grocery store charges a few cents per paper bag if you don't bring your own reusable ones, so my wife and I just use reusable bags when we grocery shop. It's better anyway because the bags are sturdier. With plastic bags, if you had some very heavy items like milk or a jug of olive oil, you'd need to double bag to make sure the handles didn't rip, but cloth reusable bags are so much strong, just need the one bag 🙂 If your area hasn't basically banned plastic bags already, I highly recommend getting a couple cloth bags and use them instead. So much better for shopping and better for the environment.

[@zachariah7114]

If your area has banned plastic bags, where you live is a joke

[@mindstalk]

"double bag" paper bags often had to be doubled too, and even that might not save the handles.

[@mindstalk]

@@zachariah7114 If your area has banned marijuana use, sex work, or replacing your house with an apartment or business, where you live is a joke. Oh hey, that's most of the USA.

[@kimgraham850]

Several years ago I bought a set of California Innovations tote bags for grocery shopping. They have a silver antibacterial lining, and the outside is a plastic. I use them almost every time I go grocery shopping, and they have held up well.

[@IridiumKarra]

I don't really get it, i keep my tote folded up in the bottom of my purse for when i stop by the grocery store. You can call me a jaded millennial, but people who have multiple totes just look insane.

[@mattymattffs]

I wish it all fit into one tote! I've got probably two dozen, collected over the years, and we just keep them in the car until empty, and the refill the car

[@misslauradawn]

This is why I love my baggu, fits in a small purse and holds 50lbs. And then I never need to take a bag and never forget my reusable.

[@leifmeadows3782]

ummm I buy more groceries than that at once, thus I need multiple tote bags.

[@mindstalk]

@@leifmeadows3782 ummm if you *know* you're going shopping, you leave home with more than a purse. A tote folded in a purse is simply ready to handle impulse shopping.

[@playingmusiconmars]

I've been using the same canvas bag for a decade for my groceries and it just sits in my cupboard until I need it - glad to hear you be so blunt about people just being hipsters.

[@Antenox]

California banned single use plastic bags years ago, and I’ve been reusing the thicker plastic bags they replaced them with for a while now. They’re honestly great. I tucked five of them (rolled) into my glove box, and haven’t had to buy a “reusable tote” for groceries or take another grocery bag in years. My only reusable tote is a packable one I take on travel, because it’s a useful way to carry stuff I buy (souvenirs, snacks, etc.)

[@cbtan7348]

i used to keep few plastic bags inside my bag, and just reuse it until it's broken. it is lighter than the tote bag. and more convenient.

[@alisterlf]

In Brazil most people use grocery plastic bags as the main trash bags in the house. In the last couple of years some cities are baning grocery plastic bags, and now people need to buy plastic trash bags. This make no sense.

[@Storytelless]

I have 5 reusable bags and i use them regularly: for groceries and other shopping, I put there shoes when pack my suitcase, i am pretty sure each of them was used more than 52 timesin last 4 years. As an addition I have small reusable bags for fruits and vegetables. I don't understand why people struggle with replacing single use bags. In my childhood we washed single use plastic bags and stored them for years 🤷‍♀️

[@kayleighl7385]

I use my big reusable bags like my sports direct one or my Aldi ones for ferrying loads of washing up and down through the house. Way nicer to carry than a basket and they get regular use also I use them for storage at home because they fit under the bed nicely and aren’t as rugged as a plastic storage box

[@MrRuffun]

In the UK there was a similar trend in the 00's with Jane Norman bags and JD Sports string lined sport bags as fashion symbols. You couldn't not see them everywhere!

[@juliejeavons6949]

I’ve been using my reusable shopping bags for over 5 years. I shop nearly every week, so I’m way past the point of 52 uses. I occasionally still get the odd ‘single use’ plastic carriers and they get re-used as bin liners. It’s really not that difficult. Oh and we never had those handleless paper bags in the U.K.

[@rosar.4293]

Not to mention the flimsy straps never stay up on your shoulder like it’s not even functional as an accessory! 😂

[@jimbox114]

I remember my mom using bags she sewed together back in the early 80's. We normally go to Aldi where they have no plastic bags and charge you 12 cents for a paper bag. We always just gather up empty boxes around the store and transport our stuff home like that. I then break down the boxes and take them to a local recycle bin.

