Help my daughter with her homework?

[genlisae]

The rat-brat child has what I consider the worlds most ridiculous school assignment ever. Ready for this? (You can laugh, or WTF, or whatever you want, this is the actual assignment taken "as is" from her book).




*edit* I think the typo just adds to the whole thing really. Also comic sans .. making everything more "educational".



Where we live there are no stores which use paper bags anymore (outside of the one specialty kitchen store where I buy a small fortune worth of spices every month). Even the "boutiques" use some sort of stiffer molded plastic. I haven't seen a paper grocery bag in well over a decade. What they do have is the option to purchase (usually for around a dollar) a reusable fabric bag with the store branding on it in the store colours. As a result everyone has a small mountain of reusable fabric bags and it is not unusual (quite common really) to see people in line at any given store with a rainbow of bags from various stores and the plastic bags are only used if the groceries won't all fit in the bags the shopper brought with them.

So my daughter went out to do this survey and without exception the answer she got was "Fabric".

Before she scribbles "Invalid survey" all over this thing and writes her own I thought I would ask here. For anyone who cares to help her out do you prefer plastic or paper bags when you go shopping and why?

Comments

[bolob.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry she had a bit of a conundrum there but I'll be happy to help her out. I use plastic because I recycle it at home for trash & whatnot not to mention we have a recycling area in my apt complex.

Hope that helps. Wish her luck. How are you feeling of late?

[genlisae.livejournal.com]

Awesome, thank you.

I am doing okay, about to spend several days away from home for further testing on "the thing" (there is a whole post coming up about that because I am a dork and the technology is cool). Still good though!

[bolob.livejournal.com]

No problem. Happy to help where I can :)

Ah I see. You're still breathing so yay. I look forward to that post. Take it easy hon *hug*

[chillyzgrrlsims.livejournal.com]

I use fabric bags most of the time, but occasionally ask for plastic, because we use them for small trash bags, as filler for mailer boxes, to wrap diapers (when my son was still in diapers), etc. So, I ask for plastic until we have enough of them set aside... and then I use the fabric ones until I run out of plastic.

[genlisae.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[dragonbat2006.livejournal.com]

Well, I use fabric too, where possible. And like you, paper hasn't been an option in most stores. I will say that I prefer plastic to paper if I do have a choice because:

1) If I'm carrying something greasy or wet (including frozen food with condensation on the packaging), the paper will disintegrate.

2) Similarly, if you're walking in the rain, the plastic holds up and protects what's in the bag. Paper turns to mush, and whatever you're carrying usually ends up in the street or ruined.

3) Plastic doubles up pretty well if you're carrying heavy stuff. Paper handles are less comfortable and prone to tearing.

[genlisae.livejournal.com]

Thank you! All very good points.

[amochan8878.livejournal.com]

I use plastic. I can reuse them for cat boxes and what not. Also, when I buy meat, I like for it to be wrapped in the bag so I don't get cow blood on anything else I buy.
Also, little plastic bags are good for little waste baskets in the bathroom.

[genlisae.livejournal.com]

*nod* totally the bathroom/kitchen trash bags (and one under my desk ... I blame the 4 pack a day gum habit I have picked up. Who is the idiot that said not smoking cost less and can I introduce them to the price of a pack of gum?)

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

I use cloth bags (but at least two of them are actually woven plastic). Plastic bags are illegal in the unincorporated parts of the county now and are restricted and will soon be illegal in my home town too. But even so, when I don't have my bags with me I am likely to get a paper bag, because they recycle nicely.

I do use plastic bags the ways that the others say, but I find that the unavoidable plastic bags that come into my life are sufficient.

Just have her add the category "fabric" and it's all good.

[genlisae.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Interesting to note plastic is illegal in some places.

[kittykat2010.livejournal.com]

I, too, would have her add fabric on the survey. Sounds as if the textbook is a few years old. We do have 2 stores here that still use paper.

