Why Take the Effort to Change?

Enviro friendly SEnviro Shooping Bagshopping bags                                                                

 Learning “New Tricks”—Using Reusable Grocery Bags

For years I’ve been trying to reduce my use of plastic shopping bags.  Yet, despite my concern about the environment, I didn’t manage to make a full switch to reusable grocery bags until recently, when my city took a stand—not that I didn’t try and not that I didn’t have some success!  Here is my story and a few tips for switching to reusables.

I sometimes managed to remember to bring my cotton carriers to eco-conscious health food stores and organic stores, where they would ask “Do you need a bag?”  At large supermarkets I felt awkward, pulling out my white cotton bags and interrupting a busy cashier’s packing routine.Recently, large grocery stores started to promote non-disposables— selling larger, more attractive and sturdy food carriers than were previously available.  Nevertheless, plastic bags still managed to stay in my life.  I would leave my reusables in the car, forget to bring them along when I was on foot, or forget to bring them into the store from the parking lot.  Does any of this sound familiar?

Finally, my moment of conversion arrived when my city, Toronto, Canada, passed a bylaw in June 2009 requiring shopkeepers to charge at least 5 cents for each plastic bag.  How did this make a difference?  It was the idea of paying for something that I didn’t really want and the spirit of the new community standard that gave me the final nudge–the purpose of the law is to reduce the volume of non-biodegradable waste going to city landfills.

Tips for Switching to Reusables

Changing habits of convenience is not easy—these are my tips for making the switch:

• Remind yourself of your personal motivation—why you are making the effort.
• Build a large personal collection of reusable carriers.
• REMEMBER to carry a supply in your car, knapsack, purse or briefcase.
• When you are in the car, REMEMBER to bring your carriers into the store.

We can’t continue to throw away millions of plastic bags every year.  Did you know that a plastic bag takes about 1,000 years to break down?  Plastic bags are harmful to wildlife, clutter landscapes and waterways (have you seen the ripped plastic tangled in treetops?), and clog sewage systems.  Plastic is petroleum based—so its production increases green house gas emissions.

Many countries and cities around the world have banned or restricted the use of plastic bags for some or all of these reasons.  Some of these countries are Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, South Australia, Italy, Somalia, Ireland, and Tanzania.  Proactive cities are located in the United States, Canada, the UK, and India.

Building a Reusable Bag Collection

It’s easy to build a collection of sturdy reusable bags.  Many stores offer colorful, attractive items decorated with their logo for a minimal charge.  Bags used for groceries should be washable.  Some bag shapes hold more items—my favorite kind has a rectangular base. 

You can also shop for a bag that rolls up into a small purse-size pouch—very neat and handy for unexpected purchases.  Remember, old habits die hard, but you can teach an “old dog” new tricks.