Well, we tried it. On a previous thread a while back regarding plastic grocery bags and whether they should be banned, I commented that I like them because we used them for garbage bags. I did commit, however, to trying to ween ourselves off of them and not use garbage bags at all (we don't throw away food or anything that I thought was stinky or smelly). We did it and I'm hear to report our failure. Yup, we're back on the bag.

First, Yoda hypothesized that going bagless would make a mess on trash day. Because of the way that the garbage trucks grab the container and empties them into the back, there was high probability of trash spillage if not contained in bags. This hypothesis was disproved, although he did just tell me he had to pick up one piece of trash. But, that particular pick-up day was calm, and I could see how a windy day might increase the change of garbage escapage and make a general mess in the neighborhood.

Second, I thought that our garbage was relatively clean. You know, the empty chip bag, unrecylable strawberry container variety. I was very wrong. We actually eat a fair amount of meat and yogurt, which often leaves "skid marks" on the side of the garbage can which will STINK if not immediately addressed.

The Co-op is now charging $0.15 for a grocery bag which I think is a fabulous idea. It certainly makes me double-check that I've got enough cloth bags before I go shopping. AND, I have learned that telling the cashier's at Ralph's that I dont' need a bag BEFORE they put my stuff in a bag is very very helpful. So, all in all, I got alot out of the exercise. It was simple to do and made us both way more aware of our trash. Just try it!