Invest in a handful of reusable shopping bags – and use them! Be sure to keep them in your car, so you'll remember to grab them before you head into a store.
Image: Reusable Target shopping bag
Pretty much every store these days has their own branded reusable shopping bag, and you can typically get them for a few dollars right by the checkout lanes. The variety of bags is growing as well – from colors to sizes to being foldable. You can also get simple decorative bags online, if you prefer not to sport corporate logos.
These bags simply save tons of plastic bags from being used and thrown away. They're also stronger than plastic bags and can be filled with more things. There's no need to double-bag heavier items or put each item in a separate bag.
Switching to reusable bags, even just half the times you go shopping, makes such an impact on cutting down the amount of plastic wasted. If you routinely use five plastic bags on a weekly grocery trip, that's 20 bags a month you can save...240 a year! And you would be using the same five cloth bags. Cutting down the number of plastic bags you use also helps shrink that mountain of plastic bags you don't have room for. You know that mountain. Get rid of that mountain!
And you can go beyond grocery stores. Bring a bag with you to the mall, the drug store or a boutique!
Another bonus is that some stores, including Target and Albertson's, give you five cents off for each bag you use.
These bags will be your best friend. I promise.
2 comments
It is a very good idea to invest in a reusable bag. It seems that now a days the cashiers and baggers put only a few items in each plastic bag. That leaves me with so many unnecessary bags. Great topic. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Phillip! Now, I can tell you that the other important thing is to remember to bring them IN the store. :)