Monday, August 3, 2009

Just call me Kermit

Last week I bought my very first reusable shopping bag.


I was at one of those darn European stores who hold their plastic bags hostage for money. It's our closest (and more importantly, our cheapest) grocery store, so after toying with the idea at each encumbered visit, I figured I'd bite the bullet, make like Nike, and just do it. At least it was one of those jumbo ones so I can break my back trying to carry in 4 jugs of milk into the house at the same time.

I'm already being tempted by the siren of fabulous reusable bags I hear calling my name...you can find some fun ones here and here. (But let's be honest...heaven knows I'll probably choke before I spend more than a buck or two on a grocery bag. *sigh*)


This morning, I spent a good chunk of the morning looking into our local recycling program. They have curbside pick-up here and even give you the oh-so-attractive blue bins shown below. yay! for not having to go and drop it off yourself.

All this eco-friendly time-suckage has made me wonder if I haven't turned a pale shade of lime green *gasp*

Do not fear, dedicated reader, I still have a looong way before you find me in birkenstocks, eating granola, and hugging trees.

15 comments:

Zachary said...

Well now I am a little "Green" with envy!

Not really...I think I am going to go spray some hairspray (now with chloro-flora-carbons!!) into the face of a baby seal, and then go fishing with some 6-Pack plastic rings for an endangered fish, all the while leaving styrofoam containers everywhere I go.

Crapos said...

You are funny, you green thing! We have automatic recycling (no way to opt out), four reusable grocery bags, natural cleaners, and I try to buy local and organic. All this came about in the last year. At first Neil kept saying he didn't know his wife was so granola. But he's really good about it now.

Coty said...

hee hee.
we have blue bins too, so nice. no lugging of stinky things (aside from children that is) in the back of your vehicle and desperately searching for the drop-off...hoping some kindly soul will just come and unload the burden from the back of the car for you.
ah yes, blue bins are good.

L said...

I have that exact same bag! I love it. One of my biggest surprises in coming to Oklahoma was how hard it was to recycle. It's like they don't want you to. In Cali we had a big (larger then our trash can) blue recycling can. I loved it! No sorting or worrying- you just put all recyclables in there. So effective.

Triana said...

Don't buy any more bags! It's a waste of your money! Instead... steal a couple of the hubby's t-shirts, or use your old one's if you want smaller bags. Turn the shirt inside-out, use a plate to draw lines around the neck and the arms... sew up the bottom with just a straight seam, then cut off the arms and neck!

Seriously, the easiest, cheapest and coolest bags out there!!!! My current bags are Dakine, BYU and an old girls camp shirt.. hahaha

Anonymous said...

NO!!!! You converted to the dark side...How could you Whit? Think of all the evil fishies and other hateful marine life you're sparing! The oceans are clearly over crowded. Our plastic bags are a way of culling the weak and keeping out oceans pure via trash based pollution. Silly Whitney, reusable bags are for hippies. ^_^

Caldwell Family said...

I got sucked into the reusable shopping bags when we started shopping at ALDI's too. There not so bad. We also get curbside pickup on recycling, so I'm in too. I don't go terribly out of my way to do any special recycling (just takes way too much extra time that I don't have) but if it's available, I do it. Good for you to jump in on it. :)

Aubrey said...

Hehe - Hi Kermit. I've discovered that Norman also has cool curbside pick-up. Guess I should take the initiative to figure out how to sign-up for it. They also have huge recycling places all over the city!

Michelle Andersen Nydegger said...

Welcome to the green side! I even have a compost pile! I have 8 reusable grocery bags. Here the grocery stores give them away every once in a while, Target has cute ones too!

Smiley Family said...

I have bought a few reusable bags myself...now if I could just remember to take them into the store with me ;o)

The DeVito's said...

BTW, Whitney, that comment from Michelle Andersen was really from Holly!

Alabama Apples said...

You make me laugh...good for you-as long as you stay a shade of light green :)

Kika VilaNova said...

So I was actually thinking of being more green myself. I ahve been saving the plastic and some cans to recycle but I don't know where to take them to here. I will keep looking! thanks for the ideas :)

hugsss

ps-- and thank you for visiting and posting on my blog, for the sweet words :)

Anonymous said...

Good ol' Whitty to make me laugh-out-loud. I think that I would recycle if I had bins that made it so darn easy...hmmmm. I should check to see what's available here. At this point though, I would just like to locate well...anything here. okay...not true....i know where hobby lobby is, the mall and target...all the reeeallly important things. ;)

Chrissy said...

I love reusable grocery bags. I have a cute one with a robot. I walk to get groceries and they hold up better and store better in a stroller.