Going Green: Benefits of Canvas Shopping Bags

Going green is the latest trend, as it should be with the overwhelming scientific numbers in recent years. The planet’s temperatures and carbon emissions show a connection and a trend throughout the ages and are at an all-time high right now. You can help to reduce your carbon footprint by using canvas shopping bags. It can be hard to get in the habit of carrying them with you, so following are some benefits for nature, for you, and some tips to help you get started and stay with it.

For Nature

Did you know that over 100 billion plastic bags are used in America every year? Think of one family’s contribution to that number. How many trips do you make to the grocery store, and how many bags are used per trip? Think of all the plastic bags you’d save by taking your own to the store every time. Plastic bags contribute to litter (in significant places like beaches), clog sewers, and kill wildlife. They also are estimated by some to take up to a thousand years to decompose. That’s a long life of harming nature. Switching to reusable sacks can help prevent these problems.

Benefits for You

Using canvas shopping bags can have some benefits you may not have even considered. On top of preserving the ecosystem for future generations, you get some immediate benefits, like discounts at stores. Some grocery stores take money off or give reward points for bringing your own bags, and some states are starting to charge you for plastic ones. You can also fit much more in these than in a plastic bag, resulting in fewer trips to and from the car. They are inexpensive, can hold a lot of weight, and won’t tear the way the thin bags can. Additionally, you can use them for many other things like carrying books, or as a purse. They can also be customized and cute, making a statement about you and your passions wherever you go.

Getting Started

You will see these cloth sacks just about everywhere at any checkout counter now. Grab a couple of them if you see them for a dollar or so, and use them right away. After you are done unloading your groceries, put the bags in a place where you will see them on your way out. Hanging them on a doorknob is a good idea. That way you remember to take them out to the car and keep them there. Then the next time you go to the store, you can start training yourself to take them in with you!


Final Tips

As if it isn’t enough to help nature and future generations, or to save at the grocery store, there really isn’t any negative aspect to these handy little sacks. So if you convert to using canvas shopping bags, look for bags with a wide, flat bottom. Your items can stack much more easily in these. When you pack your stuff or have the bagger do so, be sure the heaviest and flattest items go on the bottom, and the softer, lighter weight items go on top (especially bread, eggs, and produce). This will make using these satchels much easier to carry and unload, as well as avoiding crushing your food.