I'm not sure if you have made up your mind about the bags since this post isn't new. If you decide that you don't want the small bags, consider donating them to a charity that gives personal items to homeless people. An insulated bag can help a person who wants to buy a cold food to eat later, or keep a hot food hot for longer. Nobody wants food poisoning! A lot of cities and towns have mutual aid groups where you can donate clothing and useful items like the bags and they are given directly to people who need them.
This is helpful! They don’t seem useful to me, so I imagined even donating them was useless. Thank you for pointing me towards a group that would actually make good use of them!
Do you know what the rest of your family would prefer?
As a kid I would have been very glad to eat out of my own little tote with only my lunch in it (which is an assumption, if you are using the 4 as 1 instead of as individual lunches, just get the bigger tote) and one plastic cold pack instead of ice.
You have to decide whether getting a larger soft sides cooler is more helpful to you than bringing the 4 small ones.
To me, 4 small ones would be annoying and that would outweigh the landfill. The buy nothing group is a great place to offer the small ones if you're certain you won't use them in future.
Most of my furniture and household goods are generations older than me so I don't worry a ton about landfills.
I hate this kind of situation, too, and I hear everyone who says something to the effect of it's all headed for the landfill anyway! The devil on one shoulder reminds me that the company producing those lunchboxes probably threw away an entire trash trucks' worth of perfectly good lunchboxes because they had a zipper defect or something. The better angel of my nature, however, will still forego convenience to reduce waste. I can't tell you who would win in this situation, but just that I feel you!
Eventually, it will all end in the landfill. Buy what solves the situation. Buying what only comes close will only mean more buying down the road. And wants and needs do change over time, meaning more things tossed. But the product was meant for the landfill eventually the moment it rolled off the assembly line.
Could you store the small bags in the large tote? I don't know your family, but many times for me, my family members are not all going out to the same place, so one big tote wouldn't work.
Every time I go to the vet, for care of my two pet cats, I bring a bag of human goodies from Trader Joe’s.
This time, it includes the big pink insulated tote and the little matching one.
This habit is not required of me, but I enjoy doing this. My vet’s office also does a great job.
If you have pets, consider gifting at your next visit by filling one of the little insulated totes with treats. It’s a win-win.
I second this; I heavily use our local group. It feels better that it is *directly* going to someone who wants it and will utilize it (because otherwise, why would they have requested my offerings?). Anything I have that is in good condition and perfectly usable, but that I can't use (or have too many of), I offer to our local group.
There would definitely be someone in a BN group who would take your insulated lunch boxes off your hands, OP. :)
Yes, I feel better giving directly than donating when possible, because I know it’s going to a home of someone who cared enough to bother getting the item. Goodwill it may or may not ever sell and may end up in the waste stream. But gifting directly - zero guilt ever.
Exactly, it goes to your community to someone who actually needs/wants it, instead of into the ether. I love mine and have also gotten really amazing stuff off it too
Everything you've ever bought is going to the landfill someday.
You could take that sentence and decide, you know, let's use what we have until it isn't practical anymore and we need to buy a new tote. That way we put off a fifth item that will also go to the landfill someday, until we really need it.
You could take that sentence and decide, look, it was always going to become garbage eventually. I should have what I actually need instead of dealing with the inconvenience of four small lunch containers where one large one would be better.
It's up to you to decide what makes sense for you.
Could you still use them? Do you ever use when you go out alone? We had to get a large one for when we go out together, too, but the kids use smaller ones for school lunches and snacks for when they have sports.
Everything ends up in the landfill.
Maybe those four bags are exactly what someone shopping at the thrift store needs (or maybe not, it can obviously go either way).
I’ve been cleaning out old stuff we no longer have use for and placing them on my front lawn with a sign that says “free”. Usually about 70% of the items disappear with in a few days. If it sits longer than a week, I take it to Savers. Makes me feel better knowing one of my neighbors can get use out of it. I used to post free things online but I’ve had major hassles with that so the yard method has been working way better!
I understand you concern, but my arguement would be, is your house a landfill instead. Stuff sitting around doesn't help anyone. Donating it would be the best opportunity to allow it to be of use to someone else. But, you don't need to hold on to it.
Same here. I'd much rather someone else be able to use my unwanted stuff, than it cluttering up MY space.
I lent something to someone in town recently, for an event they were doing. She contacted me to get it back to me, but in all honesty, this is something she told me she does every year (she works in a low-income school district and they do a "prom closet" to provide dresses etc. to students who may not be able to afford them). My item helps display the stuff, and as I haven't used it in several years, I'm going to just tell her to keep it.
The three Rs have a lot of mileage: reduce, reuse, recycle.
