We love reusable shopping bags, but sometimes, it’s hard to remember to take them into the store. I’ve gotten much better about bringing my bags into the grocery store (I only have to run out to the car about once every two months now from the checkout line), but remembering my bags at other stores is a challenge. I usually walk out with my arms full of merchandise and fill my bags at the car.
I really like ChicoBags for shopping at stores, not just the natural food store. They sling over my shoulder (and my kids’ shoulders) easily and ball up nicely to fit inside my purse. Reusable bags are such a simple step we can all take to reduce our carbon footprint, but why is it so hard to remember to use them?
Using ChicoBag’s reusable tote bags reduces waste because they are long lasting and promote reuse. ChicoBag will even recycle your reusable bags when you are done with them. What makes ChicoBags better than many other reusable grocery bags is the compact pouch that is sewn into the seam on the interior of the tote bag. ChicoBags make it easy to carry a reusable shopping tote at all times. Single-use paper and plastic bags are harmful to the environment and use up 32% of landfill space because they can take hundreds of years to decompose. Americans use between 300 and 700 plastic bags per person each year, on average. 100 billion plastic shopping bags are used annually in the United States.
Thanks to Two Knobby Tires, we are giving away four Chico reusable bags to one lucky Eco Child’s Play reader. To enter, simply leave a comment to this post explaining your strategy for remembering to bring your reusuable bags into the store. The winner will be selected randomly from the comments on Wednesday, February 25, 2009. Good luck, and don’t forget those bags!
{ 87 comments… read them below or add one }
I hang mine on the doorknob to the garage and take then out next time. Once I got that habit down, it still took months to remember to take them in the store from the car! I also keep a bag in my backpack for quick shops.
like carrie I put by the door or ontop of my purse..I also have them in the car and the mail out bin
After I unload my bags, I make sure to put them back in my car so they are always there. When I head out to the store, I put them on the front passenger seat so I can see them and I usually don’t forget them.
I keep them in my briefcase along with the club cards that everywhere seems to have these days. Since they come with carabiners they’re easy to hook all to one keyring.
I carry two bags in my purse/bag at all time. For grocery shopping, I have a larger stash, that must be fetched from the trunk. I’ve had great success with always carrying the two bags.
I keep bags on the hook by our front door, a stretch/string bag in my handbag, and extras in the little cubbies in the car doors. We still forget sometimes and that means hubs gets to make a mad dash to the car while I check out! Have small bags to keep in handbags/glove compartments would be awesome!
I keep my bags in the front seat of my car, that way they are alway visible and easy to grab when heading into a store.
My strategy to remember them is I leave them hanging right on our coat hook by the front door. I absolutely love using them, not only for the environmental impact of not using plastic and paper, but because they hold a lot more than plastic and paper. I’d love to win! I have a big family, buy a lot of groceries.
i have two strategies. One, I use my chico bag from my purse to make a purchase, empty it into a larger bag in the car and stuff it back into my purse for the next errand.
Two, when I bring stuff into the house in my chico bag, I empty it and then throw the bag to the floor in front of my door, so when I next go outside, the bags all return to the car.
I have one of those huge purses and you’ll always find reusable bags in there. Unless my dog finds them and starts eating them.
I keep my bags on a shelf near the front door. I have still been known to forget them though. Someday it will become an automatic habit!
keep the ba
I have a bumper sticker on my car that says something like “Ditch the plastic… Bring Your Own Bag!”
So I’m more motivated to remember to bring my cloth bags because it’s embarrassing to be seen loading my trunk with plastic bags with that bumper sticker right there. I feel like a public hypocrite, like I’m being publicly “activist” with the bumper sticker then not following my own advice, not being a good example.
I have other bumper stickers as well, choose fair trade, “Children behave as well as they are treated”, “Babies are Born Potty-Trained”, and Green Party. They’re just as much reminders for ME to keep my philosophies and priorities in mind, as they are to “advertise” or proselytize to others who might read them.
I empty the bags when I get back from shopping and put them right back into the trunk of my car. That way I always have them the next time I shop
The first thing I put on my grocery list is “grocery bags” – although that doesn’t help much if I forget my grocery list too……..
I throw my reusable bags in front of the door, and hope I grab them and get them on the front seat of the car, with my purse. then I have to grab them to bring into the store. Usually I can do both these things, but not always!
Mine live in the back seat of the car! Very handy.
I have all my bigger bags in my trunk, which I’m usually able to remember for grocery shopping. Then I have to that fold up in my diaper bag. The main problem comes when I go shopping without my son/diaper bag, then I have trouble remembering.
