Reusable Shopping Bags

Some retailers are starting to provide a monetary incentive to get you to bring your own reusable shopping bags. This is a great way to save the environment and keep all those plastic bags out of the landfill.  Other retailers, however, are actually charging for plastic or paper bag use.

Some states are also considering legislation to ban the use of plastic bags. San Jose, California has banned the use of both paper and plastic in grocery stores.  Citizens of Washington, DC now face a charge of 5 cents per plastic bag, and Ireland imposed a bag tax and now charges 15 cents per bag, providing an incentive for customers to bring their own resuable bags with them. This trend of charging for plastic bags seems to be popping up in countries and cities all over the world, including Hong Kong, and Toronto, and other stores in other parts of Canada. Click here to see what other governments around the world are doing to combat the problem of plastic shopping bags in their landfills. 

Bags typically cost about 99 cents - $1.50 each, and are available at many retailers, particularly grocery stores.  In searching the web, here's a few articles I found regarding SOME stores that offer a discount on your purchase price. This is likely only case in locations where retailers do not charge for the use of plastic. The discount will be taken off of your total and be reflected on your receipt. Occasionally you might have to remind them.  If you don't know if a store has an incentive program, just ask!  I've asked several times, and the typical response is 5 cents per bag.

For example:

Albertson's grocery store offers 5 cents per bag.

Smith's/Kroeger offers 5 cents per bag. (Some locations) It used to offer 10 cents, but some locations have done away with the program completely. 

Macey's grocery store (Utah only) offers 5 cents per bag.

Target offers 5 cents per bag

Ralph's offers 5 cents per bag

CVS has a different program. You must join their ExtraCare rewards program and purchase one of their 99 cent bags. They will give you a Green Bag Tag card that you hook to the bag. Each time you use the bag, they will scan the card. After 4 purchase, you will receive a $1 Extra Buck coupon which is good towards your next purchase.

Click here for an article about what other stores are doing.  Also, if you know of other stores that offer incentives, be sure to comment so that we can all benefit by knowing!

Making Your Own Reusable Grocery Sacks

If you'd like to make your own reusable shopping bag, here's a few links to some free patterns that are available on the web.  Use old bed sheets or tablecloths, or pick up fabric from a thrift store to reduce the cost of making your own sacks.

Wallet-Sized Fold-up Reusable Shopping Bag (pictured above)

Lunchbox Inspiration 2: Fabric Grocery Sacks

Morsbag Free Downloadable Pattern. There's also an animation of how to construct the bag.

Pie and Coffee: How to Make a Canvas Bag Canvas is stronger than cotton fabric, but this blog also shows how they used oil-based ink to print a custom design on the canvas.

All-Free Crafts: How to Sew a Fabric Shopping Bag

Curved Bag within a Bag  This site shows how to make a bag that closes up within it self into a tiny cozy.  This might be great for always having at least one bag in your purse or car, for those quick trips to the store. The bag itself doesn't look very big.  

Sew a Durable, Reusable Grocery Bag (from About.com)

Tutorial- How to Sew a Reversible Grocery Sack in Under an Hour

If You Don't Sew or Prefer Knitting or Crochet:

Reduction Tote Bag  (crochet)

Large Market Bag Crocheted from Plastic Bags

Felted French Market Bag (Knit)

Personalizing a Bag that You Purchased at the Store:

For those of you who don't sew or want to just personalize a pre-made bag

Personalizing with Iron-on Photo Transfer Paper