BYOB

BYOB often stands for: Bring your own bottle. But I think we should consider bringing more than just a bottle; we should bring our own bag, jar, and bottle.

Bring your own bag

I doubt this is a new idea for many of you- bringing your own reusable bag so when you are done purchasing products, you have something to carry them home in without using a plastic bag. I do think that although a lot of people have good intentions on bringing their own bags, this is often easier said than done. So here are a few tips:

- put your grocery bags somewhere you will actually remember to bring them. This might include keeping some bags in your car for last minute stops to the store. Some reusable bags come attached to a key chain and are small enough to carry with you.

- in addition to writing down your groceries, write down BRING BAGS.

-you will still forget your bags on occasion; this is a good time to ask yourself if you even need a bag or if you could just carry your items out. When I forget my bags and cannot carry everything, I ask for a paper bag instead of plastic so I can use it in my compost bin.

Shout out to my sister for making these reusable bags for our wedding! Photographed by La Lune Photography

Bring your own produce bags

Okay, so you have got the hang of bringing your own reusable bags (or you are at least trying) but have you considered bringing your own reusable produce bags?! Think about how many bags you end up using when you bag produce: one for lettuce, one for a cucumber, one for apples, one for....whatever. You get the picture. What happens to these bags when you get home? Often times, they are thrown away. Maybe you are reusing them once. I have found those flimsy, small, and plastic bags to be useless and I am so happy to have found a better alternative.

I purchased my first set of produce bags from Amazon at least three years ago. I got 12 bags in different sizes for about $12. I have used these bags at least every weekend and just recently, two of the bags drawstrings have broke. My bags might not be as white or perfect as they were when I got them but for the amount of use they get, they are doing just fine.

Let's do some math. If I have used 12 reusable produce bags each weekend for the last three years... That is 1,872 plastic bags. That is nearly 2,000 plastic produce bags I have saved from ending up in some landfill or the ocean!

I have used these bags for so much more than just holding produce. They have held delicate clothing in the washer, small fruits/ vegetables in my fruit and veggie baths (see my post entitled it's really, all ONE!) and have been used for both buying and storing bulk food products such as oatmeal, nuts, and dried fruit. These same bags have hiked down to the Havasupai Falls with me and served as trash bags, have traveled as dirty laundry bags, and helped organize toiletries. They carry home bagels freshly made from the bakery, organize toys, games, and puzzles. These bags have also encouraged better purchasing habits such as buying the loose carrots rather than the ones already packaged in plastic. They can be washed in the washing machine and the weight of the bag is written on it's tag so the clerk can just charge you for the items inside.

Now, before you jump right onto Amazon and buy a set of your own I would suggest taking a little time to research the bags before you buy them. My first set of bags have served me well, but when they all fall apart their synthetic material and plastic drawstrings will still be left behind. Not to mention the waste created by purchasing and shipping them.

Instead, consider buying produce bags (or making your own!!) that are made from natural materials and don't contain plastic. I found these bags on packagefreeshop.com. They are made with 100% natural cotton, have NO plastic parts, and are completely compostable when and if they fall apart. My only complaint about these bags is they have larger holes making them more difficult to use with smaller bulk items. These bags do cost more than the Amazon bags but they are better for the environment, shipped completely waste free (one of the many perks of packagefreeshop.com) and should last a really long time.

large size bag

Bring your own bottle...jar...container...

Did you know, you can bring your own container to the grocery store? Have you considered purchasing items you buy from the bulk section rather than buying them already packaged? Next time you need to buy a pantry item, stop at the bulk section first. I think you might be surprised by the options and the prices.

But first- bring something to put it all in!

Let's say you are running out of salt. After adding salt to your grocery list, go get a container suitable for storing salt and put that container with your reusable grocery bags (so you don't forget it). Once at the store and in the bulk section, weigh your container before filling it up. Record the weight of your empty container and the PLU number associated with the bulk salt. Next, fill up your container with salt. When it is time to check out, you will need to tell the clerk the PLU number for salt and you will also tell them the weight of the jar so they can deduct that from the total weight and total amount for your item. By doing this, you skipped buying a plastic container of salt, skipped using a plastic bulk bag and little plastic tag, AND your salt is ready to be stored in your pantry.

I know all of this might seem a little overwhelming but I promise the checkout process won't be much different than you are used to. Also, bags are a great conversation starter; the clerk I had today says she can always remember me because of my bags!