What do you do with plastic bags from retail stores?

1. 86

   nochanceposted 9 years ago

   What do you do with plastic bags from retail stores?
   
   Do you throw them away or keep them? If you keep them what do you do with them? (Photo via Joe Naylor - Flickr - CC BY 2.0)
   
   

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2. 76

   DzyMsLizzyposted 9 years ago

   I sort them to see if they are intact or not.  The ones with holes go into the recycle bin; the whole ones, I use for scooping the cat litter boxes.

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3. 71

   LoisRyan13903posted 9 years ago

   We have a bag hanging up with the other bags in it.  Use them to bag up bottles.  Same with clothes that go to the salvation army.  In my town we use 30 gallon city bags.  So use these bags to put garbage in and put them in the bigger bag.  I sometimes bag up books and magazines and take them to work.  If we have too many bags I just recycle them

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4. 0

   Cissy1946posted 9 years ago

   I fold them up and save them for a friend of mine whose club has a big yard sale every year.

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5. 74

   tsmogposted 9 years ago

   Officially recycling grocery store type bags is a community waste hauler policy issue. Most don't want them in the curbside single stream recycle bin picked up. They are considered soft recyclables and not hard recyclables like milk cartons, water bottles, and etc. So, best take caution and check the online websites for the waste hauler. Below is the quote for my local carrier Escondido Disposal:
   
   "Don't Recycle:
   
   Soiled disposable plates or cups, soiled paper towels, soiled tissue, carbon paper, plastic bags (NO plastic grocery bags, newspaper delivery bags or chip/snack bags), ceramics, drinking glasses, Styrofoam packing peanuts, mirrors, batteries, light bulbs, clothing or shoes."
   
   Some grocery stores such as Walmart have a recycle drop off point for them. At some of the Albertson's stores local to me there are bins at the entry to drop them off at. Not sure of other chains. So, it is convenient to drop them off when I go shopping.
   
   Otherwise I use them for my bathroom trash bins, which are small. I use them for carrying stuff like tools when I go away from home to a friends. I use them for filler when I ship an Ebay item I sold. I used them to beef up a pillow once putting the side with bags downward. I use them for long time storage for closets. Most are white so easy to use a magic marker.

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6. 61

   FatFreddysCatposted 9 years ago

   I re-use them as trash bags for my wastebaskets around the house.

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7. 73

   The Dirt Farmerposted 9 years ago

   Our transfer station will not accept them for recycling, so we reuse some along with our reusable cloth grocery bags and take the rest to Target, which has receptacles specifically for plastic bag recycling.

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8. 53

   bradmasterOCcalposted 9 years ago

   They make great trash liners, and also as utility bags when you cart stuff around. Unlike paper bags, they hold liquids.

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9. 84

   peachpurpleposted 9 years ago

   i reuse these plastic bag for trash bins, wasterpaper basket, cover up the pots and pans because my kitchen is very dusty

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10. 65

    cat on a soapboxposted 9 years ago

    The only ones we get anymore are the smaller produce bags because we carry reusable grocery bags. I have stuffed scarecrows with them because they are not affected by water. The rest I use for my cat's litter or to hold ice around food in an ice chest.

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11. 81

    Ronna Penningtonposted 9 years ago

    Like the others, we use ours for wastebasket liners or for carrying other items. In other words, we reuse. But, our pile was out of control. I bought one of these things and they stay compact and handy (I hide it inside the door of my pantry):
    http://www.walmart.com/ip/Saganizer-gro … s/48180753

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12. 84

    Chatty Chatposted 9 years ago

    I usually save them for lining waste bins. I also use them for picking up my dogs' "presents" when I run out of dog waste bags. I always use at least two when picking up "presents."

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13. 72

    nnmsposted 9 years ago

    We usually use the larger one as dustbins in our home.

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14. 75

    Ngozi Ebubedikeposted 8 years ago

    Some go as lining for wastebasket, some  I use as shopping bags.

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