That's the same here, they teach the customers to bring their own bags otherwise they pay for the plastic bags. But in the recent years, with the banning of the plastic bags, what the supermarkets and groceries have for an option are the so called eco-bags which are made of cloth so it is reusable. But the banning of plastic grocery bags applies only to cities that have that kind of ordinance, not all cities have that ban. This Christmas season, it was a surprise to see those plastic grocery bags again. The supermarket personnnel said that the city government had given them a permit for that from Dec 15 to January 3 only. That is to give convenience to shoppers during the holiday season.
It's nice that they permitted them during the holiday season, for shopper convenience. I have some of the reusable bags, but I tend to use them for other things. I use one to hold my plastic bags. I keep one of the insulated bags in the trunk, but usually forget to use it. I have read stories about germs in/on the reusable ones, so it's difficult to know what to do these days.
We also have issues with reusable bags like what you said about germs. It can be a nest of cockroaches and other insects. But I believe those talks are just trash talks invented by enemies of the plastic ban. Remember, the plastic grocery bag is a product of an industry, that means business and they are fighting back. Our cloth bags are in the car all the time so we wouldn't forget when we go to the grocery or supermarket. In fairness to the cloth bag, it is sturdy and durable unlike plastic bags which tear when there are cartons with pointed corners.
Yes, @Corie Henson and I've noticed that the plastic bags seem to be more flimsy these days. I used to prefer the Kroger plastic bags over the ones from Walmart, because the bags from Kroger were more sturdy, but it seems nowadays even the ones from Kroger tear readily and sometimes even the handles come off. The Target plastic bags are the sturdiest I've found, and I save those for things other than cat litter, so I can use them again and again. I still haven't shopped at Aldi since the one time I went in and the lines were too long and I left, but I keep some of the reusable bags in the car for that reason, because I plan to go back and explore the store further at some point.
That is the reason why I posted this video on how to properly fold plastic bags. We always save the plastic bags from the grocery and the only problem is in folding. When we learned how to neatly fold it then I taught it to every one. But now that plastic grocery bags are banned in almost the whole of Metro Manila, we are left with the cloth bag that we call eco bag. And for some groceries that still use plastic grocery bags, do not trust the bags because they are biodegradable. That means the plastic will self-destruct in a matter of months.