Paper or Plastic? Why Not Reusable?

I remember spending summers with my Grandmother in Minnesota and going grocery shopping with her. When it came time to check out, she always pulled out her neatly folded, reused brown paper bags and handed them to the bag boy or girl. After we got home and put all the groceries away, we would refold the bags and store them away until our next grocery trip. This to me never seemed strange, and though I still to this day am not sure why my grandmother did this, I know now, intentional or not, she was helping to save the planet in her own little way.

It's been years since I've gone on a grocery trip with my Grandmother and I'm not sure if she still uses her paper bag method for packing her groceries, but that little bit stuck with me through the years and now I incorporate conservation into my own shopping by using reusable shopping bags.

I absolutely love my green bags, not only because they are environmentally friendly, but because they are durable, easy to handle, and hold more groceries than plastic bags. You don't run the risk of having your cans fall through the bag and onto your foot, or even worse, to the ground then proceed to roll away. Unlike paper bags, reusable bags are made from cotton and do not take away from the earth by using trees to make them. Reusable bags are easy to fold and store, come in many cool colors, styles and sizes, and don't shift in your trunk when you make a turn. I can't think of any bad thing to say about reusable grocery bags.

The prices of reusable bags vary. I've seen them as low as .99 and as high as 30.00 I know some of you are frowning at having to pay for a bag when plastic is mostly free and readily available. But think of it this way: If you buy the .99 cent variety, you can take eleven dollars and pay for ten bags, then never have to buy another one again! These bags will take you through hundreds of grocery and shopping trips without fail, and you have the added bonus of doing your part in being green.

For most of us, reusable bags are available at our local grocery stores. For those of us who have a harder time finding them, here are some sites that feature a variety of reusable bags.

1 Bag at a Time: They run great deals, like 5 bags for 4.95. And they have 100% biodegradable bags on sale for 14.99 for a 5 pack.

ENVIROSAX: While their bags are a bit pricier, they have the added bonus of being 100% organic cotton.

Reusable Bags.com: This site has many different bags to choose from. All Eco-friendly. While, the price is a little higher the quality is undeniable. I especially love their String Bag Set.

Please take into consideration that all reusable bags are not 100% Eco-friendly. Bags made from polypropylene, for instance, are made with the use of oil, making them similar to plastic bags. The upside to polypropylene bags, however, are that they are inexpensive and can last up to two years--still doing its part in being Eco-friendly. If you do decide that reusable bags are the way for you to go, then the most green option would be 100% cotton or hemp. But polypropylene does have its place, just be sure to recycle properly if you ever intend to throw them away.