[@meganswaine4135]

This baffles me, because tote bags have existed for decades. (I'm in my 40s) They were always kind of just a branded merch thing. Remember the PBS funding drives? Yeah. There was always a tote bag. I made one in 7th grade sewing class. I won one from a poetry contest at my local library, in highschool. They were meant for like...books and crap like that. I have one with my name on it in the back of my closet from a wedding party I was in in 2010. People acquiring "trendy" tote bags is definitely new to me, but I've always felt like tote bags were an ugly, impractical midde-ground between a purse and a bag for moving stuff.

[@susannegalligan8600]

Looked up on eBay. Although listed at that price, most sold under $50.

[@ColleenJoudrey]

So, I have a small designer handbag collection that includes two totes. Coming from my perspective, a tote is what has replaced a briefcase, messenger bag and in some cases, a gym duffle where as a reusable grocery bag is a very different thing. My issue with the reusable grocery bags is that people are buying them every single time they are at the store and making copious amounts of plastic garbage which is very ironic from the proposed purpose. Also as a small kid in the late 80's, My mother made a dozen cloth grocery bags out of a bedsheet and they were used up until the early 00's (I actually still have 2 of them) and my grandmother used two plastic "banana boxes" for her grocery shopping. The only time a plastic shopping bag came into our homes is when we needed one to line the kitchen garbage can.

[@blacksilver09]

I still think it has helped. In our supermarkets you can use the used carton boxes and your reusable bags for your groceries and they don’t use plastic bags anymore.

[@jmi5969]

52 times? I'm certain that mine lasted at least this much. Eventually they were worn... but not torn. Even "premium" five-cent shopping bags fell apart, but the fifty-cent reusable store-branded things held on. And this is the only thing that matters to me.

[@leifmeadows3782]

I have not purchased a single reusable bag in my entire life. I somehow have 20, and this is after I decluttered some of them a few years ago. Somehow they just seem to multiply... but it's not just shopping trips I use them on. Sometimes I'm packing, realize I've forgotten a few things, don't wanna grab my suitcase out of the car, so I grab a fabric bag and start filling it. Mine probably have been used 52 times each because I am a REALLY forgetful person.

[@nandakumarsubash]

In India, I use hand weaved bags made of nylon wires, usually they are made by women at small scale in their houses (passive income), and It lasts for years. Though it's plastic and non bio degradable at the end of the day. But its longevity makes sense I believe.

[@user-te2vz5re1o]

Same in Mexico for eons now

[@TracksWithDax]

Not sure if it qualifies as passive income as they have to actively spend many hour producing and selling them 😅 great sentiment though

[@EM-ru3eh]

I just moved from 'who cares' FL back to a state that banned plastic bags while I was gone, so now all the stores here can sell you are paper bags. So reusable bags are everywhere, and some of them do look as if they've been on many a shopping trip. A few years ago a friend gave me a pretty foldable one in a matching zippered bag that fits nicely in my 👛, which I love.

I load the bags into my car on a regular basis and use the bags until they literally fall apart, some of them are over 10 years old at this time. Then again Living in europe paper bags and plastic bags have to be bought every time you get a new one as well.

[@elisabetbenson]

I have quite a few fabric bags, but they are strategically spread out in all my diffrent back-packs and bigger purses just so I always have at least one available if I swing by the store on my way home. I prefer the fabric bags, not just because of the look but also the durability. I don't own a car so I walk, bike or take pubic transport everywhere and then it's nice with a fabric bag that wont break and with handles big enough to carry on my shoulder. That is how I think they should be used, not just as an trendy accessory that will be forgotten in a few weeks when that current trend is over. I've mended my bags that have been used for years and will continue to use and mend them till they are nothing but rags.

[@naturalnashuan]

I don't drive either, it's a good idea to keep thin strong bags inside your main bag, I've done it for 26 years since I stopped driving. If you have to, it works to make a yoke by stringing bags on a stick held across your shoulders.

