Whole Foods--Paper or...

You've probably heard by now.  As of April 22, Earth Day, you will no longer have the plastic bag option at Whole Foods stores.  In place of the plastic bags, Whole Foods will over several options:  paper bags, reusable bags made from 80 percent post-consumer waste (recycled plastic bottles), and canvas bags.  The paper bags are free, the reusable bags are .99 cents each, and the canvas bags sell for $6.99 and up.  Whole Foods is encouraging shoppers to bring their own bags by offering a 5 to 10 cent refund per bag.   I was lucky enough to get a couple free reusable bags during a promotional period this month.  
It appears that more mainstream grocery stores are catching on too.  HEB has their own brand of reusable bags for .99 each.  Canvas bags can also be purchased.  So why is this important?  As a personal chef, I shop 3 to 5 times per week.  When my groceries are sacked in those flimsy plastic bags there are sometimes 15 bags per shopping trip.  Do the math--that's over 3,000 bags per year!  I've heard they take 1,000 to degrade!  I know...you can recycle the plastic bags at drop-off stations at some grocery stores.  Unfortunately, my plastic bags never make it there.   On the up side, whenever possible, I ask for paper bags--more often than not the sackers look at you like you just asked them to dig a ditch!  I think I've figured out why.  There's not much strategy required in plastic bag sacking.  Just be sure to sack the produce separate from  the chicken and the bleach separate from the bread and you're good.  Sometimes there's only one or two items in each sack!  What do they care how many bags you have to carry into the house?  Sacking paper requires a little more thought--heavy things on the bottom, flat versus round items, etc.
Anyhow, I love my reusable bags--two from Whole Foods, two from HEB, and an assortment of washable canvas bags.  Trick is to remember to take them into the store with you.   I've started unloading the groceries and then sticking the bags right bag into my car--preferably where they're visible (front seat).  Just doing my part to help the environment.