Plastic Please

***An original post for the Chicago Moms blog***
Once upon a time I was quite green. I collected reusable bags of all shapes and sizes. I had heavy duty plastic bags, insulated bags, mesh bags, and more. You name the reusable bag and I had it. I carried them everywhere. Plastic bags no longer graced our recycling bin.
About a year ago, my collection started gathering dust in the back of our mini-van. I rarely even look at them anymore. What changed you ask? We adopted a dog. We didn’t just adopt any old dog, but a beautiful, black-and-white Husky with the palest blue eyes you’ve ever seen. I always say he has the whitest eyes I’ve ever seen on a dog.
With a dog comes responsibilities such as cleaning up after the dog on walks. This is how my reusable bags ended up covered in dust. We use all kinds of plastic bags to do our duty as responsible dog owners, but the best bags are the ones you get at a store. Whether it’s a grocery store or a department store or a pharmacy, those bags are the best for what we need them for these days.
Yes, we do use the plastic sleeves newspapers come in. The problem is that is really thin plastic. After all, how much does a newspaper weigh? More than once my nails have broken through and, well, let’s just say there was a lot of soap and a nail brush involved in the aftermath. This never happens with a bag designed to hold all your heavier items. I’ve never had a breakthrough with one of those bags.
So, these days I’m in line asking for plastic bags. Even as the cashier at Target tells me that I’d get money towards my purchase if I’d bring my own bags, I smile and say, “Can you put those in two bags, please?”
Don’t judge me too harshly. I do it as part of my duty as a responsible dog owner. In a way I’m recycling by using the bags more than once. Even if I couldn’t take that as my effort to be green, I’d still collect plastic bags. They are the perfect size and strength for doggie duty — and I’m too cheap to pay for doggie waste bags.