How I make reusable bags work for me (plus win a set of your own!)

This post is not sponsored.   This giveaway is now closed, and the winner is Kaitie W.   Congrats!

I love reusable bags.   And not just because I’m an Aldi shopper. 😉

The act of switching from plastic shopping bags to reusable bags isn’t going to single-handedly save the planet or anything, but it’s a pretty simple switch for most of us to make.

The gratuitous plastic bag usage that happens when we shop just does not make sense to me.   You can buy one small item and it automatically ends up in a bag.   Heck, you can buy a canvas bag, and the cashier will offer to bag it for you.

So, I love that the default option at the library and at Costco is no bag.   Somehow, everyone still survives, and items are carried home.   😉

And I like that Aldi charges for bags.   Some people do buy bags, but most people opt to just bring their own.

(You would not be shocked to learn that I bring my own instead of paying for bags. Ha.)

Anyway.   I’ve been mostly* avoiding plastic shopping bags for quite a few years now, and here’s how I make that work for me.

*I’m a moderator, not an abstainer.   Occasionally I do end up bringing things home in plastic bags, and I lose exactly 0 minutes of sleep over it.   I do the best that I can, and if we all made good environmental choices most of the time, well, great things would happen.   We don’t have to do it perfectly.

I mostly use canvas tote bags.

I have a pretty decent collection of sturdy canvas tote bags for my shopping needs because I prefer them to the dime-a-dozen flimsy reusable bags.

In my experience, the canvas ones last for years and years, while the same cannot be said of those gauze-y types of bags.

I love cotton.

I keep my bags folded up and ready to go.

I don’t keep them in my car, largely because we use the tote bags for more than groceries (we carry clothes to the pool in them, fill them with art supplies, etc.), and keeping them in the car would be inconvenient.

But I do fold them up right after shopping and put them into a bag in the coat closet.

That way they’re easy to find when I need them, and they don’t take up much space at all.

It takes me about 30 seconds to fold my bags up after shopping, so I don’t feel like it’s much of an inconvenience at all.

I keep a few foldable bags in my purse.

I have three bags that fold up into tiny packages, and I keep those in my purse.   That way I’ve always got a bag with me for unexpected purchases.

I put small purchases into my purse.

I have a rather large striped canvas purse, which can accommodate quite a bit of stuff.   So if I’m buying something small, I often tell the cashier that I don’t need a bag at all, and that I can put the item in my purse.

Sometimes, I just carry my purchases.

This is rather creative, I know, but sometimes, I carry a bagless purchase to my car with my own two hands.

If you have small people in tow, this is not such a great option, but since my youngest person is 10, my hands are quite free these days.

The Giveaway!

I have a great set of reusable bags to give to a lucky reader, compliments of Ecobags Products, a small, independent company that sells reusable bags.

Ecobags (ECOBAGS ®)  did not sponsor this post; they are just providing the prize.   And I’m doing the giveaway as a favor to them, just to support a small business.)

The prize pack includes:

1 Chicken Tote (this is a BIG canvas bag. Super useful.)

3 Bulk & Produce Bags

2 Organic Lunch Bags (these are heavy-duty organic canvas, and they have a flat bottom. Excellent.)

1 Navy String Bag/Long Handle

To enter to win the reusable bag set, just leave a comment on this post.   If you’re a reusable bag pro, I’d love for you to leave a tip. And if you’re a newbie, it’s totally fine to just say you want the bags.   😉

Ecobags (ECOBAGS ®)   is on Facebook, by the way! Like their page to be notified of sales, and to get wind of eco-friendly news.

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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited.   Odds of winning depend upon the number of entrants.   Winner will be chosen at random one week after start of giveaway.