We told you earlier this week that New Jersey's sweeping statewide plastic bag ban is coming.

We do have some time to stock up on reusable bags for groceries, the ban isn't going into full effect for another 18 months, in May of 2022.

But, the upcoming ban isn't going to just impact carrying your groceries home. For plenty of dog owners, there's something a bit more, let's say "unpleasant", that we'll have to make new accommodations for.

First of all, let me say that I'm not against the plastic bag ban, per se. If we can truly make a difference with helping preserve our delicate environment by using reusable sacks instead, I'm ok with that.

In a way though, my grocery bags haven't been "single-use" for years.

Specifically, for as long as I've had dogs.

See where I'm going with this?

When I got my first dog, Sydney, almost 15 years ago, I stocked up on everything that you'd need for a new pet - a dog bed, bowls, toys, and yes, plenty of poop bags.

Early on though, I saw a neighbor doing something that struck me as obvious but brilliant - she was re-using a plastic grocery bag to pick up after her dog.

It seems like a no-brainer - you can save money on store bought rolls of little plastic bags and you can cut down on plastic trash at the same time.

So, for the last decade and a half I've been saving my plastic grocery bags to re-purpose them for doggy duty.

But, with the new NJ law set to hit the books in the next year and a half, I won't be able to rely on my local grocery store to provide me with free goods to pick up after my pup.

Of the alternatives out there, unless I want to invest in a pooper-scooper (which I've always thought were gross), I'm going to have to spend at least some money. But, at least there are environmentally friendly options out there.

Although, no thank you very much to the re-usable options. Yuck!

You can click here to explore some of the choices that are out there.

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