Newsletters: March - April 2008
Ideas for Remembering Reusable Bags
Natural Times-March/April 2008
By Bridge Kamke
We all know that bringing and reusing bags is superior to using the paper or plastic ones available at the store. It’s all about reducing and reusing, the most energy efficient two options in the recycling trinity. Many people say they have bags but forget to use them. Below are some ideas for remembering them.
You can use cloth bags, a backpack, a basket or just reuse store bags so you don’t even have to buy bags. Doubled paper bags can be reused almost forever, unless you get caught in the rain. Plastic bags can be reused several times and can be crumpled down really small and stuffed in your purse, wallet or pocket.
Sometimes larger purses, that aren’t overfilled, can be handy when you just buy a few items—throw the apple and the can of beans in your purse!
Once you have bags, there are two parts to remembering them. One is taking them to your vehicle. The other is taking them into the store.
After you unload groceries hang the bags on the doorknob back to the carport/garage/driveway. Or you can keep them by your keys so they make it back to your car when next you go.
My friend folds her cloth bag and puts it at the bottom of her purse. Another thing to do if you don’t carry a purse is to carry your keys and wallet out of your house and into the store in your cloth bag.
If you live with your family, make it a game to see who will remember the bags first as you head out the door.
Keep the bags somewhere easy to see and reach, like the foot well of your car.
I have been using cloth bags for about ten years. In the beginning, if I forgot my bags, I’d make myself run outside and get them from my car before I got my groceries. Sometimes all we need is to step up our level of commitment. If you are into tough love, you can be tough on yourself and make yourself carry everything out to your car without a bag whenever you forget, and soon you will be much better about remembering them.
When I pile my groceries on the conveyor at New Leaf Market and elsewhere, I place my bags on top of the front of the pile to help remind the bagger that I’ll take neither paper nor plastic. This especially helps at conventional stores where the bagger is used to automatically bagging with plastic.
If you truly commit to using reusable bags, within a couple weeks you will have broken your old bagging habits and will be in the flow of checking to make sure you have your bags before you go shopping. You can do it!
