If only, IF ONLY there was some kind of alternative ...

[Pixelated]

I was on the "express" lane today (technically 12 items or less) and was pleased at the number of people who declined bags at all. Either they only had a few items or their bags/bins were in the car.

Of course, there were also the ones who bought two small items and still wanted a bag, but ... can't win 'em all.

Charging five cents per bag really doesn't make an impact, IMO. Either just ban them, or crank the charge up to $1 per bag -- or more.

[Slave to the Phone]

Pixelated I agree and disagree. I think that being faced with the choice to spend a nickle for a bag for a couple of chocolate bars might make someone stop and think, some people won't even notice.

Trader Joe's has wonderful paper bags that cost 50 cents. I buy a couple a year for the cats. Every time I get one, the cashier reminds me that its 50 cents per bag.

A nice neighbor lady and I "trade" freshly grown produce back and forth. She always brings her stuff in the nice paper bags and I mentioned that I returned them to her because they cost her money. She went to the pantry and opened a couple of the 50 or so she had neatly stacked up, found a receipt and realized that yes, she was actually paying money for them.

The cheap, flimsy plastic grocery store bags really just need to be banned.

[MoonCat]

On those occasions where I forget my canvas bags, I re-use the grocery bags for cat litter. Assuming the bags are free of holes after I've used them, of course. The bags from Mart of Wall are so cheap they usually have holes in them before I even get them to the car.

I like my flat-bottom reusable bags. They're much easier to fill, and much easier to organize in the trunk of my car, than plastic bags. They now live in my car so I don't forget them when it's time for groceries.

I am saving up a stash of plastic grocery bags for that very reason: Cat litter. I need to double up the trash bags I use to clean the boxes and the trash bags are too expensive to use two each time, so I use the grocery bags as reinforcement. I don't know what else I could do - it's not like you can toss used cat litter in a paper bag.

Our plastic bag ban starts next year. I imagine the Oblivious will be stunned to discover it.

[XCashier]

Our plastic bag ban starts next year. I imagine the Oblivious will be stunned to discover it.

Oh, they will. Our bag ban went into effect around 2013, and even though it was on the TV news and in the papers and everywhere you looked, so many folks were absolutely shocked -- shocked, I tell you! -- that we couldn't give them free plastic bags any more. I was working at the fabric store then, and the stories I could tell! People absolutely freak out over paying ONE NICKEL for a paper bag. One nickel, that could easily fall out of a hole in the person's pocket and they'd never miss it.

And now our city has limited plastic straws. You have to ask for them at the counter; the restaurant or convenience store won't just give it to you with your drink. I feel so bad for the employees, some of them look downright shell-shocked with all the abuse they're taking due to something the city put in place. (We were in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago, and some places were offering coffee-style lids for cold drinks, which I think is a very smart idea. Hopefully that will catch on through the rest of the country.)

[workerbee222]

My reusable bags have to pass my own requirements (stand up and stay open on their own.) The very pretty soft nylon one someone brought me from a trip overseas does work nicely as a bib while eating in the car. Once I started keeping them in the car, after four or five times remembering them (it was really no more than that) it became a habit.
When the disposable ones become extinct, I will have to pay for something to put the used cat litter in. The garbage disposal company WILL pick up, but only if it's double-bagged, in a separate container.

[Minflick]

Workerbee, look at the Litter Genie. My daughter has been using that for years now, and I started 2 years ago. I'm a convert.... No more bags with holes leaking used litter around the house. My Litter Genie can hold a weeks worth of product, for 1.5 cats (her cat uses mine sometimes) I don't smell nasty coming out of it (and it's 2 feet from my bed) since I have a tiny apartment I share with youngest and her husband. They are awesome, I tell you. Not the cheapest thing around, but very effective. I initially bought at my local Petsmart, but I get the refills on Amazon.

[Pixelated]

Workerbee, look at the Litter Genie. My daughter has been using that for years now, and I started 2 years ago. I'm a convert.... No more bags with holes leaking used litter around the house. My Litter Genie can hold a weeks worth of product, for 1.5 cats (her cat uses mine sometimes) I don't smell nasty coming out of it (and it's 2 feet from my bed) since I have a tiny apartment I share with youngest and her husband. They are awesome, I tell you. Not the cheapest thing around, but very effective. I initially bought at my local Petsmart, but I get the refills on Amazon.

