Plastic Savings
Fact
About 89 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are used each year. But a collection of canvas bags decreases this need for plastic. Reusable bags only cost about a dollar, and some stores will even give you a small credit for utilizing a reusable bag.
Get Started
- Look for reusable bags at thrift stores. They can be any fabric type or size, as long as they suit your needs
- Sturdy bags from clothing stores can be reused for shopping trips until they wear out
- Retailers sell inexpensive reusable bags, some of which collapse down to reduce space in your car or purse
Become a Pro
- Keep extra bags on hand at the office in case a co-worker is ever in need of an extra sack
- Get your kids involved by letting them decorate their own reusable canvas bag. They’ll love adding their own touch and helping you with the groceries
- Package gifts to friends and family in reusable shopping bags. You’ll save on disposable gift bags and share some reuse karma with others
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments. The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
Linda A.
posted on April 6th, 2009 at 3:35 am
Instead of always having to remember to take reusable bags to the grocery store and actually using them, I just collect my plastic grocery bags. Then, when I collect about two bags full of them, I just take them to my favorite Big Y supermarket where they have a collection bin specifically for the recycling of used plastic grocery bags. Voila! Memory problem solved; guilty conscience assuaged.
Look, the only way everyone is going to start — and keep — using reusable shopping bags is if the supermarkets stop supplying bags, PERIOD, either paper or plastic. Back in 1972 I went to Finland, and that’s how they were doing it there back then. Everyone brought their own reusable net bags to the grocery store because that was the only way you could carry your groceries home. The stores there didn’t supply bags.
Luis Romero
posted on April 29th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
The point is to reuse the plastic bags in the supermarkets and in the garbage cans at home. If you always use reusable shopping bags you have to by bags for the garbage, so the problem continue.