Do You Use Reusable Grocery Bags?

If you answered "no" to this question, well then, why ever not?

Maybe you haven't even thought about it, or think it's too much of a hassle, or think they are too expensive, or like the convenience of having plastic bags around the house.

Well, chew on this- Americans throw away over 100 BILLION plastic bags each year! That's plastic that won't biodegrade for centuries, filling up our one and only earth- not to mention the harm it causes wildlife.*

Okay, if you know me personally, you will think this post is coming out of left field- after all, I'm not your average tree-hugger, nor a gung-ho environmentalist. But, I do believe that as a child of God, and one gifted with life on this planet, I am responsible to take care of His creation.

Even if you don't agree with that- I will give you some great reasons to invest in your own reusable grocery bags-

1.) They are cheap. I shop at Meijer, and their blue bags are only $.99 each. I also got a bunch from Walgreen's, when they had a 3/$1 sale on them. I know you can get them at every major retailer. I personally own about 10 bags and I store them in my car trunk so I always have them when I go to the store.

2.) They hold SO much more than an average bag and don't tear when there's a sharp corner shoved in there! I shop for two people each week. I usually have 4-6 bags on average full of groceries. Their handles are also long enough to fit over my shoulder- so instead of 4 trips to the car for the bazillion plastic bags, I can usually get them all in 1-2 trips.

3.) This may seem insignificant to some, but I like how they stand up, like a paper bag does (which by the way, take more energy to produce than a plastic bag, so they are no better in the environmental debate of paper or plastic). The groceries don't roll all over in the trunk, my bread doesn't get squished, nor my bananas bruised.

4.) Just as plastic bags are convenient for hauling stuff, so are these bags, and so much more durable, too. Honestly, I was a plastic bag lover before. I even have a caddy under the sink to store them. But, really, I don't miss the overload I had before. (And we are lucky enough that our recycling service takes these plastic bags).

5.) Your grocery store clerk will not mind, trust me, you won't offend them. Just make sure you put your bags at the front of your order on the belt, so they can load them up as they go.

*Source