All grocery stores that fall under the AB 2449 law that began in 2007 must offer the sale of reusable bags in their stores. So next time you're at the grocery store, be sure to pick a few up to use for your next shopping trip.

Co-ops are a great place to buy reusable bags and support wise waste-policy businesses. They also make great places to build community and buy organic produce! If you are without a co-op in the area, many other environmentally-aware stores sell reusable bags such as Trader Joes and Whole Foods Branches. If you don't have any of these types of establishments nearby, you might try looking online.

Reusable Bags is a great resource to find a variety of sturdy multi-use bags. The site also offers politically energized information about why owning a multi purpose bag is great for the environment. There are even cloth produce bags to hold your wet lettuce and such – just transfer the vegetables at home to containers that maintain freshness. (If you HAVE to get plastic produce bags, wash them out and invert them to dry and reuse; maybe consider purchasing a bag dryer. That way you're following the waste reduction hierarchy of reduce first, reuse second, and then recycle.)

Other multiuse bag companies have contacted us, such as Greenbag, Earthwise, and Greensak; they have some neat products you might want to check out. Take a look around and see what you like!

As for the bag hierarchy of what is environmentally best, we recommend organic natural cloth first, regular cloth second, recycled-content plastic synthetic bags third, and "others" fourth.

Heavy-duty cloth bags are great for not only groceries, but also heavier items like books, and bulkier ones like toys. They are also are machine-washable, and when they become really run down, they can go into re-use as clean-up rags, and can eventually be composted.

If you still have plastic bags piling up, and they're fairly clean, bundle them together and recycle them at a grocery store (find locations here).

Learn More...

• "Paper or Plastic?"
• Bag Facts
• The Food Co-op List
• Further Reading
• Recycling Locations

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