Switching to Reusable Grocery Bags
March 26, 2009
Over the past several months I’ve noticed more and more shoppers at my supermarket bringing their own bags rather than choosing paper or plastic. When the boys were little, I had a million uses for the plastic bags I brought home: wrapping dirty diapers, storing wet clothes, carting trucks and shovels from home to the playground, and so on. But as the boys get older, I find I have less and less reason to use plastic bags, and my collection started overflowing the storage space I’d allotted. It was definitely time for me to switch to reusable bags for grocery shopping.
I already have a ChicoBag — sent to me as a promotional item from Stonyfield Farm — that I keep in my pocketbook. It works fine for when I only need a single bag, but unstuffing it from its pouch at the register and then manipulating the very thin (but strong) fabric around what I’m putting inside actually takes more time than it does for the cashier to scan my purchase, and I always feel like I’m fumbling around to get my bag ready. I use a gigantic blue IKEA bag for my farm share pick-up, but it’s too huge to bring to a store — I’d find it unwieldy once it was filled with groceries. I knew I needed to get some new bags if I was going to use them regularly.
I narrowed my choices down to three contenders: Baggu Bags (available in every gorgeous, rich color under the sun), Envirosax (beautiful designs and highly recommended by bloggers I admire, ljc fyi and Not Martha), and ACME Recycled PET EarthTotes.
I wound up choosing the ACME tote, in “paper bag brown” of course. I bought four bags, and I’ve been using them for a couple of weeks now. I’m very happy with them and would recommend them fully. These bags won out because they have a flat bottom, and stand up straight like a paper grocery bag — this makes it super-easy to pack (the cashiers don’t even roll their eyes). I can pack them to overflowing, and they are still really easy to carry, and also stack into my trunk nicely because they hold their shape even when packed. Plus, they fold down just like a paper grocery bag, and so they keep a low profile in the trunk of my car when they’re not being used. I did not need to be able to put the bags on my shoulder, though if you want to be able to do that ACME has a version with double handles that will let you.
The four bags are normally enough for an average weekly shop, but for a larger trip I supplement with some other random totes I have around (including my “celery stalker” bag which I still love!).
I’m really happy with the switch from plastic to these reusable bags. It’s an easy way to be a little bit kinder to the environment on a regular basis, and that is much more motivating than the two-cent credit my store gives me for every reusable bag I use.
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Filed under: Things I Love,Thinking Out Loud
I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two school-aged boys and husband. Feeding my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more 
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8 Comments
1.
Grammy | March 26, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Good for you. This is an encouragement for all of us, thanks.
2.
Cathy-wheresmydamnanswer | March 26, 2009 at 7:44 pm
I recently switched as well and I love it!! Good for you!
3.
Aunt Barbara | March 27, 2009 at 6:04 am
Whole Foods sells recycled (from bottles, I think) bags for 99 cents and they’re very good. Harris Teeter does too.
4.
Carol | March 27, 2009 at 7:23 am
I’ve been using “green bags” for a while now. Up here the grocery stores are pretty adament about it. In fact, one time I got yelled at (OK, that’s a little strong… scolded is more like it) at Shop Rite for forgetting mine. At least I just needed one bag that time.
5.
LP | March 27, 2009 at 11:01 am
I’ve been using my own bags for about 15 years, spurred by the fact that many years ago, my local grocery store offered a 3-cent credit for each bag you brought (and my salary was way lower then — I needed those 3 cents!) and also by the fact that cloth bags were sturdier. When I had a car I’d keep about 10 in the trunk. Now that I walk, I always carry my Chico bag in my purse and a bigger bag in my commuter tote just in case.
Even though the cloth bag phenomena has been around for a while, I can’t tell you how many times I need to say to cashiers, “I have my own bag.” “I have my own bag.” “Excuse me, I said I have my own bag!” But the cashiers are so ingrained to pack in plastic that they don’t even listen to me.
On the down side, once they finally hear me say I have my own bag, they just stand there blankly as I struggle to pack my stuff and get out of the way.
6.
Shannon | March 29, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I try to use my reusable bags… my issue is they are either in the wrong car or I just forget them… bad me lol… but I will keep trying… I will slowly get 2 sets for each car…
7.
Jodi | March 29, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Of all the things I get worked up about, environmentally speaking, why am I so lazy about doing this?? I have them in my trunk…
Sometimes the cashier/other shoppers seem annoyed. Sometimes people who bring bags seem kind of smug;) Sometimes I want the plastic bag to use later for something. I need to join you…
8.
marie | April 1, 2009 at 12:15 pm
I love recycled bags but here’s my conundrum: If I only use recycled bag then I’ll never get paper bags. If I never get paper bags then I have nothing to put my paper recycling in. So I still need to get the brown paper bags from the grocery store!
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