Giveaways

Over the years, I’ve attended lots of trade shows and bar association meetings. You find all kinds of interesting vendor giveaways in the exhibition sections. They range from the useful, like canvas tote bags/briefcases (a staple at the ABA annual meetings), pads of sticky notes, and pens, all the way to the “what the heck is this?” variety of trinket. And people get in line to snap up the stuff.

Every once in a while one item takes the lead in most-used (or over-used) giveaway. In fact, right after 3M™ came out with their Post-It® notes, sticky-note pads became the giveaway of choice. Then someone invented those squishy “anti-stress” thingies and soon every law firm in the country stamped their name on some variation and handed them out. This year’s winner: reusable grocery bags.

It’s a great idea; having shopped at Aldi for a long time, I heartily embrace the concept. Before we moved to Ohio we picked up two bags from Trader Joe’s. And I bought a couple from my local grocery chain over a year ago when they first offered them. This year, the trade show people seem to have bought into the idea big time. At the last two garden shows we attended, the major sponsors provided a bag to each attendee as they presented their ticket. It’s a good fit – gardening and ecological responsibility – and we eagerly snapped up our bags. But when I got home, one question surfaced: just how many does one household need? I figure I have at least a dozen now, and that doesn’t count the last couple of plastic Aldi bags that haven’t worn out yet. We simply don’t buy enough groceries to fill all those bags! So this begs the question:

Can they be recycled?