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Use reusable produce bags regularly

Why This is Green

We all use reusable bags daily—purses, computer bags, backpacks. You might even use reusable shopping bags (well, most of the time anyway). But when it comes to bagging a head of lettuce or some bulk lentils, are you still yanking a plastic bag off the big roll? Time to switch to a reusable produce bag (well, most of the time anyway).

Most plastic produce bags are polyethylene, which is produced largely from natural gas. According to the Worldwatch Institute, Americans throw away some 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags a year—an unfathomable number. Technically plastic bags are reusable and recyclable, but only a small percentage of them are recycled—Environment California estimates five percent, while the EPA says its closer to twelve percent.

Either way, a plastic bag in a landfill takes about 1,000 years to break down, according to multiple sources. And a study by the Ocean Conservancy found small plastic bags made up about nine percent of the debris along various U.S. coasts.

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How To

The trick to reusable produce bags is buying a whole bunch of them and then remembering to bring them with you. Set yourself up for success by stashing them inside your reusable shopping bags, car trunks, purses, and jacket pockets.

There are scores of reusable machine washable produce bags on the market. They come in cotton, organic cotton, and even mesh varieties. You’ll want to stock up for all of your purchases but don’t overdo it; any bag takes energy and resources to make.