Go Plastic-Free: 3 DIY Reusable Cloth Bags

Creating a sustainable life is an ongoing effort. Eliminating plastic is one of the greenest actions you can do to lower your eco-footprint. For many of us cutting back on plastic is a massive shift that may require breaking some long-standing habits.

Why go plastic-free?

According to Rodale.com, “there are plenty of reasons to cut down. It’s made from either petroleum or natural gas, two nonrenewable resources extracted in ways that pollute our air and water. Plastic manufacturers add chemicals to certain types of plastics that can be highly toxic, like bisphenol A and phthalates. And very few types of plastic are widely recycled.”

A Challenge

I was intrigued to learn that the staff members at Rodale.com are taking on a challenge to live without plastic.

Here are the plastic-free ground rules:

1. No buying or acquiring new plastic.
2. No cooking with plastic or storing food in plastic.
3. Minimize all other plastic use.

Leah Zerbe, Rodale’s online editor explains why they chose to go plastic-free:

“Our editorial meetings have kept circling back around to issues surrounding plastics…We wanted to take huge environmental problems and break them down to figure out how they affect people every day. Plastic is one that we can do something about that has a huge affect.”

Rodale is calling on bloggers and readers to join the challenge and cut plastic out of their lives. So, I thought I would give the challenge a whirl. As you might surmise, I live a pretty low-impact life. I will confess to forgetting my cloth bags from time to time and taking a plastic bag (which I recycle as a garbage bag – but that still adds to the demand for more plastic production). Because avoiding all plastics is virtually impossible, as plastic is in everything from my computer keyboard to my car’s door handle, I’m going to focus on ditching the single-use plastic bag.

A Quiz

In an effort to get the word out and join Rodale’s challenge, I’ve also been making changes based on a fun, interactive assessment tool from Practically Green. It focuses on the quantity and intensity of our green actions. On the Practically Green site, I created a customized, manageable list of green things that can make my life even greener (including not forgetting my reusable bags). I’ve even learned a few new green actions. View my plan along with other well-known Inspiring Action Planners, and take Practically Green’s quiz to find out how you can go greener.

Next: 3 DIY Bags

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

caterina c.

5:02AM PDT on Aug 7, 2011

******** Yes...!!!...go plastic free ...!!!...thanks for the article

send a green star

Tiffany D.

10:33AM PDT on May 10, 2011

I love those bags! I will have to make some :)

Reem D.

4:25PM PDT on May 2, 2011

I LOVE cloth bags ! great article =)

Past Member .

9:19AM PDT on Apr 14, 2011

I love using my cloth bags...

Brenda T.

5:15AM PDT on Apr 4, 2011

As someone has invented a way of turning plastic into oil, should we collect it and recycle it?

8:03AM PDT on Mar 24, 2011

Great ideas. Thx.

carlee t.

7:26AM PDT on Mar 22, 2011

i will try this

KARLOLINA G.

11:26AM PDT on Mar 19, 2011

I am making a few to give away at the office. Years ago my mother used to do this before there was a lot of plastic back in the 50's only she recycled clothing.

Peg R.

1:56AM PDT on Mar 18, 2011

Wish I could sew!