I Googled this and came up with several $400 litterboxes ...

But I think you are in fact referring to the $22 disposal systems, right? I hope, anyway ...

If so, I use something similar, and yes, it's a great idea.

[ladyjaneinmd]

I am saving up a stash of plastic grocery bags for that very reason: Cat litter. I need to double up the trash bags I use to clean the boxes and the trash bags are too expensive to use two each time, so I use the grocery bags as reinforcement. I don't know what else I could do - it's not like you can toss used cat litter in a paper bag.

Our plastic bag ban starts next year. I imagine the Oblivious will be stunned to discover it.

I have FOUR little garbage cans in my house that were bought for the reason that they were small enough to use old grocery bags as liners. And my kitty litter bucket as well. I use all of my bags.

They haven't started charging for the bags yet, but I still have a car trunk full of reusable bags that I try to use as often as possible, but that means I run low on the cheap plastic 'garbage can liners'. That's when I get on Freecycle, and pick up enough bags to last me a year. One man's trash really is another man's treasure!

[ladyjaneinmd]

Workerbee, look at the Litter Genie. My daughter has been using that for years now, and I started 2 years ago. I'm a convert.... No more bags with holes leaking used litter around the house. My Litter Genie can hold a weeks worth of product, for 1.5 cats (her cat uses mine sometimes) I don't smell nasty coming out of it (and it's 2 feet from my bed) since I have a tiny apartment I share with youngest and her husband. They are awesome, I tell you. Not the cheapest thing around, but very effective. I initially bought at my local Petsmart, but I get the refills on Amazon.

I had a small apartment as well, and the litter box has always been in my bedroom. Still is, because my house is small. There's no smell. NO. SMELL. It's all about the litter. I tried all kinds of litter and finally found 2 that don't smell, AND aren't so over-perfumed that they upset my allergies.
It's all about the litter.

[Slave to the Phone]

I am in total agreement about the Litter Genie/Litter Robot suggestions. Yes, they are pricey, but they save so much time, litter and bags.

I have also found that if I am in need of cheap plastic bags, I can contact one of the many donation centers who are thrilled to stuff as many of their bags into my car as possible. Nobody uses good bags to donate stuff, and they have to pay to have them hauled off.

[Pixelated]

I am in total agreement about the Litter Genie/Litter Robot suggestions. Yes, they are pricey, but they save so much time, litter and bags.

*snip*

Okay, so this IS about the $500 litterboxes and not just the closed containers for litter disposal (similar to the old diaper pails) ... ?

My first thought was "Crap, do they EVER take up a lot of space," but I don't think they take up more space than my current two litter boxes plus the disposal box.

Will save up some $$$ and give them a try. Somehow I doubt my siblings are going to get me one for Christmas.

[Slave to the Phone]

I never even considered paying that much for an automatic litter box, but my sweetie though it would be a good idea. He was so very right! The footprint isn't much larger than a large litter box, 3 adult cats happily use the single robot instead of us having 4 boxes scattered around.

We used to scoop 4 boxes at least once a day, dump/wash/refill them once a week, as well as dumping more litter in the boxes during the week.

Now, the robot detects when a cat has gone into the dome, waits long enough for the clumping litter to harden, sifts it and drops the results into a plastic bag. Once a week, we replace the bag and add more litter.

No smell, no wasted litter, and we are not constantly leaning down to clean boxes.

You can take my Litter Robot when the Zombie Apocalypse starts and the power goes out forever. NOT beforehand lest you end up wearing a bag of litter covered used cat food.

[Sparklyturtle]

I can't use plastic grocery bags in wastebaskets because my idiot cats like to chew on them, and then it makes them throw up for the next few hours. I'd rather just not use bags in wastebaskets than deal with cat hurk. I use a bag in the kitchen trash, but that's under the sink behind a cabinet door they can't open.

[Kit-Ginevra]

Simple solution. Eliminate the need for any litter boxes or bags.

One box corks.

[dalesys]

... One box corks.

Delayed side effect: Exploding cat obviates all gains.