Saving the Earth ...kind of

Did you get your free bag at Target yesterday?

I did.

I'm all for reusing bags, especially in LA, where more than once I've come home with a very low item to bag ratio (read: 4 to 3, on average - not lying).

In theory these free bags seem like a healthy choice for everyone: for Target, publicity and business, and probably some kind of tax write off; for me, a free bag that can I can reuse to reduce my "carbon footprint," plus an additional 5 cents off when I shop.

Unfortunately, the bags aren't the best. They're designed to resemble the Target shopping baskets, which is cute, but a messenger strap isn't really ideal for carrying groceries (we have groceries at our Target... I forget that is a relatively new development...). If I hold the bag by the strap at my side, it touches the ground.

The bag is made of Tyvek - very lightweight (cheap) and recyclable. But the recycling center won't take them - to recycle the bag you must return it to a Target store.

The worst part is, this bag is a pain to fill. Being so lightweight and lacking any structure, the cashier couldn't stand the bag up, or even hang it on the bag stand. Her system was to lay the bag flat on the pay counter, scan an item, carry it over to the bag, open the bag and put the item in, then go back to scan the next item. It was obviously a time-consuming process and was slowing everyone down, not just my line.

Further evidence that "healthy" can be quite complex.

My prediction is that most of these bags will end up in a landfill. It's not a functioning bag, and it's not readily recyclable. I'll probably keep it as a backup; it might be good for a small load of laundry, or for taking to the beach. For shopping I think I'll stick with this:

It's thick and sturdy, it stands up, I can wipe it out when it gets dirty, and it's made from actual recycled bags, as opposed to being a new product that is potentially recyclable. I don't remember how much it was. More than free, and a bit more than the usual polyester cloth shopping bags, but it was well worth the extra money.

And just a reminder - ANY bag is a reusable bag!

Did you get the free bag? Were you as disappointed as I was?