Product Spotlight Series #20 - Organic Cotton #GiveAShit Tote Bag
If you’ve ever researched how to begin eliminating plastic from your daily routine, many bloggers and zero-waste ‘gurus’ list many of the same tips and tricks… one of which is switching from plastic bags to reusable totes when shopping. It is an easy change to make - it only requires the acquisition of a fabric tote and the ability to remember to take it to the store (pro tip learned from experience: leave it in the car so you don’t forget it)!
Now you can get a reusable bag virtually anywhere. Many stores now offer them near checkout aisles and it’s a popular item to sew/craft for online stores on websites like Etsy. So I feel that a specific bag is unnecessary to recommend - I simply chose this Organic Cotton #GiveAShit Tote Bag from Package Free because it supports one of my favorite stores and is made from organic material!
This product is super straightforward - made in the USA from organic cotton, 16” width x 15.5” height x 5” base, and only $10.00! But my favorite part is the sassy statement and simple design!
So why even bother? Well, take a look at some of these not-so-fun facts from the Center of Biological Diversity:
- Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture.
- The average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year.
- It only takes about 14 plastic bags for the equivalent of the gas required to drive one mile.
- It takes 500 (or more) years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. Unfortunately the bags don’t break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.
I don’t shop often but when I do, I need to make the commitment to use fabric totes!
What about you? Do you use reusable bags? Why/why not? Comment below?
First photo from Pexels and used under the CC0 license. Second photo and product information from PackageFree. Statistics from the Center of Biological Diversity.
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Yes! This is so lovely! I actually remembered reusable bags for probably the first time the other day. This year I refuse plastic and waste!
It is really quite unbelievable that plastic bags haven’t been banned years ago! Great post 👍
I have been using fabric bags since the 90s. And most of my really old canvas ones are still going strong! It's the newer, cheaper, often-given-as-freebies ones that break (of course!). Because nowadays you get so many, as gifts from nonprofits (just got another one from MSF/DWB the other day), or as store promotional items, I have way more bags than I regularly use. It's kind of a goal of mine, since I have been downsizing belongings and want to get a tiny house, that by the time I move, I won't need to acquire moving boxes. I'll have gotten rid of so much, between permanent storage things I already have like bins and all the cloth bags, I can just pack in those. 😂 We'll see if I get there!
It's amazing that this super simple idea isn't a societal staple...One day it will be...
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Hi, Do You Know We Love You and Everything You Do.
Thank you for spending your time on the STEEM Network.
We resteemed your post! We Love You!!
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Check out the great posts @WeLoveYou has recently featured.