Toting Canvas
As a Green Parent, I try to minimize my impact on the environment each day, especially at the store. I take the time to buy organic and locally grown foods as well as all-natural personal care products whenever possible. I check ingredient labels and “vote with my wallet” to support companies with an environmental backbone. But all of this effort used to go out the window when I got to the checkout line and was forced to answer the inevitable question…Paper or Plastic?
According to the Environmental News Network, 90 percent of all grocery bags are plastic with Americans alone going through about 100 billion plastic bags each year. Yet only 1 to 3 percent of these bags are ever recycled. The rest line our waterways, sewers, street corners, and occasionally landfills where they take hundreds of years to break down into toxic particles that leach into the water and soil. And paper is no better, the 10 billion or so paper bags that Americans use each year consume 14 million trees and cause pollution and recycling problems of their own.
In the past, I tried to reuse plastic bags whenever possible around my house. But the time has come to for a more eco-friendly option…reusable totes. If it sounds too dauting, just start slowly. Toss 1 or 2 reusable tote bags in your diaper bag or in your car so that you will have at least a few on hand the next time you’re at the store. Once you get the hang of it, try adding a few more totes to your collection until you no longer need to use plastic. Here’s a few more tips:
- Look around your favorite store to see if they offer a reusable alternative. Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Publix, Giant, and Albertsons all offer reusable cloth bags for sale in their stores (some for as little as $1 each).
- DIY: I’m not that handle with a needle, but even I can whip up a homemade tote bag. Here’s a few instructional sites you can try:
- Buy “Preloved”: Tote bags multiply faster than rabbits so you are sure to find a good deal at your local thrift store or area garage sales.
- Win: If you have scoured your house and local thrift stores and you still can’t find a decent tote, register to win one through The Green Parent. Just enter your info in the column on the right. I’ll give away one free bag each week for the next year!
Oh…and if you still have a bunch of plastic bags laying around your house, check out these sites for some creative ways to reuse them:
The Frugal Life
