I am making slow progress with this goal. Last year, I finally bought enough canvas bags to use for a full shopping trip. But then I was always forgetting them at home. Finally, I put them in the back of car. At first, I was always forgetting them back there but now I usually remember them when I go to my usual grocery store (which happens to be more of a natural foods type place). I don’t know why, but I am always forgetting them at every other store I go to. Not good! That and when we take my husband’s car to go shopping, we don’t have the bags available. Next step is to put half the bags in his car!

I really need to work on this one! I have plenty of canves grocery bags, but always forget them! We DO reuse our plastic grocery bags for kitty litter AND take extras to the market for recycling.

I second the recommendation for www.reusablebags.com – I love that site. And they donate 1% to charity.

I always carry reusable bags in my purse. You never know when you will need a bag. I like Envirosax best. They roll up and snap closed. Reisenthel and Chico bags are good too.

Does anyone know where I can get a couple of the Kashi insulated cloth bags? My girlfriend is a fanatic and recently lost hers. Her birthday is coming up and as lame as it sounds, I would be a hero if I could get her a couple more. I’d even buy one from one of you… Help!!!

Before I leave the house, I try to remember to put my bags in the front seat next to me.That way I don’t have the checkout regret (left em in the car again!)

I stopped using plastic bags about a year ago, and it’s been great. I found these bags form flipandtumble.com, that really quickly mash up and turn into a ball a little smaller than a baseball. I can fit multiple bags in my totebag and they hold a lot! They also fit over your shoulder so you don’t have to carry around heavy bags! I think I would have had a hard time cutting the plastic bag without these!

I am now living in South Alabama…...... When I see one of the store bags for sale (only a dollar) I ask the casher if she sales very many of them? No is the usual reply. Maybe someday it will catch on, maybe if like other places murchants start charging for the plastic bags!

I found a great website that has my favorite canvas bag of all time, reuseablebags.com. They have this great bag that clips to the sides of the shopping cart. It holds a bunch! In larger carts (Target/Wal-Mart) I can use up to 2, and that can cover several pounds of groceries. It’s really easy for cashiers to load up too since it stays open. As an added bonus, if you’re lazy, only 1 trip inside since all your groceries are in one bag! :)

Went to the Container Store last year, and picked up 2 nylon shopping bags that fold up into their own little tiny stuff bags. They fit into a purse easily, and they hold a LOT. Much more than a regular plastic bag. I whip these out at the grocery store, Wal Mart, wherever. The grocery store cashiers are usually pretty cool with it, but once in a while a Mart employee will freak. They don’t seem to understand the basic concept of reducing waste.

In Iowa the local HyVee grocery stores sell recycled bags to use and everytime you bring them in and use them in the store they give you a $.05 discount. If you live in an apartment on the third floor like me it is amazing. You can fit more groceries in the bags, the big handles allow you to carry it like a purse and I never have to worry that the plastic bag will break half way up the stairs. I keep them in the trunk of my car and when I go shopping for anything they are right there. Plus I don’t have 30 plastic bags filling up my pantry. I took all my old plastic bags to Walmart, they usually have a recycle bin for plastic bags.

This is something I have really wanted to do as well. :)

This is something that I really want to do…use canvas bags. I get my groceries in plastic bags then I re-use them at home or I will take them back to the store…they have a recycle bin by the entrance to return the plastic bags. I really do want to change to canvas bags, tho.

I never go to the store without my Kashi canvas bag!

today, I got a Kashi reuseable shopping bag in the mail, I love it, and I’ve already used it too!!

At one of our local grocery markets, they give you a 5-cent discount for bringing your own canvas bag! (During the winter, our local library has book-reading contests where, no matter if you’re the first or last, if you finish 12 books in three months (not hard for me) you get a free canvas bag…they’re the ones I use at the market! (My mother and I have actually persuaded several people to use paper bags instead of plastic if they don’t have their own bag…)

I went to a whole foods store a few weeks ago. It was my first time there and found shopping quite interesting. When I went to the cashier, the lady asked paper bag or plastic. She even asked if I brought my own cloth bag. I was stunned by the options as I’m never asked at a regular supermarket. I end up throwing away a lot of plastic bags due to holes or busted handles. I think I’ll GO GREEN by using cloth bags.

Carrie, I always find myself in the store, at the checkout line without the canvas bags that are in my car. I think I am going to add a sticky note or some sort of reminder so that I never leave the car without them. The last trip I made to Ikea they were charging 5 cents per bag. I thought that was great and we walked out of the store without using any bags.