Bring Your Own Shopping Bags
Getting rid of single-use plastic shopping bags at the check-out and by the produce.
Bring your own boxes, bags, or even a backpack to the grocery store to say no to single-use plastic bags. Keep a few in your car, by your front door, or in your purse (they have mini, foldable versions). That way you’ll always have one on hand or in sight–we get it, it’s easy to forget!
Don’t forget those hidden produce plastic bags too! Bring your own cloth bag to contain loose fruits and veg. And if you forget and must use a plastic bag, bring it back with you the next time after washing it out.
Yes, bringing your own bags or reusing plastic bags you’ve used for produce is a bit more inconvenient, but definitely worth it when you see photos of plastic heaps like in this National Geographic article. Or when you read through The Center for Biological Diversity’s facts about our plastic usage.
Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture. According to Waste Management, only 1 percent of plastic bags are returned for recycling.
Wow! That’s mind-blowing!
