Getting Rid of Banned in Maine Plastic Bags and What To Use Now

Call me a bleeding heart, tree hugger, but I don’t want to see plastic bags end up in the ocean. And for the record I have had my trunk loaded with reusable grocery bags for many years.  Only reason I stopped using them was during the Pandemic last year when grocery stores would not allow you to bring your own bags into the store with you.  Once you get into the habit of using your own bags it really isn’t that big of a deal, considering all the other stresses we deal with day to day and continue to carry on.

Also the argument about banning stores from using one use plastic grocery bags, and now people have to buy plastic bags to put garbage into, or however we re-used the single use plastic bags is legit.  It does sound odd, but I am told the bags we buy are made to break down more quickly. But the Department of the Environment might be the ones to ask that question.

Everybody has, forgive me, bags full of the bags thinking now what?

Time to get rid of them, and hopefully have them disposed of in a proper manner. You might well have seen bins just inside the grocery store you shop at, that is a depository for those plastic bags.  If your store doesn’t have one, or since it is law and they are supposed to have one, maybe you just can’t find it. here is a link to where you can find a recycler nearest you. It’s at PlasticFilmRecycling.com  In the Bangor area, Hannaford’s, Shaw’s, Walmart, and Target all have them.

Okay, the one use plastic bags are history. And you’ll need reusable bags which all the stores do sell. However, if you are interested in a creative bag or bags, there is a Maine farm in Burlington, Maine and Michelle uses the bags that animal feed comes in and sews reusable bags as a cottage industry.  I can attest to how well made they are, and also to how unique they are. I have many of the bags. Here is the way to get in touch with Michelle, and here’s a previous story about Michelle and her great idea to make reusable bags