Sometimes being or going green can be difficult. Especially when trying to maneuver your reusable shopping bag use. It can be cumbersome, dirty, and sometimes maybe a little embarrassing as you wrestle crumpled bags with bad advertising. These tips on how to manage your reusable shopping bags should help. Don’t get discouraged, get organized using great advice to keep you trekking your green trek without a hitch.
Reusable Bag Reminder
Yes, you’re most likely aware that reusable bags are a better option than plastic. If you didn’t already know why, here are some reminders as reported by Use This Bag.
Plastic bags:
- Clog up landfills and water drainage systems
- Get stuck in trees
- Hurt animals and fish
- Contaminate bodies of water
- Many recycling programs do not handle plastic bags well and some may not allow them to be recycled
“According to the New Yorker in 2014, plastic grocery bags were the #7 most common item that was found in the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, just behind cigarette butts, bottle caps and plastic straws. The New York City Sanitation Department also reported that it collects 1700 tons of plastic bags every week and most dispose of $12.5 million worth every year.”
Bag Material
Before you randomly purchase or accept free reusable shopping bags consider what kind of material will be best. Many bags are made from cheap, hard, crinkly cumbersome plastic that often makes people give up their green attempt before they start. Stick to cotton, canvas, or other natural materials that easily store, can be thrown in the wash, and have adequate long handles for easy over the shoulder carrying.
Best Size Options
Some people grab any reusable bag just to feel good about going green, yet this can be more trouble than it’s worth. Keep a few size options available for all shopping bag and tote use rather than lug around a large, unwieldy bag for smaller purchases. Here is an outline you can refer to:
Small and Easy – If you can’t just carry a few purchased items home in your pockets then you’ll want a small bag in your backpack, purse, or vehicle glove compartment. A small bag comes in handy for items you may otherwise need to juggle rather than go plastic. Make sure your small bag has handles for multi-tasking movement.
Custom – Many excellent small business reusable bag companies are creating all sorts of custom options to make your life easy and green at the same time. Look for bags that roll into compact sizes or have customized latches, hooks, or built-in holders to name a few of many options out there.
Boxy – The box bag is one of the best reusable options. Usually made of light, sturdy canvas with inner solid panels, it opens by pressing the bottom panel down while the surrounding panels open into the box walls. When done, this bag collapses into a thin, easy to carry/store shape. The long handles make it easy to transport while the sturdy construction can handle heavy weights. This bag design is useful for shopping as well as trunk storage and so much more.
Look For Deals
Once you have your reusable shopping bag protocol in place, keep an eye out for reusable bag incentives. To help put an end to plastic bag pollution, many states are charging customers per each plastic bag they use. This, of course, is in the hope that consumers will get the picture and start using their own travel and specialty bags to do their part in helping the planet. In response to consumer reusable bag initiatives, some establishments will offer discounts or a weekly raffle as a ‘thank you’ for hopping on the non-plastic bag train. So, you can save the planet and save money all at once!
Managing reusable shopping bags just takes a little adaptation and organization. From reusable lunchbags and lunchboxes to large canvas shopping “boxes” hopefully one day plastic bag use will become a thing of the past.
