I’ve been bringing my own cloth bags to the grocery store for quite some time now, but whenever I made a quick stop somewhere (like at the drugstore or a craft store), I invariably forgot to bring a bag with me.
This past spring, though, I ordered an Earth Day special from Hip Mountain Mama, and included in the box was this zip-up green bag.
It’s small, but when you unzip it, it turns into this decently-sized shopping bag.
The outside cover even turns into a pocket once the bag is unzipped.
When you’re done with the bag, you can easily fold it and zip it up.
Because it’s so handy and compact, I just put it right back into my purse when I’m done with it and that means I’m never without a reusable bag. I’ve lost count of the times this thing has saved me from having to take a plastic bag.
The bags cost $2.99 at Hip Mountain Mama, so they’re a little more expensive than a typical reusable shopping bag. But, you shouldn’t need to buy a bunch of them…I wouldn’t want to store more than one in my purse, so I’m very content to own just one.
After all, I’ve got a large stash of cotton canvas shopping bags to use when I do a larger shop…this bag is just for those times when I’m buying a small handful of items.
Anyhoo, I highly recommend buying one if you’re trying to stop using plastic bags.
And if you’re not trying to cut down on your plastic bag consumption, I’ll say that I think you should start! Between 500 billion and 1 trillion bags are consumed worldwide each year, and if we all started shopping with reusable bags, we could make a dent in that number.
Have you found any other reusable bags that are easy to carry with you?
Just so you know, I’m not affiliated with Hip Mountain Mama or with Green Bag, and I didn’t even get my Green Bag free. But I’ve found it to be so useful, I wanted to tell you about it!
____________________________________
Today’s 365 post: I was making lunch yesterday
Joshua’s 365 post: Extra Photos!
Lee Golder
Friday 18th of January 2013
I have a large collection of 'green' bags. In South Australia, where I live, there has been a ban on plastic shopping bags for almost 4 years. The green bags go through the wash so easily. I now collect re-useable cloth bags whenever we're on holidays, including when in US a year ago.
Lolalo
Sunday 28th of August 2011
My husband got a few Chico Bags from his work and I LOVE them. They fit into themselves with a little built in pocket and are very lightweight and only about two inches square. They pull out to be larger than a typical plastic shopping bag and are made of a nylon-type material that is capable of carrying all the weight you can stuff into one. I also have a bag from REI that is even smaller, but costs about $8-$12, but is worth the cost. I carry these in my purse, which is a smallish purse and always have them handy. I get lots of comments on my non-disposable bags. And they are easily hand washed and air dried when needed.
Lisa
Saturday 27th of August 2011
For those of you who still have extra plastic bags floating around your house, even after mostly using reusable bags, you could try donating them to thrift stores. While most larger chains such as Value Village likely have their own bags with logos, some smaller thrift stores love to have donations of bags, so they don't have to purchase them. Whenever I have collected too many, I drop them off at the small store in my town.
Michele Yoder
Thursday 25th of August 2011
Target has reusable bags in 2 different sizes that zip up and can be stored in your purse (for those of you who don't like to shop on-line for everything).
Janknitz
Thursday 25th of August 2011
I lucked out and found some perfect nylon bags that fold up into tiny little bags with a key chain hook on them--2 for 99 cents once at Claire's. I bought 10 of them and they are perfect for shopping. The folded up bag in it's little pocket is about 2" wide and 3" long, but they open up into a perfect size for groceries. I try to remember to keep one in my purse and the rest in the trunk of my car. I've had these for a few years now.
I also love the bags sold at Whole Foods for 99 cents to $1.99 each. They are stiff and flat bottomed like a paper grocery bag, made from recycled material and really cute. They last forever, too. These are much easier for carrying heavy things like large cans or bottles, big watermelons or squashes.