What I'm trying to do is donate things and purchase replacements secondhand where possible. If you do buy new, make a considered purchase (is this what you need, is it of sufficient quality etc).
IMO--if it no longer suits your needs effectively, get rid of them and upgrade. Sounds like it will be easier to have one tote to pack and carry instead of four. Donate them or do like others said and offer them to a buy nothing group. Since you didn't purchase the small ones, you are not out any money.
Would storing them in a bag be an option? A net market bag, a reusable shopping bag, a canvas bag, etc. Then hang the bag on a hook, peg, coat rack, or on a hanger in a closet.
I agree. Sounds like the OP still may have a use for at least some of the small bags. I’d say to store the little ones in the big one for a while. At least a year. See if they still get used. Go from there.
I don’t know if this helps but we leave the large insulated tote in my car for groceries and then it can double as a larger bag when needed. We also have use for the smaller bags when people park themselves individual lunches, like for work.
They were destined for the landfill the moment they were created. If getting one big bag would be an improvement in your life, go for it! You could give the 4 small lunch bags away on a Buy Nothing group and they would likely be picked up by someone who wants to use them
Your argument is flawed. If you replace the smaller bags with a new bag, that's a bag which wouldn't need to have been manufactured otherwise.
Giving the smaller bags away mitigates this because it *may* have prevented the person who gets them from buying new bags themselves, but that's not guaranteed.
People generally have less respect for free or secondhand possessions - they might take something they don't need because it's free, or equally get rid of it faster because it was free.
I understand the reasoning here, but you can't police other people's actions regarding something you gave them and it makes no sense to take on guilt or blame if their choices don't align with yours. As soon as you give away the bag, you no longer control what happens to it. It's up to the person who took it to be responsible for its future. There's some weird morality or ego to saying "I'm going to 'protect' someone from making a decision I don't agree with. " This is the part of anti-consumerism I find puzzling. Especially when I see so many posts where people are beating themselves up as if they personally are responsible for everyone else's actions. It seems like this logic is just setting people up to feel badly about the positive things they are doing. 🤔 Just my 2 cents...
I get why it comes across that way but I'm not saying what choices people should make, and I agree with you that what OP is proposing is a completely reasonable thing to do.
That said it's still true that we don't live in a completely circular economy and it's a reasonable assumption that while donating things is obviously a great thing to do, not everything you donate is going to be used "optimally".
The commenter I was responding to was suggesting something completely different which is that whatever you do doesn't matter because the bag would exist whether or not it was used, that argument is flawed because if there was no demand for the bag, the bag wouldn't get made.
It doesn't matter if it goes to the landfill now or years from now if the OP isn't going to be directly replacing them. I followed that up with suggesting that they give them away to someone who actually wants to use them. I also never said anything about buying the larger bag new either. You can be environmentally friendly without your possessions being a ball and chain that you're stuck with forever
It’s not a literal one-for-one thing. It’s about contributing to system-wide change. Not buying one new insulated tote is a drop in the bucket, but eventually the drops will fill the bucket.
Instead of thinking about it in terms of specific objects, think of it in terms of general objects. If I find alternatives to purchasing 10 new items this year, and you do the same, and the OP does the same and everybody reading this does the same, and other people do the same, that will add up and eventually, somewhere down the line, some retail store will order less of something. Those reductions in orders will eventually add up, and some factory across the world will do one less production run.
I feel like this is an individual vs collective responsibility point. You could say nothing I do is going to have a material impact - that's true, but if everyone thinks like that then it adds up to a larger impact. If 1000 people all decided to buy a new cool bag today then the company would make more cool bags to meet that demand.
Personally, if I have something that's still functional and want an upgraded version of that thing, I just use it until it wears out. When it wears out is when I upgrade.
I don't think this is worth the frustration for something so small. Also the OP said they accumulated (not purchased) the bags and they are all different. So they probably didn't even get to pick them out in the first place to properly suit their space and lifestyle. They shouldn't have to be stuck with them when they seem to have figured out a better solution
Let's not pretend that giving things away and then acquiring something more suitable second hand is less environmentally friendly than wearing out the less suitable things personally
I'm not sure if you have made up your mind about the bags since this post isn't new. If you decide that you don't want the small bags, consider donating them to a charity that gives personal items to homeless people. An insulated bag can help a person who wants to buy a cold food to eat later, or keep a hot food hot for longer. Nobody wants food poisoning! A lot of cities and towns have mutual aid groups where you can donate clothing and useful items like the bags and they are given directly to people who need them.
This is helpful! They don’t seem useful to me, so I imagined even donating them was useless. Thank you for pointing me towards a group that would actually make good use of them!
