In this day and age, when politicians would have you believe that we are running out of trees, water, and air the global community has all started to become a bit more conscious about what they waste. We recycle bottles, cans, pizza boxes, and anything else that we might be able to re-use. I get this, I recycle, and I feel nice about doing my part I really do, but the line I draw is with these next people... Plastic bag re-users...
Like I said before I am all for recycling, but where do you draw the line? About 8 or so years ago, before places sold re-usable bags, and before places would charge you extra to use their bags, (at least in the US) I used to work at a grocery store as a cashier that allowed me to have a very brief, yet interesting look into peoples lives. Some may even think this is where I began my people judging abilities, but that was actually somewhere between wound and first step I'm sure. ANYways, obviously I got to see so much diversity between people where I worked, but one of the groups of people that always stuck out to me were the people who insisted on re-using their bags... Their were really only select few of these bag-huggers back then, so when I had them through my line once I never forgot who they were. You see, these people weren't just about recycling, no no no, they were about some OCD irrational lifestyle that just so happened to present itself in the form of 9 year old, non-gently used bags.
They were the kind of people who would lean way over the counter to make sure that I was not injecting their fruits and veggies with some sort of wasteful venom. They would hound me item after item, telling me what needs to be bagged with what. To which I, on more than one occasion would say, "would you just like to come over here and do this, it may be easier that way." (Hey I wasn't four-star cashier for nothin)... These were the people that were stuck in the lifestyle somewhere between a hippie, paranoid schizophrenic, and a hoarder. I bet I could follow them home to find 7 cars in their front yard, and every piece of paper they had ever touched piled throughout their house. So while some people see the re-use of plastic bags as a noble thing to help save plastic trees, I see it as a sickness, and if it is not a full-blown sickness just yet, it is at least the gateway drug to other crazy behavior. You start out saving plastic bags, next thing you know you are 56 years old, single, and have somehow managed to house 13 cats at once.
So take this as a warning. Don't stop recycling, but I suggest finding other uses for those trusty ol bags just to keep you on the safe side... You could pick up dog poo with them, even if its not from your dog, I suggest you pick it up so I don't step in it. You could use it as a trash bag. That's what I do... go me. You could save it for one of those nights that you bring home a butterface, poke a few holes to let her breath and you are good to go. I have heard that they like the plastic way more than the paper bags, which makes sense, too many of them were getting thick ass paper cuts on their neck and shoulders. Give them to a homeless person, they are always looking for new luggage. Pack a lunch in it. Tie them over your shoes in a rainstorm.... OK I'm reaching now... bedtime...
Disclaimer. Im sure we would be better off just not using them at all, but they are cheap, and so are companies, and humans so I don't see that happening any time soon.