All About Reusable Bags

Here in Oregon the bag ban went into place. Some people might wonder why this was a good thing or why plastic bags are bad. After all, didn’t plastic bags replace paper bags because it was more environmentally friendly?

There can be too much of a good thing. The average American goes thru 6 shopping bags a WEEK! With the population at 300 million that means we are going thru 1.8 Billion bags and discarding them in a single week. The United States alone uses 100 billion plastic bags per year with the average person using 350 to 500 bags.

But was it really good? A plastic bag can take 15 to 1,000 years to break down. Plastic bags don’t biodegrade they just break down into small toxic particles and they leach chemicals into our soil and water. The cost to recycle plastic bags outweighs their value, which is why most recycling facilities don’t take them. According to the EPA only 25% of plastic bags are recycled. That means most are going into our landfills, waterways, and oceans. Plastic bags are so light that they can fly away, which is why we are finding plastic bags in our oceans, tangling in trees and even in the Arctic.

Okay, so plastic bags are bad and paper bags are good. Not necessarily. In the United States, 14 million trees get cut down a year to make our paper bags. It takes 13% more energy to make 1 bag versus 2 plastic bags. Paper bag production involves chemicals and high temps. This means that paper bag production releases toxins into the atmosphere at nearly the same rate as plastic bags. Paper bags make twice as much atmospheric waste as plastic. Paper bags also weigh more, which means it takes more fuel to ship them, which drives up gas prices.

Seriously, Heather, I just want to bag my groceries and get them home. Hold on, I am getting to it. This is exactly why reusable bags are so important to use. The average lifespan of a reusable bag equals 700 disposable bags, Pretty cool, right? One person using reusable bags over their lifetime would remove more than 22,000 plastic bags.

But, wait. There are so many kinds of reusable bags and how do I take care of them? The best type to get are ones with natural fibers, cotton, hemp, jute, canvas… these are all great options. These are all bags that will breakdown. Worried about the chemicals used in cotton production? Look for organic cotton or try hemp. Another option is to upcycle some old cotton shirts into reusable bags. I have been offering classes locally to upcycle your shirts into grocery bags. This keeps those unwanted or unused shirts out of the landfill. Its also important to make sure your reusable bag is washable. I like cotton or natural fibers bags because there aren’t special instructions to wash them. I can throw them in the washer and get it done. Some bags made of nylon have temperature restrictions or special drying instructions or your bag may lose its shape, color or print. I honestly just don’t have the time! Plus, nylon, polyester, PEC fabric are all plastic and won’t break down and as I mentioned in a previous post (Microplastics. They’re Everywhere), the fibers from the bags are contributing to the Microplastics in our water. If you are using mesh bags for your produce you can wash them with high heat and air dry them for the best results.

Now you are using your reusable bags, but are you washing them? The University of Arizona and Loma Linda University in California found that most reusable bags harbor harmful bacteria. They found 50% of the bags had bacteria and 12% had E. coli. A quick grocery store survey found 97% of shoppers admit they have never washed their reusable bags. So, what’s the big deal? Cross contamination happens when meat, produce and pre-cooked foods are placed in soiled bags. Reusable bags should be washed after every use if they hold meats, produce, or precooked food. Bags used for cleaning supplies or dry goods can go a bit longer.

If you are seriously worried about bacteria in your bags now (sorry for that), a great tip is to label your bags or having specific bags (even color coordinated bags) for meat, produce, dairy, dry goods, and cleaning supplies. Also, don’t leave unwashed bags in your car. The high heat is an incubator for bacteria to multiply. Ew! Another great tip is do not place your reusable bags in the baby carrier section of your cart. This is the MOST contaminated area and can transfer to your clean bags. Use one of the store’s disinfectant wipes to wipe the handlebar of the cart and bring a hook to hook your bags onto the cart to hang, this will also keep your bags all together.

I hope this has answered questions and been a helpful read. If you are interested in my future T-shirt Bag Workshops, check out the Where to Find Me section of my website or go to my event page on my facebook page www.facebook.com/treasurefix . Feel free to drop a comment and tell me something you learned!