Don’t forget – this coming Friday is our Gallery of Soups! It is not too late to participate – let me know in the comments of that post that you want to be a part of it.
How do you shop and avoid plastic shopping bags? I will share a few of the things I do to avoid using them, but I want to admit up front that I have more to figure out in this area. So once you’re done reading this, be sure to share your plastic-free shopping strategies!
Reusable Shopping Bags
While I have made and continue to make these for others, I don’t use them often for myself, other than for a library bag. I wrote a review of three possible patterns some time ago and you can read that here: Reusable Fabric Shopping Bag Patterns.
Produce Boxes
Since the three places I frequent for local produce are small and the merchants know and are good enough to humor me, I use produce boxes to bring my produce home. The reason I like using boxes over reusable shopping bags is because I can spread the produce out and prevent damage (especially important with fruit). Also I like the fact that some of the boxes I treasure have lids, making them easy to stack. Yet, these same boxes are short enough so the produce isn’t stacked too deep or space wasted within the box. I have a collection of boxes designated for this purpose, usually stacked in the laundry room or on the back porch, and I take them to and from the shops each week on my shopping day.
I often also use boxes to carry our lunch items (on a day out), library books, parcels for the mail, and other items we take to town on our day out.
Paper Shopping Bags
Whenever I go to a normal store, most of the time I request that my items be bagged in paper. I could take a reusable shopping bag, but I don’t. I can use a couple more paper bags in my life. I use them popcorn and for mailing. I get them infrequently enough that they’re always in short supply. In fact, this morning I looked for one and I don’t have any left. And sometimes, I ask for a plastic bag, because those come in handy, too. I think if I’m intending to reuse it, that’s much different from having stacks and stacks of plastic bags that end up going to the landfill.
25# and 50# Paper Grain/Bean Bags
I save all of my 25# and 50# grain/bean bags, and reuse them when I have to split up co-op orders. I really don’t know where I’d get anything plastic that size, anyway, but the saved bags sure come in handy! Actually, I have too many. Does anyone local need some? 
What I really could use are more of the 5# and 10# size, which are handy for storing ground flour and for passing on smaller co-op splits to others. But I don’t get many of those because very little of what I purchase comes in that small a quantity, or it comes in plastic. So I end up using plastic bread bags for co-op splits that are 5# or less.
So, what about you? How do you shop? I’m looking for more ideas, and I know you won’t disappoint!
This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays.
About Wardeh
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I have to admit I like my plastic bags and use them around the house. But I prefer paper bags, I have many more uses for them and would love to have them every time I shop, problem is… the store doesn’t offer them. They do however offer $1.99 reusable bags. I can’t make them that inexpensively, so may go ahead and splurge on some, a little at a time. I used to carry boxes around too but now, don’t have room in the tiny vehicle I drive.
.-= Sylvia´s last blog post… Menu Plan Day =-.
A few years ago my grocery store was giving away heavy duty plastic bins with a minimum grocery purchase. I was able to get 4 of them at that time. I like them a lot and use them all the time. I made a couple fabric totes out of old jeans and nylon webbing. They are extra large and are super strong. I try to remember to leave a bag or two in my car for impromptu purchases but they never seem to make it back out there. I have noticed a LOT of fabric grocery bags for sale everywhere you go. I wonder if people are slowly building a collection of new fabric totes because they forget to bring from home?
I use the plastic grocery bags at home for a few different things – lining the garbage pails, cleaning out the litter box, bagging eggs I sell. I’m a lot more conscious of taking cloth totes shopping, but I still manage to bring home enough plastic bags to meet these needs.
Sylvia might remember the day when we used paper bags in the kitchen garbage. We doubled them but they still managed to leak on their way out to the bin.
.-= Marg´s last blog post… Cream of Turkey Soup =-.
I have a couple of canvas tote bags from LL Bean and Lands End. I got them for Christmas years ago. Grocery baggers comment on them often, and love them because they stand up while the bagger is filling them. Since I don’t buy much in the grocery store I can generally carry my entire order out in those two bags.
I’ve been using the same brown paper bags from Whole Foods for all my grocery shopping over the past year. When I unpack the groceries, I put them right back in my car so they’re all ready for the next week. I can’t believe they’ve lasted this long. Plus, I get 10 cents back each time I reuse a bag. Since they’re double-bagged, thats about a dollar a visit for me.
.-= cellultie analyst´s last blog post… A Farmer’s Proud Moment: “Daddy, What’s McDonald’s?” =-.
I was doing pretty good at bringing my bag out to the car and keeping it there for random grocery store runs. I also usually try to keep a couple plastic grocery bags in the car as well. These are great to pick up after my dog, carry the few shopping items I buy or hold the unexpected foraged fruit or vegetables I find when out walking. These days, though, I’ve been forgetting everything. The summer to winter transition has been rough around here
I love the bags that Chico Bag does that fold into themselves. They are very small and perfect to keep in the glove box. And it has a carabiner so the bag can be clipped on. The bag holds alot and is washable. I have other reusable cloth bags but the Chico Bag is my favorite.
.-= Millie´s last blog post… Antelope Stew =-.