I just rely on my memory! I keep them in the house and when I am getting my purse and things ready to go, I (hopefully) remember to grab them as I go out the door. They sit on my seat so I see them easily when I get out of my care at the store. surprisingly, I remember them almost every time!
I don’t have a good way to remember them yet. I am always forgetting them in the trunk! I like the suggestion others have to put them on the front seat of the car.
I put my bags back in the car after unpacking.
I have one small one hanging from my diaper bag and then I have all of the rest of them in my trunk.
I keep mine in my car also, but I make sure that before I leave for the store I place my purse on top of all of them so I have to grab them when I grab my purse. Of course, if I forget to do that, I most likely forget the bags too. I always remember to place them back in the car though! I would love some that would fit in my purse! My bags are over 10 years old and the heavy cotton and canvas ones that do not fold up very small. I won’t give them up for anything though. I just want to keep adding to them.
I always keep my shopping bag in my purse. Its right there when I pull out my wallet to pay.
I keep them on the back of my front door. When I go shopping I have my 4 year old carry them with him in his carseat. He has a better memory the I LOL.
I also keep a couple in the trunk just in case.
My method is to leave them in the car, so if I forget them, I have to go back to the car and get them. If you do that enough times, you start to remember. Thanks for the giveaway!
I keep them in my passenger seat floorboard where I can see them.
I live in an area where driving to the grocery store or farmer’s market is a necessity, unfortunately. So I leave my bags on my car seat. I can’t get into my car with out sitting on them–so you can bet that helps me remember to take them!
I keep my reusable bags in the same place every week. They always make it into car. It is remembering to bring them into the store that is the problem lol. I have had to go out to the car to get them!!
Yes, it’s all about habit. I’m obsessive about putting my reusable bags back in the car the next time I go out after using them. I’m working on remembering to bring them with me when I go to stores other than the supermarket.
I keep mine in the car, right behind the front seat. If I stick them in the trunk then I will forget them.
Like most, I keep the majority of bags in the front seat of my car – to grab with purse & coupons. My one Chico bag has a D ring which I use to clip it to my purse handle, so it doesn’t take up room inside my purse, but rather “accessorizes” the outside
Okay, the times I forget, I make my son run out and get them. Otherwise I put them between the seats to help me remember. The hard part is really remembering to get them down to the car.
I keep my bags in the car and ready to go! I would love to win these smaller ones, as they are exactly what I have wanted to keep in my purse!
I always stuff bags in one big bag to take to recycle
We keep our reusable bags on a hook right by the garage door, so we usually remember to grab them. If we don’t, our 2 year old daughter always remembers!
I leave at least one bag in my purse (more if they’ll fit) and leave the rest divided between our 2 cars. This way, we always have them with us
put a hook on the wall right next to the front door, so i always grab one on the way out.
I leave them in the car, or on the coat hook by the door. But I still manage to forget 75% of the time so I better read the other posts!
We always leave the bags in the car, and it’s become habit now to grab one before we go into the store. we did forget at the beginning tho. And when my fiance goes to throw out the trash, I have him grab the reusable bags and put them in the backseat.:) Thank you so much for offering this giveaway! eyeslikesugar [at] gmail [dot] com
Well luckily I carry a suitcase for a purse. These bags look like they would fit nicely in one of my side pockets of this messenger bag that I converted into my pocket book. This way I’ll allways have these bags with me. Thanks for a great giveaway!
I try to leave them in my car after I use them or put them in my backpack.
i always make sure to have extras in my trunk thanks for the giveaway
With a new baby, I’m thinking those would fit great in the diaper bag. I go few places without it anymore.
Stays right on my ‘little table’ where I always have my purse, glasses and keys…all my essentials for going out.
THANKS
my wife who is the regular grocery shopper has been trying to get more reusable bags
I don’t have any bags yet but I would keep them in my purse so I don’t forget them.
I leave mine all tucked into one bag by the front door. I also try to leave some in each car just in case we forget to bring them.
I always leave them in my car. Once I’m done unloading my groceries, I put them by my purse so I know to grab them and put them back in the car for the next time.
I keep them in the car most days.
gkstratos@yahoo.com
I get to the checkout and think, “D_mn, next time for sure!”
I have a coat hook by my back door and my reusable bags hang right there so I can remember to take them when I shop. Thanks!
I just put 2-3 in my purse that way when I reach for my wallet I grav them and use them! It’s easy for me!! Thanks
I just received a reusable shopping bag. The bad thing is I’m so busy remembering to make sure I have enough diapers and wet wipes in my diaper bag that I forget to grab the new bag. After seeing this post I decided to put the reusable bag in the diaper bag since I know I’ll have this with me every time I go shopping – at least for the next 2.5 years! I’ll have to get a bigger purse after that.
