22 October 2007

A Plug for the Environment

Hey, it's me! Have you missed me? I haven't posted a blog for 3.7 minutes, so it must be time for another! This one will be short, I promise.

I mentioned in the past that we use re-usable shopping bags for our grocery and other retail needs. I wanted to link to the manufacturer in case you, too, were interested in reducing the number of plastic grocery bags you go through. So here it is: Earthwise Bag Company. They specialize in custom-printed bags for retail stores, but you can also purchase sets of bags through their website. I have 8, which is usually plenty for groceries, since they hold much more than your standard-issue plastic bag can, both in volume and weight. They're also useful on trips to the library and to other stores, and also useful as general-purpose totes, so I try to keep at least one in my car at all times. Today, I packed one of these babies with 15 cans of tomatoes and cream soups and other various grocery items, and it handled it all with no problem.



You can buy a set of 10 bags for 12.50 through their website, or more, if you want to give some away for gifts. Here's what they look like:


2 comments:

Blaza said...

Which ones do you have?
I think I would like to do this. Do you just take them into the store with you and give them to the people who are bagging? Currently I am just taking the plastic bags back to the store for recycling. I also have used them for packing up Christmas paraphenalia. But, I would feel much better using these bags.

Charis & Judah's Mom said...

I have two different kinds, 4 of each: one is tan and says "Giant Eagle" on the side, and one is green and says "reBag" on the side. The differences end there, though--they're boxy looking like the first photo. I think the second photo is the same bag, just stuffed differently.

When I go to the store, I just say, "I brought my own bags to use," and these even have a little hook on them so they'll attach nicely to the bag rack for filling. Usually, the cashiers love them. They stay open really well, and they can cram them full before they switch to another bag. At my store, they give a $.05 "bag credit" when you use your own bags, so in theory, these bags could pay for themselves over time.

And as for durability: I use these puppies all the time, and they're still going strong! The more I use them, the more uses I find for them.