Life without single-use plastic bags? Tote-ally awesome

Here I am, caught in action with one of my favorite canvas totes!

For anyone who has yet to practice forgoing the plastic bag from the store cashier upon checkout or a restaurant waitperson when leftovers are packaged to go, learning to just say no is a simple yet powerful act.

We’ve become accustomed to the presence and regular flow of these rustling little critters in our lives. They are versatile and always at the ready when needed – until you notice that there’s a hole in one, and you know how quickly these bags tear. The reject gets tossed in the trash, and you have to dig in the cupboard to find one without a hole.

But imagine, if you will, life without this convenience, or in the case of  bags with a hole – this inconvenience. Imagining is one thing, but practicing is another.

Can you live without single-use plastic bags? Absolutely.

Where to start?

Acquire a few reusable totes.
Many retailers – both independent and chain stores – now offer reusable totes of varying shapes and sizes near the checkout stand. Some shops give them away with a purchase, others charge a nominal fee ($ . 99 to $2.00). In addition to diversity in shapes, sizes, and colors, the bags are also made with a wide variety of materials – cotton, recycled material, mesh, nylon, and on and on – so peruse the offerings in your local establishments and even online and see what suits your fancy. (Hint: Search “reusable bag” and learn what your options are.) You can choose fashionable and playful or plain and understated bags. Do make sure the straps are the right length and will be comfortable when the bag is full. There are bags out there for all tastes and styles and budgets.

Choose bags for the purpose.
This may sounds like common sense, but some common sense applies when selecting bags for your day-to-day needs and outings. Owning large roomy bags is great if you limit contents to light-weight yet bulky purchases such as boxes of cereal, bags of chips, tissues, and toilet paper. Conversely, smaller-bodied totes with sturdy straps are perfect for transporting fewer heavier items like milk, yogurt, wine, canned goods, and sacks of potatoes. This is where having a little variety in your collection can be useful.

Store the bags where you’ll be reminded to grab them.
The trickiest part of toting your own totes is remembering to bring a bag or two or three (or more) with you when you head out the door. Hang your collection of reusable bags on hooks in your kitchen, the pantry, or near the door used most frequently when exiting the house. When preparing to go grocery shopping, pile a bunch of bags in one bag, slip in the grocery list, and head out the door. Having your list in with the bags is a nifty way to prevent you from leaving the bags in the car!

Use them! Don’t be shy.
If you live someplace where reusable bags are far from the norm, you’ll be introducing something new to the community. The first couple of times you whip out your bags and fore-go the store-offered packaging may feel a little awkward. The more you do it, the more normal it will become. You’ll be thanked for bringing your own. You’ll be complimented on the really cool ones. You’ll be a trendsetter and a leader!

Substitute reusable totes for more common plastic bags situations.
Can a reusable tote replace the most common uses of single-use plastic bags? Absolutely! Think about some of the common ways plastic bags are reused before ultimately landing in the trash bin: transporting wet bathing suits and towels, transporting mud-caked shoes, packing lunch for school or work, even segregating dirty laundry from the clean in luggage while traveling. In any of these instances, some sort of reusable cloth tote can be washed if it gets dirty, and then reused again and again…

But wait! What if single-use plastic bags are used as trash bags in your home?
Single-use plastic bags have become a free source of trash bags in many homes. Before you fear the need to purchase small plastic bags for gathering trash, let me ask you this: Do you buy chips and bread? What kind of packaging does the 12-pack of toilet paper come wrapped in? And what happens to these and the bags from inside the cereal boxes? Do you see where I’m going? More often than not, these wrappings get put in the trash, but they are “free” bags. They can be used the same way you’d use the plastic grocery bag.

Toilet paper packaging - which is already trash - can be used as a trash bag! Wait, no handles to tie it closed when full? Use a rubber band.

See? How tote-ally awesome is that?