A friend of mine tagged along with me on quick trip to the grocery store to shop for some last minute dinner ingredients, and she was shocked that I brought my own bags with me. She told me that she’d never noticed people bringing their own bags to the grocery store, and it hadn’t even crossed her mind before. After seeing how easy it was, she told me she thought it was a great idea to reduce her use of disposable plastics and said she’d like to give it a try.

So after dinner, I offered her one of my extra re-usable bags, and she told me a few months later that she brings it shopping with her to the grocery store and farmer’s market as often as she can. She has even inspired her friends and family members to start ‘bringing their own’ by offering them a bag to get them started.

I was really happy to hear this because while I try to do my part, I felt like I’d actually inspired someone else to make a difference as well. So I started thinking, how might I perpetuate this cycle and encourage even more people to think about bringing their own bags to the market?

I tend to have more reusable bags than I can use as I get them at work, at community events or races. So the next time I went grocery shopping, I brought an extra reusable bag and offered it to the person in line behind me at the check out stand. She seemed really surprised and happy to receive it. Perhaps she’ll adopt this practice and pay it forward to a friend or another stranger. If you have some extra re-usable bags at home, I invite you to share them. Who knows how this simple gesture could make a lasting impact.

How do you encourage people to bring their own?