I attach my grocery list to the tote bag and leave it in my van.I won’t go in the grocery store without my grocery list.
I use the carabiner clip on my bag to always have one attached to my purse. Then I just have to be *fast* enough to tell the checker that I have a bag before s/he starts automatically bagging as s/he scans the groceries.
I love my Chico bag! I only have one but keep it on my car keychain. I don’t ever go in a store and forget my Chico bag! They are awesome.
I would love some Chico bags!
I hang mine on the doorknob out of the house, and pop my wallet in on the way out the door – can’t shop without my wallet! I pretty much never forget them now.
I put mine on the front seat under my purse. Or if I have a small enough one I tuck it right into my purse. Otherwise I’ll forget them completely!
I always have one in my purse, otherwise I would forget.
Thank you!
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
I keep mine stashed in the car, up in the front so they’re easy to see and grab. There are some stores that will offer a discount on all reusable bags, so that’s even more incentive to remember them!
After unpacking the bags I always make sure I put them right back in mt car. If I forget them and go into the store then I always make sure that I go back to the car and get them before I go to the cashier. I took a vacation to Alaska and went hiking and even on a unbeaten trail out in the wilderness I found a little plastic bag hanging from the tree that day was the day I decided I would NEVER use another plastic bag when I went shopping
texasgirl(at)rocketmail(dot)com
I carry one in my purse.Then when I pay, I see the bag and remember to use it.
I keep them in the car or by the door to the garage but they need to be small enough to fit in a purse like these ones and then I’d have them all the time
I keep one in my purse and the others in the trunk of the car – I usually remember to take them to the store but if I do forget it’s OK, I use the store bags as trash bags (I don’t remember the last time I actually had to buy some!!)
They go right back out to the truck after unloading everything.
My bags are around the gear shift on the floor. Then I lay my purse on top of them.
I put my shopping list in them – I definitely need the list, so I never forget the bags.
After we use them we put them back in the car!
We have to otherwise we will leave without them.
I keep them in the trunks of mine and my husbands car.
I finally figured this out after forgetting them in the house way too many times. As soon as I unload the bags, I put them in my purse or on top of my purse and put them in the car the next time that I pick up my purse and leave the house.
Thanks for the nice giveaway.
I am still laking in this area. I have every good intention of using the bags, but I have not taken the final plunge. I guess once I start if I leave one in the car, I would never forget one.
thank you
I keep some in my purse and some in my car- we are a large family so always need several.
As soon as I unpack my bags, I put all the extras into one bag and immediately bring it all back out to the car and tuck them in the net behind the passenger seat. It takes an extra 45 seconds to go back to the car, but they are ALWAYS there waiting for me to grab and go with them!
I have one folded small that I always carry in my purse. Thanks for the chance!
as soon as I finish unloading the groceries, I put the reusuable bags back in the car…I take the same car food shopping, so they are always there.
would love to win this, nice bags!
I keep them in my trunk so I never forget them.
I put my grocery list in my reusable bag(s) and I keep them in my car. This way in order to shop from my list I have to have my bag(s).
I use them for wrapping paper for gifts. Share the wealth of knowledge.
I keep our reusable bags in our ‘granny’ utility cart. We don’t own a car in an effort to reduce our carbon footprint and get healthy and walk to the grocery store each day (almost 4 miles there and back), rain, snow or shine. This ensures that we don’t forget our bags! I often keep a spare or two in our stroller as well.
I put My pop bottles in them and return pop bottles and then use them for groceries
I try to go to the store at least twice a week, thus I make my list twice a week. As soon as I make my list, I put it by the bags. Ta-da! I never forget the bags. I even have an extra bag in the car just in case we stop unexpectedly.
I have to keep it in my car.
My strategy for remembering to bring my reusuable bags into the store is to put a sticky note on my car dashboard reminding me about it.
All of the above are great ideas but I use bags in my current favorite bright color! Even if I forget to put it back in my purse or car, the kids and my husband don’t
They instantly find it and remind me to take it with me.
I love using Chico bags. I put the ones I have in all my jacket pockets. I live in Seattle, so more than 75% of the time I wear my jacket into the store, so I always have one to use in each of my 3 jackets. The other place I always have one is hanging from my rear view mirror. People often ask what is that, so I get to sing the praises of my practical little Chico bags.
Keep a few in my car, and one in my purse!