So I’m all proud of myself for switching to reusable grocery bags, and then I hear that they can make you sick. So I read the article and found out that reusable grocery bags can harbor bacteria left by food that was carried in the bags. So l thought about this. Everything I buy at the store is already packaged, except for some produce, like bananas, that I don’t put in plastic bags. Cereal, barbecue sauce, broccoli, chicken - it’s all packaged up before it ever hits my reusable bags. So I thought I was safe. Until…
I went to the grocery store, and one of the things I bought was a big tray of steaks. They were pretty juicy, so I put a plastic bag around them. Since it was a really long tray, the plastic bag didn’t cover the whole thing, but I put it in my cart with the bag on the bottom so that any drippings would be caught in the plastic and continued my shopping. When I got home, I found that the box person had put the steaks in my reusable bag with the bag on the top. There were drippings on the bottom of the bag and on my other groceries in that same bag. I was lucky that it didn’t leak out of the bag into my car. Now I could see how bacteria could get in the bags.
So took the thick plastic liner out of the bottom of the bag, wiped it down with bleach and water, and threw the rest of the bag in the washing machine. It came out fine, still holds its shape, and life goes on.
I understand how sterile disposable products can be, but we’re creating a major environmental problem with all the stuff that we throw away, especially things that aren’t biodegradable. When I went through this process, I realized that everything I buy is already packaged - in plastic, cardboard, styrofoam and glass. What did people do before all this stuff came into common, everyday use? I think they just used good old fashioned soap and water.
I think we need to reduce our use of disposable products, even if it takes a little bit of washing to make it work. Hmmm. I wonder if my laundry detergent is biodegradable…
But the first time I went to the store, I forgot and left the bags in the car. This isn’t going to be easy. Old habits die hard. But tonight I stopped at the store for ‘just a few things’ and I remembered the bags. They’re bigger than plastic grocery bags and they hold their shape better. There’s a flat panel at the bottom that helps. The cashier and the box person didn’t look twice, so I must not be the only person skipping the plastic. So I’m on my way to going green – very slowly.