How green can you get?

So you bring your own bags to Whole Foods and occasionally shop at the farmers market. Congratulations! I think we can all do a little better. For one thing, I feel like a big hypocrite at the supermarket when I stuff my cute canvas totes full of plastic produce bags. Yes, I realize I could place the fruits and vegetables loose in my cart while I crisscross the aisles but that is neither sanitary nor efficient. Have you ever tried separating plums, peaches, tomatoes, avocadoes and onions into neat little piles as they pass over the conveyor belt only to have the cashier get totally overwhelmed? I don’t need to prolong the already tedious process of checkout, thank you.

No matter where you shop today, you are bound to walk out with a reusable shopping bag. In fact, my closets are full of them and while I have put many to good use, I don’t need another black patent bag from Scoop. I need specific types of bags designed for functionality that will solve my practical dilemmas and make me feel like less of an eco-friendly imposter. So I’ve assembled what I think is a complete arsenal of green satchels that will reduce our dependence on plastic.

1. Reusable Produce Bags $16 for pack of 4 – The answer to my produce bag prayers! They are perfectly see-through for easy content identification at checkout and because they are made of breathable, recycled mesh they keep fruits and vegetables fresher longer. Buy some at bagthehabit.com.

2. Get Hip Skull Bag $5.99 – Just a cool, lightweight reusable bag that you can have on hand for the impromptu shop. More importantly, when you buy one at ecobags.com a donation is made to The Green Ambassadors, a high school eco-ed program.

3. Lunchskins Sandwich and Snack Bags $7.95 to $9.95 – The perfect pouch to carry around my healthy snacks. You can also use them for dog treats, pacifiers, baby toys and your kids’ lunches. They are dishwasher safe (love!) and free of the chemicals found in plastic and aluminum. You can buy them at blueribbongeneralstore.net, which also carries Lunchbots (stainless steel lunch and snack containers) and their own produce bags. One stop shopping!

4. Eco Garden Tote $32 – Made of repurposed Cambodian rice bags, these large, sturdy bags can handle all your heavy groceries. The six exterior pockets are great for checkout line organization and will help speed up unpacking at home. You can buy one at globalgirlfriend.com, which “sources woman-made, fair-trade imported, eco-friendly products to help Cambodian women and their families gain economic security”.

5. Folding Recycling Bags $16 for set of 3 – The best thing about these industrial-strength waterproof bags is that they are not the standard bulky bins, which are not only heavy on their own but impossible to carry out to the curb (or trash chute for all you urbanites). Problem solved – here is a recycling system that is lightweight and has handles. Genius! Buy them at Gaiam.com.

Goodbye plastic, hello eco-friendly organization!

xoxo Melina