Saturday, June 17, 2017

Shopping Saturday - Those Strange Grocery Sacks

Those Strange Grocery Sacks

There was a time, in the past, when we didn't have plastic grocery bags, with nice cut away holes to make handles, and ease of carrying. Before that, we had the ever popular paper sack. Which you didn't dare keep, because they might have roach eggs in them! (My Mom's biggest fear!) Although when I first started keeping house, I kept them to line my garbage cans with. And prior to the paper sack, there was the ever popular gunny sack , or burlap bag. While I don't remember using them to carry home groceries, I know many people who do!

I have purchased stone ground cornmeal in them. And feed for farm animals. As well as potatoes.

When I was in the second grade (I have a photo of it somewhere), my Mom made me a costume for a school play out of burlap sacks. (I played an American Indian woman.)  The effect was quite good actually!

While I am grateful for the ease of carrying groceries home today, I try to use a non-recyclable bag instead of plastic. One that I can use over and over again for long periods of time. Usually made out of loosely woven material. They are cheap (some as low as only 50-cents), and don't harm animals or the environment.

The burlap bags would be welcomed today, if made into a handled bags! Who is with me in starting a trend of burlap shopping bags?

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