Why Reusable Bags? (Giveaway!)

Here’s the problem: 500 billion bags are produced annually… and less than five percent of those bags get recycled appropriately. Most plastic bags leave a very dark mark; they end up in landfills or the ocean, harm fish, birds, or other animals, or end up clogging drainage systems.

Here’s where you come in: You can stop the plastic bag pandemic. Reusable bags are an easy solution to a big problem. Every time you use a reusable bag, one less plastic bag is polluting the earth.

Here are five tips to make the biggest impact with your reusable bags (inspired by this article from Blythe Copeland of Planet Green):

1. Choose reusable bags made from sustainable materials (recycled plastic, organic cotton or hemp), or make your own.
2. Use smaller bags for produce.
3. Keep reusable bags safe by cleaning them.
4. Remember them!
5. Use them everywhere you shop (not just at the grocery store).

Here’s some good news: You can find reusable bags almost anywhere. One place that I have come to love over the last couple months is esse (everyday solutions for saving the earth) reusable bags. Their bags are high quality, inexpensive, made with recycled plastic bags and are machine washable. esse also offers convenient mesh produce bags. I bought their produce bags at Green Fest in San Francisco last month, and I love them! Now, I don’t have to rely on any plastic at the grocery story.

Since esse is so great, they are offering a free gift to a Care2 member. Leave a comment on this post about how much you love reusable bags and you will automatically be entered to win their complete shopping bag system (pictured above), which includes:

3 Grocery Bags
2 Produce Bags
1 Everyday Bag

For any purchases on their site, get 25 percent off by entering GREEN25 as the promotional code.

For more eco-friendly and socially-conscious finds, visit Care2′s green gift guide.

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

Rita A.

12:09PM PST on Jan 12, 2012

My husband and I carry reusable bags, we've got a variety of sizes and shapes from different stores (including a candy store! -- lots of good comments on those ones) in our vehicles. They come in so very handy wherever we go and, in some places, we even get credit (money saved!) for using them. It's good all the way around :)

send a green star

Pattie T.

4:33PM PST on Nov 21, 2011

It is MUCH easier to shop using these re-useable bags.

Jane W.

7:42PM PDT on Nov 4, 2011

thanks for this - and for the Candace C. comment. Today I went to the grocery store and left the re-cyclable bag in the car. So I walked out of the store with my unbagged purchases (and the sales slip!).

Tim C.

11:00AM PDT on Aug 8, 2011

thanks.

Michele W.

8:46AM PDT on Aug 7, 2011

Thank you

caterina c.

5:04AM PDT on Aug 7, 2011

***** Yes to reusable bags...I always have with me...each one of us can reduce its impact using these bags thks for the article

Linda T.

10:10AM PDT on Jun 22, 2011

I have a couple of reusable bags that I use. I keep them in my back seat all the time.

Judy W.

7:56PM PDT on May 30, 2011

I like reusable bags because I got so sick of having soooo many plastic store bags around. My local grocery store collects their plastic bags for recycling, so I usually have many of them when I take mine in for recycling.

Kimberly M.

4:28PM PDT on May 29, 2011

I feel good every time I use my reusable bags when I go shopping. I feel guilty when I forget to bring them.