Every year, Americans throw away billions of plastic bags. According to Citizens Campaign for the Environment, those bags clog sewers and storm drains, litter roadsides and stay in the environment for 1,000 years. The Campaign says public agencies spend millions of dollars in cleanup costs. Fortunately, people are cutting back on the use of plastic bags; and more alternatives are available.
Reusable Grocery Bags
Many grocery stores and big-box stores sell reusable bags for only a couple of bucks. If you keep them clean, they last a long time and they're a lot stronger than plastic bags.
Recycled Bags
You can buy recycled bags, which are often made from old plastic bags. They fold up into a very small pouch so you can carry them around easily and use them over and over.
Organic Bags or Totes
These can be a great alternative to plastic bags. They may cost a bit more than the reusable bags sold at grocery stores but they are made out of organic materials such as cotton, which is biodegradable.
Backpacks
Some people use backpacks as an alternative to plastic bags to carry their groceries. A backpack can be a lot easier, especially if you take public transportation or ride a bike to the store.
Baskets
For a more interesting and creative look, you can also use a wicker basket to carry your groceries. If you get one that is made well, it will be sturdy enough to carry even heavy items.
Rolling Shopping Bags
These can be made of nylon, metal or other materials with wheels on the bottom. The benefits to these are that they can stand on their own as you shop and you can pull them instead of carrying them, if you have a heavy load.
Cardboard Boxes
Stores such as Costco often give customers the boxes that their products had been delivered in. Delis also often use boxes to help people with orders that include a lot of coffee or other drinks that need to be kept steady.
Collapsible Boxes
These are boxes about the size of the plastic hand baskets you can shop with at grocery stores. They fold flat when you're not using them and are sold by companies.
Other Bags
If you are trying to cut back on plastic sandwich bags or freezer bags, you can consider using hard plastic containers that you wash and reuse multiple times. You can also pick up small square hard containers that come with a cooling gel in them. Put the cooling gel in your freezer until you're ready to use it and it keeps your food cold during the day.
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