[@nonmeerz]

editor doing the lord's work making this video as unhinged as possible thank you matthew

[@cayreet5992]

Most people here in Germany use reusable bags for shopping - especially groceries - and are using the same bag for years. I have bags at home which I have used ever since I left my parents' home. The reusable bag is viable when society adopts it, but the US tradition of having your bags packed at the register by someone else probably makes it harder.

[@naturalnashuan]

It does, at first cashiers and baggers were unpleasant about it. Now they act slightly annoyed.

[@bougieproletariat]

Tote bags are overrated, insulated bags is where it's at 🔥🔥🔥

[@MathewWoodard]

I got a set of bags that roll up into themselves with a drawstring and are stored in a pouch in my glovebox. I can throw them in the washer if they get dirty. I drop the pouch in the cart while I shop. And they’re made from recycled materials! I love them.

[@altspiderman]

thank you for existing

[@FutureProofTV]

thanks for being here!!!

[@Josh-yr7gd]

Giant Eagle gorcery stores got rid of plastic bags and only offer paper bags or "reuseable" totes. This makes no sense, environmentally. Many items in the store already use non-recyclable plastic packaging which is far greater than any amount of plastic shopping bags. Paper bags have even less reusability than plastic ones. Paper bags aren't strong enough to carry a gallon of milk because the handles rip off, they get wet and tear in the rain, and you have to fold them to store them or throw them away (which requires more work). I reuse the plastic bags all the time. Who doesn’t have a drawer or sack full of plastic bags for future use? Do you ever see people saving paper bags to reuse?

[@lazysundays6793]

I hate reusable bags. I take my plastic bags to the store and reuse them until they get holes in them. To me reusable bags are disgusting because you’ll have raw meats in these bags and other perishable foods. Reusable cloth bags just seem very unsanitary to me.

[@FalkonNightsdale]

So my several cotton bags are by now probably self-redeemed twice… Good to know…

[@xungnham1388]

Cotton bags actually have a crazy high environmental impact. A cotton bag needs to be used 7000 times to offset its environmental impact. As bags, they tend to be much thicker fabric than like tshirts or underwear, so you can see they are multiple times more resource intensive than most textiles. Cotton is also a very water heavy crop to grow. Compare to thin disposable plastic, which is a by-product of petroleum refinement. Odds are, you will never offset its environmental impact.

[@FalkonNightsdale]

@@xungnham1388 Not really… That cotton is roughly same like in case of cotton t-shirts, just it's from thicker threads. Same way the environmental impact of producing it isn't that extreme and what is more important, cotton is renewable material all the way and once disposed, it will dissolve rather fast, unlike plastic, that will be there for next 10k years in a form of microplastic powder…

[@xungnham1388]

​@@FalkonNightsdale Yeah thicker threads, as in it took more cotton to make those threads; thickness isn't free. If a bag weighs 5x as much as a tshirt, then it took as much cotton as 5 tshirts. Weight doesn't come from thin air, it's literally can only be more cotton.

[@FalkonNightsdale]

@@xungnham1388 As I already mentioned, is roughly same thicknes as T-shirt. However that is utterly irrelevant as it has zero connection to it's carry effectiveness and biodegradability…

[@katea2895]

Both true. There are so many problems with the way we consume materials these days, that we can't win - the water used to grow cotton is terrible, the pileup of plastic waste is terrible, microplastics in the ocean are terrible. Cutting down forests to grow crops, messing with indigenous communities, awful labour conditions, wars for resource control, accelerating climate change, predatory marketing, manipulation and lies, consumerism, corporate profit, 'growth'... it's all so, so terrible and there's limited value in trying to compare the bits, we have to improve all of them. If you already have them, then using your cotton bags seems an excellent idea; if you need to buy a new one, or someone you're talking to thinks cotton has no downsides, then that's a good time to recall your new knowledge about cotton production. Still, I think that the statistic about how many times you need to reuse a bag isn't referring to cotton. Lots of places where the thin plastic bags were banned, supermarkets started offering thicker plastic bags instead, with a bit more structure, a lot more plastic, all-over branding and a price tag. (and they pretended it was for environmental reasons, not greed!) I'm pretty sure I read about that study at the time, and it was about these bags.