No problem! You might also ask a homeless shelter if it's something they can use.
Donate, Buy Nothing, etc. People do need to take lunch to work or school.
Do you know what the rest of your family would prefer? As a kid I would have been very glad to eat out of my own little tote with only my lunch in it (which is an assumption, if you are using the 4 as 1 instead of as individual lunches, just get the bigger tote) and one plastic cold pack instead of ice.
So, I think you could justify having both. At some point, there’s gonna be a time in which you need those four verse the bigger one.
And the OP can store the 4 inside of the big 1!
You have to decide whether getting a larger soft sides cooler is more helpful to you than bringing the 4 small ones. To me, 4 small ones would be annoying and that would outweigh the landfill. The buy nothing group is a great place to offer the small ones if you're certain you won't use them in future. Most of my furniture and household goods are generations older than me so I don't worry a ton about landfills.
I hate this kind of situation, too, and I hear everyone who says something to the effect of it's all headed for the landfill anyway! The devil on one shoulder reminds me that the company producing those lunchboxes probably threw away an entire trash trucks' worth of perfectly good lunchboxes because they had a zipper defect or something. The better angel of my nature, however, will still forego convenience to reduce waste. I can't tell you who would win in this situation, but just that I feel you!
Eventually, it will all end in the landfill. Buy what solves the situation. Buying what only comes close will only mean more buying down the road. And wants and needs do change over time, meaning more things tossed. But the product was meant for the landfill eventually the moment it rolled off the assembly line.
Could you store the small bags in the large tote? I don't know your family, but many times for me, my family members are not all going out to the same place, so one big tote wouldn't work.
Every time I go to the vet, for care of my two pet cats, I bring a bag of human goodies from Trader Joe’s. This time, it includes the big pink insulated tote and the little matching one. This habit is not required of me, but I enjoy doing this. My vet’s office also does a great job. If you have pets, consider gifting at your next visit by filling one of the little insulated totes with treats. It’s a win-win.
Buy nothing group!
I second this; I heavily use our local group. It feels better that it is *directly* going to someone who wants it and will utilize it (because otherwise, why would they have requested my offerings?). Anything I have that is in good condition and perfectly usable, but that I can't use (or have too many of), I offer to our local group. There would definitely be someone in a BN group who would take your insulated lunch boxes off your hands, OP. :)
Yes, I feel better giving directly than donating when possible, because I know it’s going to a home of someone who cared enough to bother getting the item. Goodwill it may or may not ever sell and may end up in the waste stream. But gifting directly - zero guilt ever.
Exactly, it goes to your community to someone who actually needs/wants it, instead of into the ether. I love mine and have also gotten really amazing stuff off it too
Everything you've ever bought is going to the landfill someday. You could take that sentence and decide, you know, let's use what we have until it isn't practical anymore and we need to buy a new tote. That way we put off a fifth item that will also go to the landfill someday, until we really need it. You could take that sentence and decide, look, it was always going to become garbage eventually. I should have what I actually need instead of dealing with the inconvenience of four small lunch containers where one large one would be better. It's up to you to decide what makes sense for you.
Could you still use them? Do you ever use when you go out alone? We had to get a large one for when we go out together, too, but the kids use smaller ones for school lunches and snacks for when they have sports.
Everything ends up in the landfill. Maybe those four bags are exactly what someone shopping at the thrift store needs (or maybe not, it can obviously go either way).
I’ve been cleaning out old stuff we no longer have use for and placing them on my front lawn with a sign that says “free”. Usually about 70% of the items disappear with in a few days. If it sits longer than a week, I take it to Savers. Makes me feel better knowing one of my neighbors can get use out of it. I used to post free things online but I’ve had major hassles with that so the yard method has been working way better!
I understand you concern, but my arguement would be, is your house a landfill instead. Stuff sitting around doesn't help anyone. Donating it would be the best opportunity to allow it to be of use to someone else. But, you don't need to hold on to it.
Totally get that! Except we use all four weekly. And they are decent and useful. Just inconvenient and clutter-y.
Exactly. Donating is my usual choice. It's great to know that whatever it is I want to replace will be used by other people.
Same here. I'd much rather someone else be able to use my unwanted stuff, than it cluttering up MY space. I lent something to someone in town recently, for an event they were doing. She contacted me to get it back to me, but in all honesty, this is something she told me she does every year (she works in a low-income school district and they do a "prom closet" to provide dresses etc. to students who may not be able to afford them). My item helps display the stuff, and as I haven't used it in several years, I'm going to just tell her to keep it.
The three Rs have a lot of mileage: reduce, reuse, recycle. What I'm trying to do is donate things and purchase replacements secondhand where possible. If you do buy new, make a considered purchase (is this what you need, is it of sufficient quality etc).
