http://www.care2.com/greenliving/when-your-reusable-bag-is-no-longer-reusable.html
When Your Reusable Bag is No Longer Reusable
Let me start by saying that Friday was not one of my finest days. For starters, I woke up late, scrambled to get the kids off to school on time, and in the process, not only stepped in dog poop (I think it’s the neighbor up the street), but slammed my arm on the corner of the car door as I was trying to get in. Good times.
Suffice it to say the rest of the day didn’t go as badly, but when I got to the store to do our weekly shopping, I realized that I had forgotten to bring enough reusable bags. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s a problem. As anyone who knows me, or has read enough about me through my posts here or on my blog knows, I won’t use plastic bags anymore. Not out of some stubborn hubris, but more-so because I recognize the damage that 1,000,000 bags a minute into landfills can do, and refuse to be a part of that scenario.
So my choices were simple–head home for more bags (which wouldn’t make sense because I drove that day), buy some new bags at the store and use those (which isn’t happening because my wife will kill me if I come home with another re-usable), or make do with what I have (which is what I decided to do).
I got to the checkout line, started bagging my groceries, and it was looking like I’d be fine until I got to the milk. That big heavy bottle of milk. As I picked up the bag it was in, the seam started to tear and I could see where things were headed. So I put my bags down, took the milk out, carefully tucked it under my arm, and headed out to the car, most certainly looking pretty stupid, but at least satisfied that I hadn’t stepped into the plastic bag fray. Some may see this as extreme, but I see it as reality, and truthfully, other than the kid who made fun of me as his mother shushed him with a “Don’t point at him Donald, its not nice,” I wasn’t much worse for wear.
I got home, unpacked, assessed my bag problem, realized that it was nothing a little needle and thread couldn’t fix, and put it on the “to do” pile (if my wife is reading this, I promise I’m going to get to it soon…really). But then I got to thinking. What do you do with re-usable bags when they have come to the end of their life? On average, each bag will replace thousands of plastic bags, but like many things, eventually they will stop being useful, and throwing them out doesn’t really seem in keeping with their original purpose.
Enter ChicoBags. ChicoBags is a very cool company that I have known about for a while that makes and sells reusable bags that fold up into a cool little pouch. As a matter of fact, I used a ChicoBags bag on Friday as I carry one in the glove compartment for just such occasions. I’ve always been a fan of theirs due to their company’s ethos. They hold a monthly drawing for anyone coming to work in a carbon neutral manner, they are a member of the Fair Labor Association so everything from their labor practices to their manufacturing processes are open to surprise inspections, and they have a Zero Waste Policy.
The Zero Waste Policy at ChicoBags is two fold. First and foremost they store and examine all of their waste (sound like anyone you know?) and in doing so are hoping to achieve Zero Waste at some point down the road. At present time, they send less than 30 pounds per month to the landfill, or roughly 1 pound per person. Seen any other companies that can claim that? Secondly, they don’t want their bags entering the waste stream should they become unusable, so they will take any bag they sell, or any other reusable bag for that matter, and repurpose them.
Send your dead re-usables to ChicoBags and they in turn send them to a company called The Grateful Thread, who works with the Schuylkill Women In Crisis Center in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania. The center helps battered women by offering shelter, counseling, and job training among other services. Grateful Thread helps out by employing women to take reusable bags that are no longer viable, turn them into strips, and then weave them into rugs. After shipping, all proceeds from the rugs go straight to the center so ChicoBags is basically selling them for nothing It’s a great opportunity that keeps these bags out of the landfill, funds a great cause, helps employ women in need and teaches them a skill. Everybody wins!
Sadly, economic times have forced the Grateful Thread to shut it’s retail stores, but they are still filling special orders from companies like ChicoBags who have committed to ordering a certain number.
So grab your unusable resusables and send them off to ChicoBags. And if you don’t have any broken bags, but have too many from fundraisers and give aways, fear not. ChicoBags will take those as well and give them out to shelters and organizations that can use them, so either way, they’ve got you covered.
Bags can be sent to
ChicoBags Company
C/O Zero Waste Program
349 Huss Drive
Chico, CA 95928
As always, if you’ve got other uses for dead bags, post em up. And finally, because I always like to include a video, here’s the ChicoBags Bag Monster! Enjoy.
Dave Chameides is a filmmaker and environmental educator. His website and newsletter are designed to inspire thought and dialogue on environmental solutions and revolve around the idea that no one can do everything, but everyone can do something. “Give people the facts, and they’ll choose to do the right thing.”
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76 comments
add your comment »I think choosing to go with reusable bags always take you to this point when u have to fix them in order to keep on using them. It might seem silly for some people, but not having to throw your bags into the trashcan the minute you walk in makes you feel they'll last forever... one must be willing to sew, patch and remake reusable bags in order to preserve them reusable... that's preciselly the point of it!
