Reusable bag for non-food shopping?

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Reusable bag for non-food shopping?

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Started 10 months ago by camellia tree
Latest reply from Lori Paximadis
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camellia tree
Member

I'm looking for a bag that folds up small that I can carry around in my purse and that I can use for non-food shopping- mainly for mall-type purchases (clothes, shoes, etc.). Does anyone do this and if so, any suggestions for bags?

I'm looking at this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016LC9II/ref=s9_simh_gw_p79_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-5&pf_rd_r=0GG30AXQP9KYT5YVGSX1&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470939291&pf_rd_i=507846

It's kind of small, but I think it's big enough to fit most things.

Posted 10 months ago #
Emilie
Member

I do this, although sometimes mall-type stores are reluctant to let you use your own bag. I think this has something to do with knowing that you're not shoplifting. It's definitely worth a try, though. I don't know the brand of the main one that I use, but ChicoBags are pretty good. They fold up very small, and some have nice patterns.

Posted 10 months ago #
lucy1965
Member

I love Envirosax bags: they're lined, washable and really do fold down to about the size of a piece of hand-rolled sushi. If you or a friend have a Costco membership, sometimes they're a monthly featured item and you can pick a set up for half the price.

ETA: if you don't care about the colors, Overstock has a few sets right now.

Posted 10 months ago #
luxcat
Member

I have two of these. they have a small clip on them and I keep clipped inside my handbag. They come in handy for everything- shopping mall, food store, pharmacy. No one has told me so far I cannot use them. I ask them to put the store receipt in the bag same as a normal bag so I can show any security persons who might ask.

they are as lightweight as a plastic bag but hold much more weight. also very easy to stuff back into the little keeper bag, which is important!

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/needIt/reusableBags?productId=10023706&N=80161

Posted 10 months ago #
Lori Paximadis
Member

I have Envirosax, too, but I like my RuMe bags better. They fold up neatly and secrure with Velcro.

http://www.rumebags.com/

Posted 10 months ago #
Jackthetiger
Member

I LOVE, LOVE Envirosax. They fold into a small neat package and clip closed. I store six of them in the map pouch on the inside of the driver's door of our car. I have one in my handbag and one in my work pack.

It is a very ethical company. The owners live in a modest, sustainable house and they donate money to environmental projects in three countries. I suppose when there are similar products on offer, I like to think about the differentiating factors.

Posted 10 months ago #
themusiclivez
Member

@Emilie - I never thought of that being the reason, but you bring up a good point. I always thought they didn't like us using our own bags because then we don't advertise for the store by walking around with the store's bag.

I have to check out the Envirosax!

Posted 10 months ago #
camellia tree
Member

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I live in Seattle and people are pretty environmentally conscious here, so I think stores are pretty aware of this and don't want to have a story in the newspaper or so that describes how they discourage reusable bags. Whenever I buy smaller things I usually just put in in my purse without a bag, and I've never had any objections so far. So I'm hoping that once I start carrying a reusable bag with me there won't be any objections. If there are, I'm calling the newspapers! ;)

Posted 10 months ago #
pkilmain
Member

I try to use my own bags and have never encountered anyone who has a problem with. As long as you have the receipt when you leave the store,you should be fine. My grocery store does ask that you use a basket/cart for shopping, and not put things directly into your reuseable bag. Probably because it's easier to remove and scan it from the basket/cart.

Posted 10 months ago #
lucy1965
Member

Since we're not using the car unless we have to, I think "Is it worth taking the car out? Is it worth walking up to the shops carrying my market basket?" before I start making lists: if I have to schlep it home, I buy a lot less.

After two plastic store carrier bags broke and dumped their contents all over the sidewalk, I stopped caring about whether anyone was fussed about my bringing my own bags: the shop offers a five-cent bag credit, so it looks from here as if they're encouraging it!

