Shopping bag

Shopping bag

Shopping bags are medium sized bags, typically around 10-20 litres in volume (though much larger versions exist, especially for non-grocery shopping), that are often used by grocery shoppers to carry home their purchases. They can be single-use or reusable.

Types and typical use of shopping bags vary by country:

* In the United States, single-use plastic shopping bags are common and typically free with a purchase. Some retailers, such as department stores, are more likely to provide paper bags to shoppers, whereas supermarkets and grocery stores tend to favour plastic bags. People are encouraged to have reusable shopping bags, when possible.
* In many European countries, plastic shopping bags were also free and common well into the noughties, and as of 2007 still are common, but their use is becoming less and less widespread, partly due to environmental legislation, which has led retailers to charge for plastic shopping bags. The Republic of Ireland for example imposed a dedicated plastic bag tax, thus forcing retailers offering plastic bags to charge for them.
* Reusable shopping bags are increasingly used, eg. in EU countries where use of single-use plastic shopping bags is in decline. Reusable bags are often made from jute cloth, also known as burlap in the US, [the fabric of these jute bags/burlap bags is typically less coarse than that of gunny bags, which are often much larger] but sometimes they are also made from plastic; however these reusable plastic bags are sturdier than single-use plastic shopping bags. In the USA, reusable bags are used as a fashion statement or for advertising. [ cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/business/16bags.html?_r=1&oref=slogin |title= Never Mind Whats In Them, the Bags are Fashion |accessdate=2007-12-16 |last= Barbaro|date= 16|year= 2007|month= December|publisher=New York Times ]

Environmental Concerns

Heavy duty mulitple-use shopping bags are often considered environmentally better than single-use paper or plastic shopping bags. When possible single-use bags should be recycled or reused as trash bags, storage bags, etc. Responsible solid waste usage is encouraged. Used bags should not be littered: this can be unsightly and damage wildlife.

Popular culture

* It has been written that filmmakers, when depicting someone returning from shopping, always ensure that something is sticking out of the top of the shopping bag, usually a baguette (loaf of french bread). [ [http://www.moviecliches.com/cliche3.html#SHOPPING] Movie Cliches, "Shopping"]

ee also

*Bag for life
*Plastic Bag

References

External links and sources

* [http://shoppingbags.com/museum/museum.html / Web Museum dedicated to 100 years of shopping bags] [http://www.printtshirtusa.com/totebags.asp Nice collection of printed shopping bags]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • shopping bag — shopping ,bag noun count a bag made of plastic or paper with two handles that a store gives you for carrying home your shopping …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • shopping bag — shopping .bag n a large bag that you use to carry things which you have bought …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • shopping bag — n. a large paper or plastic bag with handles, for carrying purchases …   English World dictionary

  • Shopping Bag — Infobox Album Name = Shopping Bag Type = studio Artist = The Partridge Family Released = 1971 Recorded = 1971 Genre = Rock Length = mm:ss Label = Bell Records Producer = Wes Farrell Reviews = Last album = A Partridge Family Christmas Card (1971)… …   Wikipedia

  • shopping bag — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms shopping bag : singular shopping bag plural shopping bags 1) a large bag with handles for carrying your shopping 2) American a carrier bag …   English dictionary

  • shopping bag lady — shopping bag lady, U.S. a vagrant, homeless, and often elderly woman who roams a city carrying her possessions in a shopping bag or bags: »On a nearby bench, apparently keeping an intermittent vigil, were two shopping bag ladies…endeavoring to… …   Useful english dictionary

  • shopping-bag lady — ˈ ̷ ̷  ̷ ̷ ˌ ̷ ̷ noun : bag lady herein * * * /shop ing bag /. See bag lady (def. 1). [1975 80] * * * shopping bag lady same as ↑bag lady (see under ↑bag). • • • …   Useful english dictionary

  • shopping bag — noun a bag made of plastic or strong paper (often with handles); used to transport goods after shopping • Hypernyms: ↑bag …   Useful english dictionary

  • shopping bag — shop′ping bag n. a paper or plastic bag with handles, used to carry purchases or belongings • Etymology: 1925–30 …   From formal English to slang

  • shopping bag — noun Date: 1886 a bag (as of strong paper) that has handles and is intended for carrying purchases …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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