ChicoBags option is also great... thanks Dave for the info... you're inspiring as always!
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Thank you for this article. I like reusable bags.
Taking things back a step, whenever I go to the local supermarket, I see a lot of people coming out with their groceries. I would say that very few are using reusable bags. Over 90% of people here still seem to be using plastic bags, even though reusable bags are cheap and have been available for years.
What can we do to reach these people? Perhaps a plastic bag ban is needed.
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My favorite reusable bag is the Hemp bag my SIL bought me for Xmas last year! Love it, love it, love it! It's strong and you can really fill it up with some heavy stuff! I keep all my other reusable bags in the hemp bag and hang them from the hanger hook in my truck so I never have to worry about forgetting them. My SIL bought the bag from reusablebags.com where you can also find compostable bags, metal water bottles, and (my favorite for people who brown-bag their lunches) reusable sandwich bags! Go to their website and you won't be disappointed. It's worth the money to by something that will last and not hurt the environment.
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Thanks Jody for the compliment about sounding too all together to forget my reusable bags! Usually I am pretty organized, but after my third failing TKR, just bending my leg to get in and out of my car has become a several minute job, and on rare occasions I forget the bags. On those occasions I either put the items in my purse/tote, go back to the car, or carry the items in my non cane hand.
As they say getting old is a ......, but the alternative is worse. I figure I can at least still drive so I'm grateful for that, as many others in my shape can't even do that.
This has been quite an interesting thread, with so many people offering ideas and just finding out how many people do reuse their shopping bags.
Thanks Dave for getting this thread going and helping us learn even more on helping the earth person by person.
Lync
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Sorry girl, I ain't buying it! You sound way too together...
Lyn C. says
The problem is not that I forget to take the bags to the store as they are kept in the back seat in a storage box. My problem is in remembering to take the bags in the store with me. By the time I unentangle my legs, with a failed TKR, get the cane out of the car, without hitting myself in the head, then getting my over the body purse over my body and locking the car up, who could remember the back seat?! LOL I do go back for them though if I forget them. Just as an aside you ought to see me fumbling to get out the car on a rainy day, what do you hold the cane or the umbrella. To see me on one of those days would give you more than a slight chuckle, (as some of those days have already had my two grown daughters in stiches.
Sorry for the ramble all, it's late, I'm tired, and I have to drive in the rain tomarrow/today, and I'm smiling in anticipation of my next fun outing! :-)
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I have to say I am Guilty of using the plastic bags... Yes shame on me but I never just toss them out I have a huge collection of them in my house which I do use for trash bags and also use them when I got to the warehouse store to use sence no bag and boxes just dont work for me. I am slowly trying to move though the Reusesable but its been slow going but the reuseable ones I do have I love. Its hard for me because I need a reuseable bag with a small handle to really work for me and most bags out there have huge long handles which are pointless and drag the ground when I use them :( if any ones knows where to get reuseable bag with short handles let me know.
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Does anyone know of a company like ChicoBags that operates out of Canada? As great as ChicoBags sounds, I don't see how contributing to fuel emissions by sending things to California by air-mail will make it a worthwhile action, environmentally speaking. There is one outdoor activity clothing store where I live that has a garment- recyle bin, so that old, worn cotton, canvas, and other materials can be donated to be used in manufacturing new clothing items... I think this is a great idea and I don't understand why it hasn't caught on like wildfire, especially considering how much it would reduce costs for manufacturers...
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Been using canvas bags for about 17 years which I have washed a lot, but in the last year I have gotten a couple bags from stores cause I have forgotten to bring the bags I brought on vacation. And I have wondered what to do with them when they wear out. Thanks for the tip.
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Been using canvas bags for about 17 years which I have washed a lot, but in the last year I have gotten a couple bags from stores cause I have forgotten to bring the bags I brought on vacation. And I have wondered what to do with them when they wear out. Thanks for the tip.
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The problem is not that I forget to take the bags to the store as they are kept in the back seat in a storage box. My problem is in remembering to take the bags in the store with me. By the time I unentangle my legs, with a failed TKR, get the cane out of the car, without hitting myself in the head, then getting my over the body purse over my body and locking the car up, who could remember the back seat?! LOL I do go back for them though if I forget them. Just as an aside you ought to see me fumbling to get out the car on a rainy day, what do you hold the cane or the umbrella. To see me on one of those days would give you more than a slight chuckle, (as some of those days have already had my two grown daughters in stiches.
Sorry for the ramble all, it's late, I'm tired, and I have to drive in the rain tomarrow/today, and I'm smiling in anticipation of my next fun outing! :-)
Lyn
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