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When you go to the grocery store, you have a few choices for them to bag your groceries. Which do you pick?
Let’s start with plastic bags. Plastic bags are made from petroleum which is a nonrenewable resource. If these end up in the landfill, they take a long time to biodegrade. If they end up in the water stream, they are dangerous to wildlife. Some stores do have a place where you can recycle them, but it can be very hard to find.
Paper bags can be recycled more easily. However, to create paper bags, it demands more energy and creates 15% more waste and pollution.
The last eco friendly choice is cloth bags that you can reuse. Whenever possible, this should be your eco friendly choice. For me, the hardest thing to do is to remember to bring them to the store. To solve that issue, after I use them, I put them in my purse, so they end up back in the car. If you get into the habit of doing this right away, you’ll find it isn’t a hard thing to keep up with. I find that not only does using reusable bags help the environment, but it saves me trips from the car into my house. In my experience, reusable cloth bags tend to hold more groceries than the plastic bags do. I have also found that my local baggers actually appreciate reusable bags more.
What kind of bags do you choose when you are at the grocery store?
Visit our Green Living Tips section for more changes you can make in your life to be more eco friendly.
I too have a hard time remembering the cloth bags. I try to use them when I remember, but it’s hard with life and all.
I try to remember my clot bags but…it doesn’t always happen.
mine are in the car. but i cant remember to take them into the store.
Great post. I’ve had problems taking the eco-bags. The Store clerks don’t like them.