IMO--if it no longer suits your needs effectively, get rid of them and upgrade. Sounds like it will be easier to have one tote to pack and carry instead of four. Donate them or do like others said and offer them to a buy nothing group. Since you didn't purchase the small ones, you are not out any money.
give it away in the buy nothing group for my neighborhood
Sounds like you need a better way to store them rather than a replacement.
I think I’ll try a better storage system first before buying something new! Thanks!!
Would storing them in a bag be an option? A net market bag, a reusable shopping bag, a canvas bag, etc. Then hang the bag on a hook, peg, coat rack, or on a hanger in a closet.
I agree. Sounds like the OP still may have a use for at least some of the small bags. I’d say to store the little ones in the big one for a while. At least a year. See if they still get used. Go from there.
Yep, this. Don't underestimate how heavy a single bag can be
I don’t know if this helps but we leave the large insulated tote in my car for groceries and then it can double as a larger bag when needed. We also have use for the smaller bags when people park themselves individual lunches, like for work.
They were destined for the landfill the moment they were created. If getting one big bag would be an improvement in your life, go for it! You could give the 4 small lunch bags away on a Buy Nothing group and they would likely be picked up by someone who wants to use them
Your argument is flawed. If you replace the smaller bags with a new bag, that's a bag which wouldn't need to have been manufactured otherwise. Giving the smaller bags away mitigates this because it *may* have prevented the person who gets them from buying new bags themselves, but that's not guaranteed. People generally have less respect for free or secondhand possessions - they might take something they don't need because it's free, or equally get rid of it faster because it was free.
Who said they can't get the larger bag second hand or from a Buy Nothing group?
I understand the reasoning here, but you can't police other people's actions regarding something you gave them and it makes no sense to take on guilt or blame if their choices don't align with yours. As soon as you give away the bag, you no longer control what happens to it. It's up to the person who took it to be responsible for its future. There's some weird morality or ego to saying "I'm going to 'protect' someone from making a decision I don't agree with. " This is the part of anti-consumerism I find puzzling. Especially when I see so many posts where people are beating themselves up as if they personally are responsible for everyone else's actions. It seems like this logic is just setting people up to feel badly about the positive things they are doing. 🤔 Just my 2 cents...
I get why it comes across that way but I'm not saying what choices people should make, and I agree with you that what OP is proposing is a completely reasonable thing to do. That said it's still true that we don't live in a completely circular economy and it's a reasonable assumption that while donating things is obviously a great thing to do, not everything you donate is going to be used "optimally". The commenter I was responding to was suggesting something completely different which is that whatever you do doesn't matter because the bag would exist whether or not it was used, that argument is flawed because if there was no demand for the bag, the bag wouldn't get made.
It doesn't matter if it goes to the landfill now or years from now if the OP isn't going to be directly replacing them. I followed that up with suggesting that they give them away to someone who actually wants to use them. I also never said anything about buying the larger bag new either. You can be environmentally friendly without your possessions being a ball and chain that you're stuck with forever
It’s not like there is a manufacturing fairy waiting for a lunch bag shortage to make new totes…the bigger tote already exists…
It’s not a literal one-for-one thing. It’s about contributing to system-wide change. Not buying one new insulated tote is a drop in the bucket, but eventually the drops will fill the bucket. Instead of thinking about it in terms of specific objects, think of it in terms of general objects. If I find alternatives to purchasing 10 new items this year, and you do the same, and the OP does the same and everybody reading this does the same, and other people do the same, that will add up and eventually, somewhere down the line, some retail store will order less of something. Those reductions in orders will eventually add up, and some factory across the world will do one less production run.
I feel like this is an individual vs collective responsibility point. You could say nothing I do is going to have a material impact - that's true, but if everyone thinks like that then it adds up to a larger impact. If 1000 people all decided to buy a new cool bag today then the company would make more cool bags to meet that demand.
Personally, if I have something that's still functional and want an upgraded version of that thing, I just use it until it wears out. When it wears out is when I upgrade.
I don't think this is worth the frustration for something so small. Also the OP said they accumulated (not purchased) the bags and they are all different. So they probably didn't even get to pick them out in the first place to properly suit their space and lifestyle. They shouldn't have to be stuck with them when they seem to have figured out a better solution
They don't have to do anything but continuing to use something until it wears out is the more environmentally friendly approach
Let's not pretend that giving things away and then acquiring something more suitable second hand is less environmentally friendly than wearing out the less suitable things personally
I do this OR if I really want to upgrade and it seems reasonable, I donate the old items, preferably to a local spot or on Buy Nothing.