Collect six reusable bags for shopping.
Commit to using them on your shopping trips.
In 2016, I voted "Yes" on California proposition 67 which prohibited single use carryout bags (but allowed sale of paper/reusable bags for a fee). It passed with 53% of the vote. But taking stock nine years later, I wouldn't call this a home run. Sure, plastic bag litter dropped 72% in the first year, but then in following years, plastic bag waste actually increased as shoppers moved over to purchasing 10 cent thicker reusable plastic bags in their stead. These need to be reused 5-10 times to have a lower environmental impact than single use ones. We were some of those people, between covid and parenthood, drive up pick up was a siren song we couldn't resist. In a half year, Senate Bill 1053 will take effect which would phase out these heavier duty plastic bags as a legitimate alternative for shoppers to buy.
I am not sure what process my local grocer will adopt, but I did some research online, learned that some NJ grocers let their drive up customers choose "no bags" and stage the purchase in reusable bins called wacos. So I sent that into my local grocer as a suggestion for the time-being.
Here is my bag haul:
A Postmates courier bag was mistakenly delivered to our address and has become my "go to" cooler because of its mylar liner. I like the irony of stashing ingredients for home-cooked meals in a meal delivery service bag. When we overbuy disposable water bottles (parties, camping trips), I stash the extras in the freezer and use them to extend the cooling capability if I know we'll be out in the heat with perishables. As they thaw, they make delightful thirst quenchers if we are out on a picnic (although I usually reach for my reusable water bottle first).
The Sierra Club bag is a similar spec with a few more zip pockets and came with an annual membership. I like that they now give us a "no gift" option for membership renewal.
The grey bag (with a wolf pattern liner) was a DIY gift from a mother-in-law and is my "every day carry" for miscellaneous stuff that doesn't quite fit in a fanny purse. It reminds me of an L.L. Bean boat tote, but slightly less structured. I love the beausage of its fastener button (a piece of broken wooden bowl) falling off and the increased fraying on the perfect length of straps to work as a cross-body bag.
The 2 mesh bags would be great candidates to make more of for the expert level of this badge "sew in." I've found myself opting for extra packaging at farmer's markets because I didn't have something like this on hand to keep my cherry tomatoes from commingling with my mushrooms and all getting crushed under the weight of some artisanal jar of honey. I also love that the bags have their tar weight on a tag if you're really scrutinizing your total. I also often use these as "delicates" bags in the laundry which is why it feels like I never have quite enough on hand.
My commitment for the rest 0f 2025 is to:
(1) Keep the inflow of new "reusable" plastic bags under 3/week from drive up purchases (the amount we are using to line trash cans). At least until better options arise. I was tracking at 4-6/week.
(2) Deploy my stash of reusable bags (now tidy triangles) for in-store shopping.
(3) Frequent the superior Saturday Farmer's market more often after triathlon training season (and its scheduling conflicts) ends (August) to further reduce packaging waste.
How cool would it be to roll up to the farmer's market (4.3 miles away) with these cool
kitty litter panniers with instructions from REI?
