Thanks to my sis, I have been really thinking more about a ‘green’ lifestyle. Actually, I would call it more of a simple lifestyle. One of my favorite things of late is this:
I love the reusable bags…I actually only have one from Publix and several from Kroger. Kroger even gives you a 4 cent refund if you bring your own bag (any bag, not just theirs). Really, I could care less about the refund. I just like coming home with no extra trash of plastic bags. But really, these are not just great for the groceries. These are great for any time. I have used them to take things to the ball park, carry Frisbees and balls to the land or take along things in the van on a trip. At $0.99 they are a real bargain!
Full of Boys 
use these bags too… love them!
I need some of those!
My Brita Water Pitcher works wonders for me! I used to buy bottled water. Now, I just keep my Brita in the frige for cool clean water all the time. LOVE IT!
I’m actually making some of my own… I have one I’m sewing together and another two that I’m knitting. One of them I’m knitting out of plastic grocery bags… Waste not, right?
Love that! Actually, until your post, I was wondering what’s up with the bags? and you are right, how many plastic walmart bags can one home use?!
I’m unemployed and don’t want to spend even $1 on one of those re-usable bags. Also, they’re rather bulky to carry around, if you’re going to the store on foot.
I use the bags that I get at the grocery store, but I keep bringing them back and using them again and again. I started doing this at least 5 years ago, and I still haven’t run of the bags I accumulated before I was doing it. One bag can be re-used about 50 times.
Also, if you’re on foot, it can be much easier to carry a few of the really “disposal” bags in your pocket or backpack. Since I live in the suburbs, I usually have to drive to the grocery store, so I whenever I pick up my house, I put all of the grocery in my truck. That way I won’t have to remember to bring them to the store. Because they’re so light, they don’t affect my gas mileage.
I figure that for someone like me, reducing my plastic bag consumption by 98% is still pretty good, though I’ll admit that 100% is much better.
By the way, they don’t have to be grocery bags. I even use bags from bookstores and clothing stores at the supermarket.
I forgot to mention: Avoid re-usable bags with the store’s name or logo, so you won’t have a hard time using them in a competitor’s store.
There’s a wonderful grocery chain near me that’s too small to get their own bags, so they use un-logo’d ones. (They also don’t have loyalty cards. None of the 3 best supermarkets near me do. Only the expensive ones have them.)
[…] you will be surprised how little trash you have after recycling! 2. Reusable bags – I posted here about them. I love them. They save me from having a dozen or more plastic bags around the house. I […]