Parents' bizarre shopping habit sparks heated debate online: 'What an immense waste of money'

A Redditor shared their parents' head-scratching habit: buying reusable bags every time they go grocery shopping.

Posted to r/mildlyinfuriating, it definitely fits the bill. The comments ranged from baffled to downright irritated. 

"Why not just leave a couple bags in the boot (trunk) of the car?" one commenter noted. 

Another said, "What an immense waste of money even without thinking of the environment impact."

Normally, the point of reusable bags is to avoid buying new ones. Single-use plastic bags are big polluters by comparison. Though they can sometimes be recycled, they often aren't, usually ending up in landfills or worse.

According to National Geographic, "Plastic bags … endanger many facets of the environment, including marine life and the food chain. … Like all plastic materials, [they] eventually break up into microscopic pieces, which scientists refer to as microplastics." 

Sure, most people forget their grocery bags once in a while, but this just defeats the purpose. At least the OP's parents didn't throw out the bags after buying them.

Still, if they want to help the environment, they need to use the bags as intended. Just because it's not blatant littering, that doesn't make it OK. Nat Geo explains, "Regardless of whether the bag is plastic, paper, or another material, the most sustainable choice is the bag you already have. … Reusing the bag as many times as you can reduces its impact on the environment."

Environmental debates on this subreddit aren't uncommon. A few years ago, a Redditor posted about coffee pods that were advertised as 100% compostable. The catch? Each one was individually wrapped in non-compostable plastic.

🗣️ What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home?

🔘 Not enough time ⏳

🔘 Not enough space 🤏

🔘 It seems too hard 😬

🔘 I have a garden already 😎

🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

Generally, it seems like people and companies have a lot of work to do when it comes to environmental education. However, that doesn't mean it's impossible. Reusing your grocery bags is a good place to start. 

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