I admit, when I come home from the grocery store, I generally have my items put in plastic bags.  I usually re-use them for things around the house, but realize it's not the same as recycling, because inevitably, they still end up in the trash.  I didn't know how differently other parts of the world view the use of plastic bags until I went to Ireland.  My friend and I had stopped at a corner grocery store for a snack.  Because we had to hike back to our hotel with the items, I asked the clerk if he could put them in a bag.  Immediately, I realize this is not how the folks there generally operate.  He paused and then begrudingly put my stuff in a bag that already appeared to be recycled.  The country is very ecologically-minded, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that plastic bags were frowned upon.  But for me, it was an eye-opening experience.

When I saw that cloth bags were starting to gain momentum locally, I thought it was a great step in the right direction.  I had been meaning to switch over to all cloth bags, so I could skip the plastic ones. Unfortunately, it was one of those things that just stayed on my "To Do" list.  One night I was doing a little late-night shopping.  When I went through the check-out the clerk told me I could get a free cloth bag. She said, "We've been giving them out all day, and since you're here before midnight, you get one."  It's a little small.  Usually when I go to the store, I get quite a few items. But at least it can save at least one or two plastic bags every time I go to the store.  My biggest problem now, is remembering to take it with me.  Hopefully, it will become second-nature to me, and I'll finally catch up with the folks in Ireland who've been "going cloth" for quite some time.