When it comes to reusable bags, I don’t care what my bags look like or where I got them. As long as they can hold my groceries so that I don’t have to take paper or plastic bags when I checkout, I’m happy. Others may feel a bit differently. To them reusable bags should be aesthetically pleasing or perhaps they want them all to match. It’s in the latter scenario that I imagine most people are purchasing a supermarket’s reusable bag, and I must admit–some of them are quite pretty. The bags that Whole Foods is selling, now that it has banned plastic at the checkout counter, are fun and colorful as are the bags I’ve seen in my local SuperFresh, which is part of the A&P company.
As far as supermarkets go, you can’t judge its environmental mission by its reusable bags, but you can give it props for trying. For example, Kroger (where I would grocery shop when we lived in Michigan) just announced a “Design a Kroger Reusable Shopping Bag” contest. You don’t have to be a Kroger customer to enter, but it probably makes sense: the winner gets a $500 Kroger gift card. The 10 runners up each receive a free reusable bag featuring the winning design.
It’s not like Kroger is waiting for the winning design to begin offering reusable bags. You can already pick them up in the store (if you’re so inclined to pay for them), including an insulated bag (it costs $2.99). Now that’s a great idea for ensuring your perishables don’t, well, perish on the drive home.
Are you aware of other supermarkets offering these kinds of contests? I’d love to hear about them and maybe feature something about them here–especially if it’s a supermarket near you. Then others who live in your geographical area could consider entering the contest and, who knows, they might win something cool like that $500 gift card.
READ LEAH ON HOME GOES STRONG
When I used to order from Market Day (school fundraiser), they gave a freebie of an insulated bag. I loved it, especially during the warmer months, since so much of their food was frozen.
Wholefoods gives out a new canvas bag on the first day of the Collingswood Farmer’s market every year…which is Saturday. You’ll see people carrying them around town for the rest of the year.
I stock up on canvas bags at Book Expo America, the annual big book conference where bags are given away so you can carry sample books.
There’s always one ‘hot bag.’ Last year, it was a toss up between Harry Potter and Puff the Magic dragon. The year before was Captain Underpants. My favorites so far are Cambridge University Press and Rodale. Too bad I won’t be going this year!
I found your post because I recently wrote about frugal green shopping bags and was poking around to see what others had to say about the topic. Now, I and my reusable bags are regulars at Whole Foods. But I have to confess that I felt a little disgusted when I went through the checkout recently and they were selling $40 shopping bags. They had “feed the children” or something printed on them in big letters, and they claimed that some percentage of the proceeds would go to feed children. Now of course I’m all for feeding children, but still… I’m with you on this one. My reusable bags are more about practicality and function, rather than being “lifestyle accessories”!