Reusable shopping bags: Making the latest fad, practical

As a green mama, I am all for reusable shopping bags. For years, I have been agonizing over my collection of disposable shopping bags. I would recycle the plastic ones, when I would remember. I would use paper, and place the paper sacks in my home recycling. However, I always felt like I was still generating too much trash. I tried using my own reusable bags, but sales personnel wouldn’t know what to do. Some clerks even told me they could not use my bags, I had to take their plastic ones. All kinds of silly reasons stood in my way. The new reusable shopping bag fad has been great. Suddenly a concept that I had been trying to use for years, is now mainstream. Stores are even offering coupons if you remember your reusable bags. So, what’s my problem....

REMEMBERING my BAGS!

This busy green mama doesn’t have the brain power to remember to get a bunch of bags into the car, every time she wants to go shopping. So, I have discovered some strategies to insure that I have at least one bag in the car, most times I get to a store.

1. Bags always need to be in the car

Busy mamas could potentially stop at the store any time of any day. Try to keep a few bags in the trunk of your car all of the time.

2. Bags need to be in the car, not the house

Try to place your reusable bags with your purse, etc after using them. This way, the next time you head out the door, you will take the bags along.

3. Bags need to be accessible

Busy mamas frequently forget to check the trunk, when bustling kids out of carseats and into shopping carriages. I have found that if I keep at least one bag on the floor by the carseat, I usually remember to bring it along on short/quick grocery stops.

4. Bags don’t need to be of the same store

Originally, I felt guilty bringing one stores bag into the other store. Then I found the answer. I purchased bags that are not store specific. We have reusable bags that support our favorite sports teams, etc....

And, when all else fails, it’s ok if you forget your bags. Simply recycle the shopping bags you bring home, by reusing or placing in your home recylcling.

Cloth diaper wetbags, not just for cloth diapers...

CLOTH DIAPER WETBAGS... Sooo many uses!

Soon after we started cloth diapering, my husband began to complain that we were using way too many ziplock baggies and trash bags, to contain our diapers. There had to be a better way. So I investigated the web and found wetbags. There are several sights that sell drawstring and zippered water-proof bags for diapers. I promptly bought two large ones and two smaller sized ones for the diaper bag. We immediately stopped using ziploc baggies and felt better about our trash reduction.

A few weeks after purchasing them, we discovered all kinds of new uses. We brought our wetbags to the pool. They are the perfect bag to carry home wet bathing suits. This enabled keeping towels, etc dry without needing plastic bags. Soon we were substituting our wetbags anywhere we used plastic bags with clothing and textiles. We've even used them to keep shoes separate from clothes in the suitcase.

We now use our wetbag in every instance that we would have used a plastic grocery bag. Now that we no longer get plastic groceries bags at the store, it is great to have a reusable alternative. Purchase one and try it out for yourself!

You can find wetbags at these sites...
http://www.thestorkwearhouse.com/bagstotesdeod.htm
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/other.htm#mommystouchtote