Paper or plastic? You hear it all the time when you go to the store, and if you’ve watched the news over the last few years, you know that plastic waste is beginning to become a big problem, with lots of plastic ending up in oceans and other places in nature where it can pose a threat to wildlife and sea creatures.
Businesses across the country have begun to encourage shoppers to use their own shopping bags so that they can do their part to cut down on plastic waste. Other businesses still offer plastic bags, but may charge a small fee for them to discourage people from using them. Some bigger cities have even taken it upon themselves to begin special services dedicated to recycling these plastic bags.
If you want to do your part in being a little more environmentally friendly and cutting down on plastic waste, you’ll be happy to know that you can get your own reusable grocery bags affordably. Find one or more that you like, and you can start using them on your next trip to the grocery store.
Of course, there are more advantages to using your own reusable shopping bags than just the ecological aspect, too.
A Few Great Benefits of Reusable Shopping Totes
Sure, you probably like the idea of doing your part to cut back on all the plastic waste that is currently plaguing so many of the Earth’s oceans, natural areas, and landfills. What about some of the other notable advantages that reusable shopping bags bring with them?
Here are some of the neatest things that you may not have considered about using your own shopping bag, as opposed to plastic:
You’ll have a lot less plastic bags finding their way into your home
Plastic bags can be reused as trash can liner or other things, but many people find that after a few trips to the grocery store, they have accumulated more plastic bags than they know what to do with. If you are someone who inadvertently ends up collecting those old shopping bags, you can quickly find they start to clutter up areas in your home.
With reusable shopping totes, you can simply have four or five bags that are folded away somewhere out of sight when not in use, and finally remove some of the clutter that has slowly been taking over your home.
You might save some money
With some stores across the country beginning to charge small fees for individual plastic bags, you may find that getting your hands on a reusable shopping bag of your own could be a great investment that just may end up saving you some money in the long run.
Reusable shopping totes are a lot sturdier than plastic
This probably doesn’t come as a shock to anyone, but reusable shopping bags are much more durable than regular plastic shopping bags. How many times have you had heavier groceries tear right through a plastic bag and fall onto the ground?
This isn’t a problem you’re likely to face with well-made grocery totes. You can comfortably stuff it with the things you’d like to purchase, without worrying about all of your items tumbling onto the ground as you walk to your car.
In another way, this point also might help save some plastic from the landfill. When most people have heavier items in plastic bags, they tend to use even more plastic by double bagging the items in an effort to give them another layer of protection.
This isn’t something you need to worry about with reusable shopping bags. Shop with confidence knowing your bag is going to reliably hold your stuff for you, from the store shelf to the pantry in your kitchen.
You might even feel a little bit better about yourself
You might find that using your own reusable bags when you go shopping can give you just a little extra piece of mind. It feels great to know that you’re doing whatever you can do to help the Earth, even if it is something as simple as what type of bag you choose when you go shopping.
No More Hearing Paper or Plastic for You
As you can surely tell, there are a lot more benefits for people who choose to shop with their own reusable bags than just the good feelings you get about not using plastic. Think about all the trips back and forth from the car you’re going to be saving, the decluttering you’re going to get to do, and everything else that accompanies going green with your shopping.
