Paper or Plastic? Neither, I’ve brought my own

Check out this 1-minute National Geographic video about the devastating impact of plastic bags and the increasing awareness of reusable bags as a smart alternative.

One of the easiest ‘green’ activities I’ve adopted is using reusable bags, instead of plastic bags.  A few years ago I bought three reusable bags from my local grocery store and have been using them ever since.  I added a fourth reusable bag last year when I got a promotional bag from a conference I attended.  Over the years I’ve come to appreciate many benefits of using reusable bags.

Benefits of Reusable Bags:

• Longer handles allow the bags to rest on your shoulders, better distributing the weight and freeing your hands.
• Fit more in a single bag and take less trips between the car and the kitchen.
• Keeps plastic bags out of landfills and the rest of our precious environment.
• Show your personality with reusable bags that have designs that reflect you.
• Use the bags for more than just groceries.
• Sturdiness of bags give peace of mind by securely holding even heavy items.
• Safer to have around children and pets.
• Have a spill?  Throw you bag in the wash.
• Some stores give discounts when you use reusable bags (i.e. 5 cents per reusable bag used)

For a long-time I forgot to bring my reusable bags with me when shopping or I might make an unexpected stop at a store while out.  I solved this issue by always keeping my reusable bags in my car.  Once I’ve put up all my groceries, I immediately put the now empty bags on my front door doorknob where I pick them up next time I go out.

No matter how hard I try, I inevitably end up with some plastic bags.  This may be from bagging veggies or shopping when I’ve forgotten my reusable bags.  If you end up with some plastic bags or have a lot stashed away somewhere, not to worry, plastic bags are recyclable.  Most grocery stores in the US now have a plastic bag collection bin in the front of their store.  Don’t throw plastic bags away, take them to your local grocery store and recycle them!  Paper is also recyclable, so if you have extra paper bags lying around, be sure to recycle them as well.

Are you ready to kick the plastic-bag habit?  If so, first check your home for tote bags that will work well for shopping.  Don’t have any or need some more to cover your typical shopping needs?  Get reusable bags from your favorite local store or shop online at places like, ReusableBags.com.

Only get as many reusable bags as you will normally use.  If you get new reusable bags regularly or have too many, then it really isn’t better for the environment than using plastic bags.   It takes quite a bit more energy to produce and deliver reusable bags. So to ensure your reusable bags are actually a plus for the environment, be sure you are reusing them many times.  Also, be mindful of how many of these bags you have. Reusable bags are becoming a popular give-away item and in some cases are being produced on a large-scale with clever t-shirt-like slogans.  So be careful not to collect more reusable bags than you actually need.

According to research at Sightline, what we put in our grocery bags, whether paper, plastic, or reusable, is even more important to consider.  Be mindful of things like how much packaging is used for the products you buy.  For example, is your bread single bagged or double bagged?  Also, how far did that food have to travel to get to your grocery store and what chemicals might have been used to produce or preserve it?  All these things can add up.

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