I’ve noticed an abundance of reusable shopping bags being offered everywhere I go lately. The Massachusetts General Hospital Blood Donor Center handed over an attractive tote after I handed over a pint, the Craft Brewer’s Convention passed out their conference goodies in sturdy beige bags, and every grocery store I visit has cheap bags offered right at the register. Hooray! Perhaps the tide is finally turning.

I’ve found a whole new batch of cute totes and reusable bags that can be used to haul groceries, books, laundry, gifts, lunches and any other smallish-items you might be inclined to carry around. And remember, the easier you make it on yourself to incorporate reusable bags into your life, the easier it will be to make meaningful changes to your actions. So keep grocery bags in your car – you don’t need them in the kitchen! Carry small totes in your purse or bag, and buy the cheap ones when you leave home without your favorites. Remember, you can always give away bags you buy but don’t necessarily love.

If you’re one of those special people who likes to gift their friends with beer, or if you include six-packs as part of your picnic supplies, you might like these Bottle Bags from Reisenthel. These sturdy canvas bags fit up to 9 bottles, and are designed so the bottles don’t tip over or bang against wach other while being carried. These Fair Trade/Fair Labor bags are affordable and can be purchased at Reusable Bags for between $13.50 and $15.00 a piece.

When it comes to Reisenthel products, I also really like the Market Basket. Designed to resemble a basic grocery store basket, these aluminum-frame baskets are designed to carry up to 55 pounds of goods. I have seen people using these baskets at my local farmer’s market, and love the fact that they are structured and supportive enough to carry everything from containers of liquids to bunches of flowers or plants. The colorful patterns help too! You can find these baskets for about $35 on the Reusable Bag site.

Lunch bags don’t need to boring – at least that’s what I discovered when I stumbled on the Built NY website. Crafted from Neoprene (the material used to make most wetsuits), Gourmet Getaway Lunch Totes are insulated lunch bags that will keep your food and drinks cold for about 4 hours after being packed. The bags all have zip closures (so nothing gets in or out!), and are machine washable. Built NY sells the bags in a range of colors and patterns for between $22.00 and $25.00 on their website.

If you’re looking to do away with those plastic sandwich bags in your life,? you might like these funny ReUsies Snack Bags. Developed by a group of moms in Seattle, ReUsies are meant to replace plastic sandwich and snack bags. Both the small snack bags and the larger sandwich bags come in a range of kid-friendly and just plain patterns and colors. These bags are made from 100% cotton, and lined with PVC-free nylon. You can machine wash all ReUsies products, and feel good that by using these bags you’re keeping plastic from ever entering your landfill. The bags are a deal too, especially when compared to conventional plastic baggies that carry so many lunches to offices and schools everyday.

Remember, if you make the process of changing your eco-habits fun and enjoyable, you’ll be more likely to stick to the plan. Carry bags that suit your personal style. Buy enough bags to stash at home, in the car, at the gym, in your office – wherever you think you might need them! I buy groceries while working sometimes, so I try and keep at least 2 bags in my desk drawer there. Reusable bags don’t have to be a burden – with the right colors, the perfect patterns, and a collection of bags suited to your needs, you’ll always be both stylish and eco-chic!

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 at 7:00 am and is filed under Carbon Emissions, Good Ideas Series, Green Buying, Green Gifts, Green Goods, Mainstream and Green, Sustainability. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.