If I use reusable cloth bags at the grocery store, what should I use for my recycling and dog waste?

Question

My community requires that my recyclable stuff (newspaper, cans, and plastic milk bottles, for the most part) go into brown paper bags, and that I pick up after my dog and put it into plastic bags. So I have been reusing the bags from the grocery store. I use up all the bags I get, and use cloth bags too. Is there a solution I'm not thinking of, so I don't have to get the 'bad' bags and can use the 'good' bags?

Answer 1

You can save your empty dog food bags and use those to put your dog waste in. I buy the 50 pound bag of dog food. When the bag is empty I save them so that I could use it  for that purpose.

Answer 2

You can use string to bundle your newspapers & magazines instead of using paper bags. We don't have to have our other recyclables (cans,bottles,etc.) in a bag, so just dump those in the recycle can loose. I don't have a solution to the dog waste. I also use cloth bags at all stores.

Answer 3

I cut the edge off the plastic bag that magazines and other print comes in.  Perhaps you could utilize for your dog.

Answer 4

I would suggest disposing of dog waste in the toilet. This keeps it out of the landfill and out of our ground water. Many years ago I read that tons of the stuff ends up in the landfills every year. That also goes for those disposable baby diapers. Just shake the poo into the toilet, then flush. Like Mom did in the old days of the smelly diaper pail. Perhaps take an old coffee can & lid with you on the dog walks. Then rinse the can. Voila!! No messy bags to deal with.

Answer 5

you can use the bags that come the news paper or get the wax sandwich bags

Answer 6

Always remember Al Gore is an idoit.

Answer 7

how about the empty plastic bread bags from your average loaf of bread?

Answer 8

Something like less than 2% of all plastic bags get recycled, so there are lots of people out there with bags.  You might ask your friends and neighbors if they would give you theirs, so at least they'd go to use.  Or I always see pile of bags brought in at Trader Joe's that you might ask for.  I like others' ideas of using all the other bags we tend to amass -- from magazines, newspapers, food products, etc.  Very great ideas!

Answer 9

You can buy cornstarch doggy-doo bags which do the trick and are biodegradable too. Websites sell them - just put in a search.

Answer 10

Also, what would you use for your trash. I usually use shopping bags for that. Any ideas?

Answer 11

If you have your own yard the answer to the dog p**p problem is called a doggy doolie. It may be spelled dooley. I forget but basically it is a dog septic. Dig a hole a bit bigger than the doolie and put the doolie in it fill in around the outside of the doolie. then follow the directions. It comes with. a package of bacteria to start eating away at the p**p. You have to add more plus hot water every so often. But it really gets rid of the p**p. And no smell.

As to the recyclables, my recycle center allows us to carry cans and bottle to the center in plastic but we must empty the recycling into the bins without the platic. Ask if this is a do-able thing in your area.  That way the plastic bags can be used again and again until they become unuseable.

Answer 12

boxes and weed

Answer 13

If you buy certain brands of plastic bags, (Tie & Tote is one brand) they really are degradable in sunlight -- I left some out in sun and found this out.  So these are "good" because don't clog up landfill indefinitely.

With those bags, you'd only have need the paper for recyclables -- unless you could deliver recy. to the recycling site.

I commend you for your caring and your actions for the world where we all live.

Answer 14

How about reusing the plastic wrap the newspaper comes in?  I'm sure there are countless other ways you come across plastic bags in your daily life and you will be able to reuse them.

Answer 15

Challenge your community on why your recyclable items HAVE to go into brown paper bags. I challenged my local authority as they insisted on our recyclables being tied into plastic bags. They agreed with me and now we do not have to. We place items straight into the recycling bin. Use unwanted cardboard boxes from your grocery store if you need to put recyclables out/take them to the recycling center.

As for the dog poo, then nobody is saying that plastic bags are evil, just that we use far too many of them. Look out for biodegradable bags, ones that are made from cornstarches and use those.

Answer 16

At present, I do not have the name of the web site, but google, recycle dog waste.  They have a container that composts it, cheap and seems really great.  I am thinking of order one.  It works mostly for dogs, since cats f***s have litter attached to it, but if no litter and outside poo it can go into the waste bin