Have you ever taken the time to count how many plastic bags you go through on a single shopping trip? You may think that it is only a few, but the reality is that each time you get your groceries for the week you are probably using six to 10 plastic bags. Even if the store carries paper bags, you would use three or four of them at minimum.
One of the best ways that you can cut down on that waste is by investing in shopping bags that you can reuse. These are usually made of cloth or a similar material, and you can use the same two or three bags each time you go shopping.
Choosing Your New Shopping Bags
Many people ask whether they should be choosing paper or plastic bags when they are at the grocery store. While paper is better than plastic, it is still a much worse solution than going with reusable shopping bags. The reason is that paper bags still require a significant undertaking to produce.
You are still causing an environmental footprint that is unnecessary. How many times would you reuse those paper bags? Most people toss them away when they are done with their groceries, which means it is a huge waste.
One of the best things that you can do for the environment is to invest in reusable shopping bags that you can carry with you in the car or inside a larger tote bag. If you have a tote bag that you use when you are out, you can keep your two or three shopping bags rolled up in there near the bottom.
Then you can take them out each time you are at the grocery store. You would be surprised how many items the cashier can fit into a single one of these reusable bags. They are huge!
Startling Statistics
Did you know that roughly 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States — every single year! It is a remarkable figure that is not slowing down, despite some cities requiring shopping places to keep paper bags as an option.
Most of these plastic bags end up in landfills, where they can take many decades to decompose. These bags are also one of the most common pollutants in the ocean, which means they are sometimes eaten by fish and marine wildlife, which causes health problems.
If you no longer want to be part of this problem, you would be wise to invest in reusable shopping bags that you can take with you to the store. These bags are cloth, which means they are made of natural materials.
The best part is that with these bags, you are not contributing to the excessive use of paper or plastic bags. If you are worried about these bags getting dirty, do not fret. They are so easy to clean, as you can toss them with your laundry each week so they are clean for your upcoming grocery trip.
Even if you forget to put them with your laundry, they are fairly thin, which means you can wash them in the sink and they will probably dry within a few hours.
Convenience
A lot of people do not realize that it is more convenient to have your own shopping bags, rather than relying on what the store is providing. With these bags, you can fit a lot of items into a single bag. It makes everything simpler to carry, even if you are going from the checkout area to your car.
Those who are living in bigger cities know that walking home or taking public transit with five or six plastic bags in your hands is not fun at all. You end up struggling with your groceries, which makes the whole experience unpleasant.
With these bags, you only have to carry two of them. The only time you would need more than two is if you are buying groceries for more than a week. So your weekly or twice a week trip to the store should be a breeze with these bags.
Affordable
It does not cost very much money to invest in these bags. While some grocery stores have them for sale at their locations, they usually have a markup on these bags. If you want to find the best quality and a style that suits your personality, it is better to look online.
You can find quality reusable shopping bags online that you can take with you each time you are buying groceries or running errands. Not only are you helping with the environment, but you will enjoy your grocery shopping a lot more too!