Posted 10 months ago #
djk
Member

I always refuse the store bag and either put things into my shoulder bag or my reusable shopping bags.

here we have to empty our items on the conveyer belt then rush to the other side as the cashier throws them over the scanner and we have to grab the items and pack them ourselves and even then the person behind you has their items flying down on top of yours the second the cashier tells you the total. Really. And I am fast, efficient, and competitive, and actually give real thought to processes, and even I can't get my bank card out of my pocket fast enough before the next person's stuff is dumping on top of mine. I think they give the cashiers amphetimines:) And they don't pack it for you, so you are the one stumbling to pack your bag and get your change and receipt all at the same time.

Posted 10 months ago #
lottielot
Member

That sounds like Aldi or Lidl here too, clearly the Germans live up to their efficient reputation!
While we're talking supermarkets, I would like to assassinate whoever designed those self-checkouts. They are designed for flimsy plastic shop bags and if you put your own differently sized bags on the hooks the scales go crazy and the bossy woman's electronic voice admonishes you non-stop until the assistant comes over and you end up shouting at the bossy electronic woman who won't shut up and everyone thinks you're mad and you think the shop may minimise shop-lifting but I WILL NEVER SPEND MONEY THERE AGAIN.
sorry, rant over :)

Posted 10 months ago #
Jackthetiger
Member

But Lottie, isn't it supposed to make life easier???????? Yeah, right!!!!!!!

You have painted a vision of hell. It probably saves the shop money on wages, putting more people out of work. I say yell at that electronic woman all you like. She is just as heartless as her owners.

Posted 10 months ago #
luxcat
Member

ahahahaha

and here I thought I was the only one shouting like a deranged person at the electronic voice at the self checker

Posted 10 months ago #
pkilmain
Member

We have these at 2 different chains, and they are quite different from one another. the one I frequesnt is not too annoying. If you put your own bag down, it flashes a screen that asks if you're using your own bag. Say yes and it's happy. It really doesn't have a voice for anything that I recall, though until they added a "skip bagging" option, it called for the cashier or got annoyed with things like greeting cards that don't weigh enough to register that you added them to your bag. I use it pretty frequently.

The other store just added theirs this past winter. It's a talker, and like lottie's gives you no options and no time to respond. It chides you to enter you rewards card number, though there is no option to do that before it starts saying "have you entered your card?" Likewise it has no patience for people like me who rummage for exact change (I won't charge if it's under $10). I avoid this machine now....

Posted 10 months ago #
Jackthetiger
Member

I went into a supermarket today and they have installed the bloody things! Two workers were walking around supervising and all the others have gone - presumably to the dole office. It took so long to buy one packet of cough lozenges compared to just handing over the cash. I wanted to scream at the machine except that I had a sore throat....

Posted 10 months ago #
J.T. Hurley
Member

We shop mostly at Walmart, and the machines there have the whole platform where you set things set up to be the scale, not just the actual bagging area. So generally I just pile the things up on the scale, pay for them, and *then* bag them in my reusables. Which works well and is actually a good bit faster than trying to bag an item at a time.

Posted 10 months ago #
lottielot
Member

My local Marks and Spencer have one which works fine, no robotic voice harassment. The DIY chain B and Q though... It tells you not to put heavy stuff on the scales, but last time I went I had a 10 kg bag of gravel and it was telling me to put it on the scales when I could barely lift it! I'm so glad I'm not the only crazy woman screaming at these awful systems :)

Posted 10 months ago #
bandicoot
Member

o thank god i live on the dark side of the moon!
we have a procession of teenagers who amble along, but are always fairly polite and well-trained.
there are no conveyer belts.
the other cashiers will pack if they haven't got customers.
everyone chats.
the kids carry bags out to cars for oldies.
honest to goodness, it's like the fifties.
i love this village.
i could shop in the city, and it would be cheaper...but i love our little local outfit.

Posted 10 months ago #
Joless
Member

I hate these systems due to the shouting, though I love the non-interactivity of them. I wish they had a 'I know how to use this already, so please SHUT UP' button.

@lottielot - the M&S machines are so much more civilised, aren't they :-)

Posted 10 months ago #

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