To Tote or Not To Tote

So I was in my favorite store the other day. Not Neiman's. Not even Bloomies. As everyone who knows me knows, my favorite store is...Target.

So I was making a lightning run--not easy in Target where everything is so, well, appealingly affordable--and I was at the checkout and I remembered after the cashier had put everything in a plastic bag, that I had brought my own bag. Feeling very righteous and green, I put everything in the bag I have squished in my purse, (mine is the green one at right, but no pun intended), put the plastic one back in its holder for the next shopper, when I heard her say, "I don't need a bag, either." I turned around and there was the next woman in line, taking out the bag squished in HER purse.

Which got me thinking.

I never used to see people shopping with their own bags. Now it's not that ususual. I've got bags on the floor of the car for grocery shopping. So does my husband. How about you? Do you tote your own bags?

Last summer I went up to Canada and did a grocery run at the local store. They don't even have plastic bags. Well, they do have them, but if you use them you have to PAY for them. A penny a bag. Most people bring their own bags.

I thought that was a great way to encourage people to use less plastic.

So what I wondered at Target was whether the plastic bag companies are seeing their orders falling off? Does my decision to tote my own mean some factory somewhere is going to close and so many people will be out of a job?

Why does everything have to have all these unintended consequences?

Did you see Wall-E?

Our world reduced to the mountains of junk we leave behind.

I guess I'll continue to tote. And hope that the plastic bag factories can convert their process into something else.

What about you? Tote or no tote?