Don’t tote a reusable tote yet? You’re way behind the curve. Go beyond the paper-or-plastic nonsense and earn a nickel or dime back as “bag credit” when you shop at most grocery stores. To get inspired to reduce and reuse, check out what handy reusable bags green-thinking bloggers are toting eco-style:
1. Get a bag that shows off your personal style. I’m in a bit of a bag-identity crisis right now, because my favorite show-off bag was my cute red neoprene wine tote (right) that I got complimented on all the time — but I’ve stopped drinking for the time being. For now, I mostly use my Plastic Rehab tote (below left).
Maria at Demeter’s Garden loves the tote she got at H-Mart, an Asian grocery store, because “it expresses my feelings on good food.” I like this one because it’s a gorgeous eggplant color! And my fellow BlogHer contributing editor Liz Rizzo at Everyday Goddess has not one, not two, but 15 — yes, 15 — reusable bags, ranging from corporate freebies to a BlogHer ’08 tote to everything in between. I hope they each get a little reusable love and are not too much of a good thing.
What bag defines your style? A limited edition artsy tote? A reusable bag made of disposable plastic bags? Stretchy bags that benefit Katrina survivors or Hero bags made of all recycled materials? An ultra sturdy Savior bag?
If all else fails, you can make your own bags fairly easily too — or just buy bags made by more crafty DIYers.
2. Get a bag you won’t forget. That means you need a compactifiable bag you can carry in your purse to unfurl at a moment’s notice. This little bag will come in especially handy at IKEA, which has nixed plastic bags entirely!
Zadi Diaz of EpicFu fame, for example, carries her Cool California tote in her purse. My fellow MNN blogger Robin Shreeves at A Little Greener Every Day says the original Chico bag (right) is her favorite: “they last forever, are washable, and fold up small.” I use an Envirosax tote that folds up into the size of a sushi roll. S.H.O.P. tote bags are also a good option. What about you?
3. Get rid of the bag inside the bag. Remembered to take your tote to the farmers’ market? Next time, go a step further and bring smaller bags for your fruits and veggies too so you’re not filling up that reusable tote with a whole bunch of disposable flimsy produce bags. Whether you buy organic cotton produce bags or mesh bags (left) or simply reuse the produce bags you’ve already got, keep working on decluttering your life of unnecessary disposables.
Why reuse? Besides collecting nickels and dimes, decluttering your kitchen and not wasting hard earned money on unnecessary storage gadgets like these, you’ll keep turtles from suffocating, birdies from dropping dead, surfers from getting tangled up in trash, and the ocean from turning into one big garbage patch. Get your neighbors involved and eventually, you’ll start saving your tax dollars — because a lot of those get spent trying to clean up everything from city gutters to beaches to waste center machines that get gunked up with the disposables.
Want to show off your own reusable bag? Link to a photo or post of your bag in the comments!
I have enough–it’s a matter of remembering to keep them with me. Mine are the standard green bags from Whole Foods, etc., largely because I’m cheap and not aiming for style in this area! Also they’re pretty sturdy and seem to be holding up well after several years. Still, nothing worth showing off here.
I’ve started collecting smaller reusable bags to cut down on and ultimately eliminate my produce bag usage. My existing plastic leftover containers (no, I don’t heat them) should work well for things like berries.
How Green Is My Valley’s last blog post..The Prince’s Rainforests Project
Comment by How Green Is My Valley — July 11, 2009 @ 11:10 am
From 12 years in PR, I have more than a few tote bags from trade shows that I’ve never thrown out.
They’re now stashed in our two cars, in the kitchen, etc, and make great totes for groceries and what not.
Not super fashionable, but very cost effective!
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Comment by Bill Byrne — July 13, 2009 @ 7:34 am
Thanks for posting this Siel! I totally agree with your tip on finding bags that exude personal style. That did the trick for me after years of leaving my bags at home or in the car. For some people it’s about finding something fun to carry around. For others, it’s something super compact.
I did a round up of stylin’ bags a while back. Maybe worth a look: http://tinyurl.com/2xr352.
Some places will give you a 5 cent credit for each bag you bring. So a little ching-ching helps too!
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Comment by Stephanie Zhong — July 13, 2009 @ 11:53 am
I have 2 really awesome black bags from Pavillions, of all places, a Whole Foods bag and a small erewhon burlap bag. I also have a few book totes I’ve gotten at conferences and things. I actually try to avoid buying totes because I have so many! I have a Sunday morning Farmer’s Market and Trader Joe’s routine, so I always remember to grab the bags.
Could you comment on the plastic bag ban in Santa Monica? You said IKEA doesn’t have plastic bags, but I was under the impression nothing in SM did either. Then when I was at a store on the Promenade, I got a plastic bag! The last time I was in SM, shopping at REI, they gave me a recycled, reusable tote, explaining that plastic wasn’t allowed in SM, which I knew. What gives?
Comment by MsMeryMac — July 13, 2009 @ 1:35 pm
How Green — I use plastic containers for some farmers’ market produce too — No, I don’t heat them either :)
MsMeryMac — I’m totally with you on avoiding totes at this point. I’m actually trying to get people to not just amass reusable totes they don’t need :P
As for Santa Monica and plastic bags: A ban is in the works, but has been delayed due to the threat of a lawsuit. You can read the whole sad story here — but also be encouraged by the fact that we are indeed going to ban those bags — soon. Luckily, quite a few businesses have seen the writing on the wall and have already gotten rid of plastic bags at their store. Everyone else is procrastinating until forced to change….
Comment by Siel — July 13, 2009 @ 5:42 pm
I also have about 10 reusable bags that never seem to be in the right place at the right time. To solve that problem, and to avoid buying any more bags (10 is my limit!), I use my everyday tote bag as my shopping bag, as well as my beach bag and work bag. I keep my wallet, keys, etc. in the tote so I know I won’t forget it. It is also roomy enough to carry books or farmer’s market treats.
I initially found the bag at the Go Green expo in LA, and am now working with a women’s fair trade co-op in the Philippines to produce more of these multi-colored bags that are handcrafted from reclaimed juice packs. I get stopped whenever I go out, and I love that I can be stylish, as well as eco-conscious. The bags will be for sale starting July 21st at http://www.ahealthygreenhome.com, and a portion of the proceeds goes to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Comment by Susan — July 13, 2009 @ 6:13 pm
Most of my shopping tote bags are free swag bags from conferences and events. A few I revamped or made larger like the shopping tote bags I made from small rice bags http://condo-blues.blogspot.com/2008/11/turn-rice-bags-into-shopping-tote-bags.html. Two ways I revamped a free tote to make it a cuter carry around town bag is to cover the logo with a martini pocket http://condo-blues.blogspot.com/2009/07/martini-tote-bag-revamp.html and cover the logo to make a punch needle messenger bag http://condo-blues.blogspot.com/2008/06/easy-tote-bag-revamp-or-my-stab-at.html.
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Comment by Condo Blues — July 13, 2009 @ 6:19 pm
I’ve amassed several types of bags – from the standard type you find at every grocery store to totes to Baggus – but I use my Chico bags most often. I love that the pouch is attached to the bag, and you can just scrunch the bag back into the pouch when you’re done – no folding necessary. It’s also small and round, so I can just throw a couple into my purse when I go shopping.
Comment by Connie — July 14, 2009 @ 2:21 pm
All of my bags have been free too, as far as I can remember. The problem clearly isn’t that people don’t have or can’t afford free bags — so many events, including Day Without A Bag which we have once a year in L.A. — give them out! The real issue is simply getting people to use them –
Comment by Siel — July 20, 2009 @ 5:48 pm