Going Green with Grocery Bags

By: Sarah Borroum

Plastic bags are a huge waste at the grocery store. And because so many Americans still use plastic bags, the amount of wasted plastic is massive.

Worldwatch.org reports that Americans throw away something like 100 billion plastic bags every year. That isn’t a typo, either: we’re really watching that many plastic bags blow around, wash into bodies of water, and waste our resources.

Many plastic bags end up in a recycling facility, sure. And many of us do re-use the plastic bags. They’re great as trash-can liners, especially in the bathroom. Cat lovers can also use the bags when cleaning out the litter boxes.

This is a great start, but what if we avoid using so many plastic bags in the first place? The fewer we use, the fewer we’ll need to recycle. We’ll save energy and find fewer bags trashing the country.

Paper bags can be good alternatives to plastic. However, the manufacturers have to use energy to harvest the trees, create the sacks, ship them, et cetera. Even recycling paper bags requires energy.

The best idea is to bring your own, reusable bags for all of your groceries. Though the manufacturers do use energy to create these bags, they’re reusable for much longer than their plastic and paper counterparts. Find a good, reusable bag and you won’t have to replace it for years.

You might think that toting your own bags around is going to take up tons of space, but that’s not always true. Some reusable bags are designed to fold into very small shapes. You can stuff them into your purse – or put them all into one of the bags. If you find the right bags, you won’t have to lug around a large, heavy mass while you try to shop.

Some people think that there aren’t many options for reusable bags. They have the idea that they’ll be stuck with something ugly, or bulky, or just wrong for their needs. The good news is that you have many options for grocery bags. You can buy tote bags at many types of stores – from discount-department chains to local hobby shops. Some grocery stores sell them, in fact. Most of the bags are affordable and have nice carry handles or straps. You can, in many cases, fit more groceries into one of these reusable tote bags than you can fit into the plastic bags.

And if you can’t find a suitable bag in your neighborhood, the Internet is your friend. There are many great Web sites that are selling reusable bags. A quick Internet search will give you many places to shop for the perfect bag.

You can also make your own bags. Some people enjoy sewing their own grocery bags from scrap materials or old clothing, like blue jeans. This is a great idea because you’re recycling old material and conserving grocery bags at the same time.

Another advantage to creating your own bag is the fact that you can create exactly what you need. You can sew a bag with long shoulder straps so that you can carry it over your shoulders like a backpack, for example. Another option is to sew a tote bag that you can carry like a regular grocery sack.

You can also pick your own type and color of material so that the bag is truly unique. You can also decorate the bag. Use sequins, embroidery, or iron-on patches to personalize your shopping bag.

If you aren’t very handy with the sewing machine, you might try to find a friend who can create a bag for you. You might even work together if you’re skilled with the decorating part and he or she can sew. Be sure to return the favor by doing something nice for your buddy!

If you ditch plastic and paper bags, you’ll make a small – but good – difference in your neighborhood. One interesting thing about people is that we like to mimic what others around us are doing. So if you take your reusable bags to the grocery store, others will see you using them instead of the plastic or paper bags. Some won’t care, but others will. They’ll start bringing their own bags too, which will make an even bigger difference in your community.

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