How to Remember Your Reusable Bags & Save the World
Using reusable shopping bags can help reduce the amount of plastic bag waste.
It’s a necessity for us to grocery shop. We need food so we can thrive and survive. However, how we transport food from the store to our home can have a huge impact on the environment. While plastic bags are convenient, they also cause a lot of problems.
Plastic bags are made from nonrenewable oil byproducts. While you can recycle them, the process isn’t simple or easy. In fact, it costs less to create new plastic bags than it does to recycle old bags. There are so many plastic bags in the world that 300 million are found in the ocean every year. Plastic wreaks havoc on sea life, including turtles, dolphins and other animals who often mistake the bags as jellyfish and eat them.
If the plastic bags don’t end up in the ocean, they can corrupt other parts of our environment. Some make it to the landfill, but others find their way to clogging sewers, pipes and freshwater sources. You’ll find them scattered on the sides of the road, trapped in fences or blowing around, ready to snag in trees. They take 400 to 1,000 years to break down, and they contaminate the soil and waterways when they do.
Plastic bags cause so much damage to the environment that people are demanding we no longer use them. This can go a long way towards helping the planet — in fact, limiting plastic bag usage is so crucial that countries like Ireland, Taiwan and Australia have enacted bans or heavy taxes on plastic bags, resulting in a 95 percent reduction in use.
It’s easy to say no to plastic bags — you only need to bring reusable bags to the store to take your groceries home. But you don’t want to foil your eco-friendly plan by frequently forgetting your bags! Below are a few ways to help you remember your reusable bags and save the world.
1. Bags Should Always Be on the Top of Your List
If you’re like most people, you bring a list to the store so you don’t forget what to buy. If you write down reusable bags before anything else, you’ll remember to grab them as you head out the door. Saving the environment should be at the top of your list!
2. Keep a Stash in Your Car
There are times when you’re making a quick trip to the store and probably don’t think about taking your bags. This might be especially true if you’re running in right after work. If you keep some stashed in the car, you’ll have them handy for those quick trips to the store. Don’t forget to put your reusable bags back after you’ve unloaded them.
3. Hang Them Somewhere Convenient
Hanging your bags near the door or next to your car will help you remember to grab them on your way out. Have them handy on a hook in the garage or folded on your shoe rack. You might consider placing them under your grocery list so you can grab both items together before running your errands.
4. Make It a Family Affair
You can’t be expected to keep track of everything, so have your family members help you remember to grab the bags. Try rotating the responsibility week to week so you take turns remembering. This will also get your kids and spouse in the habit of taking reusable bags to the store so the trend can continue from one generation to the next.
5. Have More than One Set
Having more than one set of reusable bags means you can store some in your house and others in your car, so you have them handy when you need them. Of course, you’ll have to remember to put one set back in the car, but if you forget, hopefully you’ll remember to grab the set by the door.
6. Invest in Convenience
More and more people want to lessen the impact plastic bags have on the environment, so they’re creating reusable bags that are small enough to fit in your purse or even on your keychain! Keeping a few of these with you will ensure you always have one on hand.
We only have one planet, and we need to do what we can to take care of it. To reduce the number of plastic bags polluting the environment, make it a habit to take reusable bags with you every time you shop.
This Women of Green guest blog is by Megan Ray Nichols. Megan writes about many environmental topics including, renewable energy, conservation and sustainability. She invites you to join the discussion on her own blog, Schooled By Science.