Quality Friday: Bag It!

Lately, I have been very conscious of how many plastic bags we bring home with us. A few months ago, while at the local Safeway, I picked up one of their reusable bags, and we have been making an effort to use it regularly. In instances when one bag isn't enough, we've opted for paper over plastic, but I recently learned that paper bags aren't the answer, either.

On a recent grocery shopping trip, Mark mentioned that we might want to buy a second bag for $1, but I pushed back, saying that we didn't really need it. What I probably meant was that I hadn't yet found the right bag to purchase.....

Last week while in Vancouver, I decided to stopped in at a fun home and housewares store to browse a bit during one of my lunch breaks. (Downtown Vancouver has GREAT shopping, for those of you who like that sort of thing. Yes, Why I Love Vancouver, Part 3.)

What I found was a fantastic bag by Reisenthel that I just couldn't resist!

This City Shopper is larger than the Safeway bag, and made of sturdy polyester with a reinforced bottom that I'm convinced will NEVER break. Its the perfect shape for me, because it carries like a large purse (and even has an inside pocket for your wallet and keys, and a small cell phone pocket). Notice the little rectangle clipped on to the handle? This is a second bag that can be unfolded to use when the larger one runs out of room!

Have I mentioned that its also cute and stylish? Why would anyone want to carry plastic bags, when they can carry this? Admittedly, Mark laughed at me when I came home with it. "The $1 bag wasn't necessary, huh?" he commented. ;)

I know it sounds silly, but I realize that I'm just more likely to use it for multiple purposes because I actually enjoy carrying it around. My new bag has made its way with me on two quick grocery trips, to Target, and even to the pet store. And the old grocery bag now lives in Mark's car for when he needs to pick things up on his way home.

Last week, we also made great use of another reusable Reisenthel bag, given to us by dear friends as a Thank You after their recent visit. We took it wine tasting with us, and in addition to saving from having to toss two more cardboard carrying cases, also got many a compliment along the way.


I know its just a start, but I hope that in this small way we can help to keep from generating more unnecessary waste - one bag and box at a time.