[@absinthealice]

I've gotten in the habit of asking the cashier/bagger to just stack my groceries back into the cart if I've forgotten my bags in my car. It takes me maybe 5 minutes to bag my own things when I get outside. Plus, it helps me remember to bring my bags in next time.

[@naturalnashuan]

Some stores let me do that. The stores that are sick of cart theft and shoplifters leaving with full carts put poles on the carts so they can't get through the door. It was entertaining once to watch a drunk guy try to leave a dollar store with a cart with a pole. He made several attempts before an employee finally explained why he couldn't get through the door, no matter how hard he rammed it 😂

[@SemekiIzuio]

Im suprised you didnt mentioned plastic bags being reused as trash bags rather then buying a pack of trash bags...

[@leannerae]

Yes! And then I use a tote but for when I'm buying items like cosmetics, books, etc cause I don't really want those tiny specific size bags.

[@josir1994]

Or just reused as grocery bag until it eventually breaks.

[@flaval24]

Having tried to do that several times I can say it sounds great but in practice isn't so good. The bottoms of plastic bags from stores are almost always not completely sealed & the thin plastic tears very easily, leaving me with a mess in my trashcan. Lining a wastebasket only dry things go into is really all they're good for, ie in my bedroom, but if it wasn't for having a place to reuse my grocery store bags I probably wouldn't have a wastebasket there.

[@eponymouscharacter]

Yeah I use a mix of plastic and reusable bags because I use plastic bags with my dog poop scooper (one per week, the bag gets filled through the week and disposed off on bin day, the poop scooper is tucked away at the bottom of the garden while it is being filled during the week). Can’t think of a more eco-friendly solution for that problem. On walks I use “biodegradable” dog poop bags but I’ve heard that those aren’t as biodegradable as they make themselves out to be.

[@SemekiIzuio]

@@flaval24 that doesnt happen to me, I will say some bag do get tears and holes but I just don't use those. Regardless they are very convenient to use as you said for small waste baskets for the bedroom or bathroom. Thats already a good use for reuse.

[@jannylynnb]

Well, some young women are using it as a purse (my Gen Z daughter explained why she is carrying one). Some women switch purses regularly, except for the women sporting a tote bag instead of a purse, who tend to use them until someone tells them they look like a hobo and need to get a new bag. So there's that... And I can tell you that all Gen X women are still looking for that replacement for the Esprit tote bag they carried in high school. If you want to see a tote bag craze, remake one of those! A tote bag is like a good box; you gotta keep it because you might need it someday.

[@katiehewes423]

I love my tote bags. I’m a 65+ yr old woman. I have been carrying tote bags for 30+ years. I probably have 15 in current rotation. I use them for everything. Laundry…shoes (when going to and from work while taking mass transportation), reading matter, knitting, water bottle, snack bag for road trips, and even getting my mail. My husband took one of my insulated Trader Joe’s totes, and he uses it to carry his laptop all over. I always have 3-4 tote bags in my car, and am ready to shop. Before there were store tote bags, I’d be lugging all these things around in rather expensive leather tote bags, or a backpack (you rally can’t throw your shoes in your briefcase, can you?). Personally, I like the TJ’s canvas tote-the one that looks like the LLBean tote, BUT weighs a whole lot less. It is also machine washable, and it has 2 outer pockets, perfect for a pen and sticky note pad, or an extra pair of gloves. You say we’d have to use a tote bag 52 times to make it cost effective? I am currently using a smaller TJ’s red and black tote that I think I bought in 2005.

[@susanandriopoulos7243]

In general people are just so shallow. I have been using store brand reusable bags forever. For groceries, as a beach bag, as a sport bag think pickleball. For storing off season clothing. For organizing seasonal items like hats, mittens, scarfs. Thrift stores. Aquasize classes. The list is endless, who cares if it’s name brand? It serves the purpose. If reusable bags were used as intended you would not have a video! Thanks for shining the light on another societal failure.