Environment

Wait, you are saying that not having a car and a garage makes people need plastic bags?

I lived in small, and now in a large North American city, and never owned a car. The city banned plastic bags a few years ago and I already owned some reusable bags bought a decade before, so I just continued to use them.

But mostly I use my backpack because I don't have a car and live in a city where I can walk to grocery stores. Otherwise I use my bike panniers. And if I really don't have a bag, instead of buying a new one, I only buy what I can carry with my hands. Crazy like that.

Or did the sarcasm go over my head?

I only lived in a walkable city for a few months where I didn't have access to a car, and it was glorious to be able to walk to the grocery store.

But if I was going to the store, I always brought my backpack filled with some reusable bags, since without my backpack I'd be reducing my carrying capacity significantly. It's difficult for me to imagine forgetting to bring my backpack, since I'd have so much time to notice it not being on me on the walk to the store.

With a car it's easier to forget the bags, since they could be out of sight in the trunk, and it's easy not to think about them on the way since driving takes up your focus and attention. But that's just been my experience.

I do like the idea of stores accepting used bags to re-sell (or perhaps a take-a-bag leave-a-bag rack too?) For those who do not have a car and are more forgetful than I.

When I was carless I depended on my reusable bags. Plastic bags were so annoying to walk or bus with.

I do exactly the same with my wagon.