Me? I use plastic because it's easier to carry than paper. I also use it for various things around the house, like others have said.

Thought about using fabric though. Our local store gives discounts if you bring in your own fabric bags.

[genlisae.livejournal.com]

Thank you. After reading all of these answers fabric certainly needs to be added.

[shadow-herald.livejournal.com]

Not sure if it counts from outside the US, but if nothing else she can say it was a wide survey.

While I mainly use fabric reusable bags, I am a ditz half the time and forget them. So I use plastic but reuse them at home or take them back to recycle.

The reason is convenience really, cos I have a problem with my hands and the paper bags are too awkward and unstable.

[genlisae.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The more answers from all over the world the better.

[century-eyes.livejournal.com]

Plastic bags have practically been banned around here; I can't remember the last time I got one. At the store where I do most of my shopping you can pay extra for a reusable plastic bag (25 cents, I think?) if you don't want paper, but I don't see many people doing that. Most people have the reusable fabric bags, which is what I use most of the time (they're easier to carry and don't melt in the rain). Every once in a while I'll get paper bags on purpose, because the guinea pig gets one on cage-cleaning day, so it's nice to have a few on hand.

[genlisae.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, my rabbit would love a paper bag to play in along with her empty cereal boxes. Hmmm, will have to see if I can track one down for her.

Thank you.

[aledstrange.livejournal.com]

I use plastic bags because they are simply much practical to use. They hold more weight, are easier to carry than paper bags, and can be used for many other things at home too. Also around here recycling is very easy and most big supermarkets have recycling bins specially for those bags too.

Must say, tho, that plastic bags are the most commonly used where I live (miami, usa, jic). Reading the responses here really surprised me, tbh.

I hardly ever see anyone asking for paper bags (in fact, most markets don't even have or carry very few) and though in most places you can buy fabric bags, I could count with my fingers the times I have seen anyone actually using them to buy. (And in a couple of times they were putting the groceries in plastic bags, inside the fabric bags XD How does count!? ROFL)

[genlisae.livejournal.com]

I didn't see that many fabric bags in Naples or Ft. Lauderdale when we lived there (8 years ago now ... oi! where does the time go?) even though they were everywhere here before moving south and were even more common once we moved back. Interesting to know they still aren't all that common. Thank you!

[frostwyrm666.livejournal.com]

I use cotton or other fabric bags, because they live longer.
If I had to chose between plastic or paper, I'd go with plastic, because they can get wet without problems and I can wash them at least in the sink. If they are too old, I use them as trash bags.
Paper bags usally don't last long, I use to destroy them on my way home -.-

[genlisae.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Definitely looking like she needs to add a fabric section as well.

[nebulousfirefly.livejournal.com]

From outside the US here too (if that isn't allowed in the assignment, just ignore):

I use plastic, but would use cloth if there were more options to do so where I live. No grocery stores carry cloth bags, only plastic. Which is fine by me anyway, cause I use it for trash cans etc, which is handy, and we have both paper and plastic recycling options here, so discarded plastic bags go in their proper bins.

If I'm buying in small quantities however, and not groceries, I'll usually just put the items (like books etc) in my bag. My tiny contribution to saving the environment...

[genlisae.livejournal.com]

Totally counts (and we aren't in the US either :D )thank you!

[abstract-pixels.livejournal.com]

Answering both for Scotland and Poland :D !

In both places people mostly use fabric bags (us as well), plastic ones are used for packing easily spillable things. We've always had a wee cupboard where we stash plastic bags to use for trash or packing. Never in my life seen a paper bag ... maybe in Chicago this mytical decade ago, but not sure.

[tashkyn87.livejournal.com]

My whole family uses fabric, but if we forget or don't have enough we ask for plastic, because we save 'em and use them again, like most people seem to do. Plus, the paper bags seem to fall apart really easily. Although the idea of writing invalid survey all over it is awesome.