Why Are We All Hoarding Plastic Grocery Bags?

I saw a really funny post on Facebook a few weeks ago that I related to instantly. The post, from the popular page Family Recipes, said:

And to my children I leave my collection of grocery bags that I store inside of a grocery bag.

As you can see from the photo above, I am working on quite the curated selection of plastic bags. However, I have some many that there is no way one other bag could house them all. They are literally spilling out of my cabinet into the floor of my kitchen.

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There happens to be a Kroger location within .3 of a mile from my house. I am there, on average, about three to four times a week. I don't know why (maybe it's some sort of undiagnosed psychological illness that may eventually land me in a care facility), but every single time I roll through U-Scan, I take more plastic bags than I need.

See, I have two dogs- Yogi and Simon. I have found that plastic bags, specifically the Kroger bags, are THE perfect pooper scoopers. I don't like having little landmines in my backyard, so I pick up after my dogs as soon as they pop a squat. But look at these two!

I mean, their bowel movements can only be so big, right? With my collection of bags, you would think I owned two Saint Bernards who overdosed on Metamucil. My dogs can only poop so much.

So, why do I have this many plastic bags? Chances are you may too! After all, there's a reason Family Recipes made that funny post. They know they're not alone. They know I am not alone. They are plastic bag hoarders all over the U.S. Stand with me! We must unite!

Acceptance is the first step in recovery and I need to share even more revealing truths with you. I took you deep inside the bottom cabinet of my cupboard and exposed my rather incriminating underbelly of bags. But, that's not even all of them!  I have two more storage tubes full of them in my laundry room.

What in the helI is wrong with me? Maybe I am subconsciously stockpiling them for when they are extinct. Yeah! That sounds like a good explanation.

CALIFORNIA BANS PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS

After all, California announced recently that plastic grocery bags will be banned effective 2026.

I used to live in San Diego. Back then, I always saved my plastic VONS bags so I could pick up after my schnauzer after she dropped a deuce on the greenbelt at my townhouse complex. I found the bags at VONS just as much a necessity as I did Double Coupon Day.

WAYS TO STORE PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS

But, today, the real necessity is finding a place/way to store these things. They're taking over my kitchen and living room and I am childless. I don't have someone to will them to. So, now what?

I did find this very helpful video on YouTube. It shares three storage suggestions that are very clever and resourceful.

HOW TO REUSE PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS

If you have plastic grocery bags running out your ears like I do, maybe some suggestions about how to use them would help! When I was surfing YouTube, I was fed this story from ApartmentHomeLiving.com. CLICK HERE for 10 Creative Ways to Reuse Plastic Shopping Bags. For the record, Pet Waste Bags comes in a #5.