Hi Wardeh -
I’ve been so busy fixing up my blog from the major loss of sidebar stuff that disappeared into thin air and my continued blog posting fix ups that are close to done that I haven’t been to anyones blogs lately. My son has been working with me to get it all fixed up and he has just a few more things to tidy up on his end of things since he is my Web host. So here I am catching up now that my blog woes are subsiding.
I found your posting about shopping bags humorous in that you don’t remember to bring reusable bags with you. I have the same problem. I have quite a few and what happens is when I get home, unload the car, empty out the bags, hang them up on their hook…..I will 9 our of 10 times forget to take them with me the next time. I really need to get into the habit of just taking the effort to bring right out to the car and put them in the trunk. But do I do that……NOooooo!
I always end up with plastic bags from the store…but in the end they really aren’t a problem for me. #1 – I reuse them as liners in the waste baskets around the house. #2 – I place them in a larger sack as they accumulate that hangs in the laundry room and when I need to mail a package that will contain something fragile I use them to pad instead of buying styro peanuts, or even bubble wrap if I can avoid it. #3 – when I get an over abundance of them they go to my recycling sorting bins. Our local Walmart has a very nice recyling center separate from the store for everything from glass to plastic bags, newspapers, cardboard, etc…
I like Millie’s comment about the Chico bags….I’ve seen them but never boughten any but one surely could make them with any type of fabric to fold down small and add a carabiner to it. I like the style of them, styled just like a plastic shopping bag giving you a sturdy grip to carry them….okay now this has my wheels spinning for a winter project.
.-= Pamela @ Seeds of Nutrition´s last blog post… Thankful Thursday: =-.
I have the fabric grocery bags the chain stores sell – around here, they are about $1 per bag. I have a couple I bought from Disney at $2.95, but a portion of those proceeds go to their wildlife charity, so I went ahead and did it. I also have a bunch of paper grocery bags, I put all of my fabric and paper grocery bags folded up in one open bag, and bring them to each shopping trip. The only thing that can get irritating is when the bagboy takes ALL of them out, bags my groceries, then gives me a bunch of loose bags. Argh!
I keep one Disney fold-up bag (a la the Chico Bag) in the car for “emergency” shopping, but I don’t always remember to bring it in.
Most stores near me discontinued the BYOB discont of 5-10 cents, but during October, my local Target is offering a BYOB discount, so that’s nice.
When i get plastic grocery bags, I keep some to use, and take the surplus back to the grocery store for recycling. For that matter, I bring extra wire hangers back to my dry cleaner for the same reason.
Sorry to write a blog on your blog. BTW – just found you today via Cheeseslave RFW.
Hi,
I am soon going to be chairing a committee for our farmers’ market on reducing waste, including plastic bags so I would also love to hear how people cope with using less plastic when shopping at a farmers’ market, particularly baby greens.
As for my current bag use: For impromptu shopping, I keep a Chico-type bag clipped to my purse so it’s always (or at least 99%) of the time with me when I have my purse. That usually coincides with all kinds of shopping, not just groceries. Both my husband and I also keep a net bag with re-used plastic produce bags in the back seat of our cars. If I use the car bag, I hang it from the front door knob as soon as I empty it so I’ll remember to take it with me next time I go out. For planned shopping trips, I have a stash of reusable bags in the closet. I really like the portability of the Chico bags but also have other folding bags, expandable net bags and canvas totes. The Chicos are all purpose, the net, great for greens that take up lots of space but don’t want pressure put on them, the canvas for heavier items like my bulk containers full of food, esp. the glass ones. I use plastic bags for garbage bags, so when I’m running low on them then I’ll accept a plastic bag from the store and try to make sure it’s doesn’t get any holes.
Rebecca,
For produce, I bought about a dozen reusable, cloth produce bags from either ebay or reusablebags.com. They are cheap, multi purpose and super eco! Most of the places I shop for food don’t have a problem with me using these, or doubling up on multiple bulky items in one bag. They get thrown in the wash with the regular kitchen towels.
We have multiple types of reusable grocery bags, which I try to use for all shopping. I also have a farmers market basket (great for buying eggs in bulk!). My boyfriend does a pretty good job (sarcasm) in keeping us in a small supply of plastic bags, which we use for garbage liners, dog poop, etc. For paper bags, they usually get resued for either documents that need to be burned or packing an overnite bag for our dogs.
I buy rice in a bag that has a sturdy handle sewn onto it and can hang it off a garage rafter with the aid of a nail after storing something. Those burlap bags will help make a doghouse nice and cozy too. Funny thing is I’ve seen empty bags for sale that wouldn’t cost much more full.
I have a bunch of canvas bags and string bags that I’ve accumulated over the years. They both outlast the “trendy” bags made from recycled bottles that are at all the stores. I also have a few of those recycled bottle bags that I got free from supermarket promotions. I have more bags than I use in a given trip, although we reuse plastic bags from shopping as trash bags, so we will sometimes take plastic bags (usually when going to CVS or WalMart or something).
A neat thing I saw at the farmer’s market was bags made from old t-shirts: cut off the sleeves and sew the bottom together, and you have a tote.
There are some other ideas at BagShare http://www.thebagshare.org/ (a neat project).
.-= Rebecca´s last blog post… Vegetable Fettucine with Meat Sauce =-.