Environmental Enlightenment #1 (Reusable Bags)

My first step towards becoming more environmentally friendly was reusable bags. Easy enough, right? Well, not for everyone. People have told me that they often forget to bring their reusable bags with them to the store. I did this too at first. It's a habit that takes some getting used to and now I try to keep some bags in the car at all times. Still, I rarely see people in stores with reusable bags when I go out to do my shopping. Yet I see them for sale in just about every grocery store. Usually for $1 a bag. Not bad! I've seen reusable bags for sale at big chains like Target, Home Depot, Walgreens and Forever 21 (just to name a few). Even at places that sell the reusable bags it seems like the cashier is always thrown a bit off balance when I present my own bag. Again, I think it is the habit of bagging in paper and/or plastic that is imprinted into our brains.

I have about 10 bags right now; and just to show you that they can be sturdy, stylish and sensible here are some of my favorites:

I would file the green Fresh Farms bag (back left of photo) under the category of sturdy. It has pretty nice handles and is made from a thicker canvas than most other bags. It also appears to have a coating of plastic on the outside for extra support. 

The blue Trader Joe's bag (back right of photo) falls under stylish. It advertises the Trader Joe's name without sacrificing style. It's still so darn cute! Also, it has the added bonus of this ego boosting message on the bottom so that you don't forget how much your reusable bag really means!

Side Note: For all the boys out there I've also seen many sports related and gender neutral bags. So don't think that you have to carry around a blue flower laced bag just to be eco-friendly! I picked up a Chicago Bears (more specifically, Devin Hester) bag at Jewel which met it's cruel fate when the handle snapped off and the bag ripped. I may have put too much in it thinking that Devin Hester could take it!

The maroon Trader Joe's bag (front of photo) falls under sensible. It is no secret that I like to drink wine. (Another plus to shopping at Trader Joe's is their awesome wine selection!) I believe that they sensed the customer need for a bag made specifically for carrying home all the bottles of wine just purchased without knocking them around. Here is the top view of the wine bag...

It has 6 wine sized compartments that the bottles fit into perfectly. I love using this bag as an excuse to get 6 bottles of wine at a time.

Lastly, there are plenty of bags out there that aren't doubling as an advertisement for the store from which you bought it. I picked up this bag at Forever 21 so that I would have a bag that I felt comfortable using to carry things from place to place without advertising for a grocery store. Also, who wants to walk into a clothing store to do some shopping with a Fresh Farms bag?

This bag is currently housing my rock climbing gear.

Summing up my feelings on reusable bags I would have to say that it's a habit worth getting into. It prevents unnecessary plastic production and waste and there are so many styles and options out there now that it's way more fun than that plain old plastic Walgreens bag anyways.