Why You Should Use Reusable Grocery Bags?

When shopping at the grocery store, the question of whether paper or plastic is the more environmentally friendly option is often asked. However, a growing trend is for consumers to bring their own reusable bags home. These bags offer numerous benefits, including reducing plastic bag pollution and reducing the effects of plastic on the environment. Plastic bags are harmful due to their production, lack of recyclability, and tendency to end up in landfills. Paper bags, on the other hand, can be recycled and take less time to decompose. They are made from trees or recycled material, which requires less energy to produce.

Conserve Resources

Plastic bags, despite their appearance, have a significant environmental impact due to the energy required to manufacture them, consuming 12 million barrels of oil annually in the US, and consuming 14 plastic bags per mile.

Decrease Pollution

Plastic pollution is devastating, with plastic bags taking 15-1,000 years to break down and only 1% of the 100 billion bags used annually being recycled, resulting in significant annual pollution.

Avoid Recycling Problems

Recycling plastic grocery bags can be challenging due to clogging, difficulty in separation, and drifting. The best option is to take bags to a drop-off center, which can be found at local grocery stores, rather than attempting to recycle them.

Protect Wildlife

More than 100,000 marine animal deaths are caused each year when marine animals mistake plastic shopping bags in the ocean for food. Plastic bags also get snagged in trees, and small animals can become trapped in them, leaving to even more wildlife deaths in the environment.

Enjoy Strength and Durability

Reusable bags are durable, easy to use, and less likely to tear or develop holes. They are ideal for loading and unloading groceries, ensuring purchases survive the trip, and controlling their location and germs.

Save Money

Many stores in the Malaysia now charge customers for plastic bags. While a nickel or dime per bag may not feel like a lot to spend, consider how quickly that adds up for a consumer who uses five or ten bags with each trip to the store.

Repurpose For Other Uses

Reusable grocery bags can be used for a lot more than carrying groceries. A nice reusable bag is essentially a structured tote bag, and can be used for many of the things you’d use a tote bag for. You can pack your lunch in them, use them to carry snacks on a road trip, take books to and from the library, etc.

What Does Sustainable Shopping Really Mean?

Engaging in sustainable shopping centers around conscientiously considering the ecological and societal consequences of our purchases. This entails opting for items, such as clothing, produced from sustainable materials and manufactured through ethical methods. Genuine sustainable brands encompass a comprehensive sustainable business approach. To verify a brand's sustainability claims, you can evaluate their adherence to these essential principles.

How can I shop more sustainably?

i) Wear what you already have

The most sustainable option is always to #WorkYourWardrobe - buy less and wear what you've already got. Being smart with your existing clothes means consuming less, which ultimately saves you money and is better for the environment as it reduces the need for new clothing to be produced in the long run.

ii) Buy better

Fast fashion is responsible for 10% of our global carbon emissions and, as consumers, we have the power to adjust our shopping habits to reduce demand. The fast fashion industry is a major contributor to global carbon emissions, as well as using cheap materials which means that the garments don't last once they reach the consumer and quickly end up in landfill. Buying higher quality garments from sustainable brands will mean your items last longer.

iii) Shop second hand

Opting for vintage or second-hand clothes saves items from going to landfill. It also reduces the energy and resources used to produce new clothes.

And, buying pre-loved has never been easier! Apps like Carousel and Ebay are making buying and selling second-hand items the norm.

iv) Make your own clothes

Get creative and make your own clothes from natural fabrics. Not only can you make something completely unique to you, but you're removing all of the energy and waste generated in the manufacturing process.