Bag Lady

I carry my own bags to the grocery with me. I've got about 5 or 6 that I use when I do my weekly shopping. I try to take one with me if I'm just stopping in to get one or two things, but I don't always think about it, it's a habit I have to learn. I need to put one in my carryall that I take to work with me so that I am ready for those quick stops on the way home from work. How many times do you have to do something before it becomes a habit?

What I really need is some good cotton or canvas bags, I feel like those would be more sustainable. The bags I have are store brand bags, I'm not sure of the material, some poly blend, made in China. I have a couple of small canvas bags and they might be good for a quick stop, but  what I need are larger ones for my weekly shopping. I found some fairly inexspensive canvas bags (also made in USA!) at Overstock.com and Amazon.com,  in different sizes from small, regular to extra large.

Of course it would be wasteful to just throw out my old bags in favor of new ones. But the bags I have are probably a least 10 years old and a couple of them are starting to wear thin in places and getting a rip here and there. So as these bags wear out I will purchase some replacement canvas bags. Now if I can just get the baggers at the grocery to use them and not only use them, but use them efficiently, instead of putting two items in one and overloading another and then have bags leftover!

Now I'm not going to say that I never get plastic bags, either without thinking or sometimes.......gasp....yes, on purpose. But when I do get them, they are reused for garbage bags in the bathroom wastebasket or, and even more importantly, to use when taking my dog for her daily walk to clean up after her. I have found no other efficient way to clean that up.  I guess I could take along a glass container to clean it up, but no, no, no, I'm sorry, but not going to do it!!!

Are plastic bags bad for the environment, definitely, and I'm trying to use as few as possible. Plastic bags can be seen hanging in a tree when it's windy, floating in the gutter after a rain storm and littering parks and other green spaces. I know I'm only one person, but I'm trying to do my part.

Would I like to come home one day to a completely sustainable, environmentally friendly, organic house, maybe. But I think the journey to try to live a sustainable lifestyle is more important. Learning why we need to make changes, make conscious decisions and the reasons behind it are equally important.  Slowly making changes will make it a habit that will last. I have to admit that I think about my actions more than I did before.


Kathy