According to reusablebags.com, “the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags.” Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, and can be expensive to recycle. And “In 1999, 14 million trees were cut to produce the 10 billion paper grocery bags used by Americans that year alone.” It’s easy to see that with the choice of paper or plastic, single-use grocery bags don’t make environmental sense.
By bringing reusable grocery bags with you the next time you go to the checkout, you can help reduce the consumption of paper and plastic bags.
Durability
Although you can reuse the paper and plastic bags the store gives you without buying anything, many of these bags don’t even survive one trip home without getting holes in them. In contrast, quality bags can be reused over and over again, and provide the added benefit of being stronger. If you’ve ever had glass jars fall out the bottom of a paper bag and shatter, you know that good bags can save you a lot of cleanup time and wasted groceries.
Convenience
Reusable bags often have shoulder straps, making it easier to carry several of them at once, even while juggling other items or trying to open the front door. Reusable grocery bags are often larger than conventional shopping sacks, meaning there will be fewer of them to carry. And, with reusable grocery bags, you won’t have to figure out where to store (or throw) away all those paper and plastic bags.
What Kind of Bags to Buy
- Size: If you buy large bags, you’ll need fewer of them, but keep in mind that a really big bag loaded with canned goods or glass jars will quickly grow heavy. You may want to opt for medium bags, or have bags in a few sizes for different kinds of items.
- Handles or straps: While most reusable bags have handles, some have shoulder straps, or even backpack style straps. If you have a long way to carry your bags (or take public transportation), be sure to keep in mind how you’ll carry them when selecting reusable bags.
- Material: Most reusable shopping bags are made of canvas or recycled plastic, although you can find them made from other new and recycled materials. You may also want to know whether the bag you’re buying can be recycled when it wears out.
- Portability: Some bags fold down into a very compact space when they’re not being used. This makes it easier to tuck them into your pocket, purse, or glove compartment and have them handy for impromptu shopping trips.
- Style: Although many bags come in plain basic black, you can also find reusable grocery bags in exotic prints, animal pictures, and cartoons if expressing your unique style is important to you.
Where to Buy Reusable Shopping Bags
Grocery stores sometimes sell basic reusable shopping bags with the store logo on them right at the checkout, often for a reasonable price. (Some will even give the bags away during promotional weeks if you buy a certain amount of groceries.) If you want a bag with special features, you may need to order online.
Other Bag Alternatives
- Items that don’t need bags: If you’re only buying a few items you can easily hold, you can tell the cashier you don’t need a bag. (Make sure to get a receipt in case you need proof of purchase on the way out!) You may also want to refuse a bag for large items that already have packaging such as toilet tissue, sacks of potatoes, or flour.
- Reusable produce bags: You can buy bags especially designed for produce, or you can simply reuse the ones from the store. (Be sure to store them in the same place as your reusable grocery bags so you’ll remember to bring them.)
Many grocery stores will give you credit (in most cases, a nickel) for each bag you reuse. While this might not seem like much, it does add up over time, and can easily cover the cost of the reusable grocery bags.
