reusable shopping bags - reviewed by the green whore

i have become somewhat of a connoisseur of reusable shopping bags.

i started with a few freebies that my dad got me at farm show over the past few years. usually made from recycled plastic or canvas, with nice long straps. good bags to use. i also got a tote bag from my local farmer's market (i think it was 10 bucks, steep but i figured it was for a good cause) and a bank tote that is nice and long but has obnoxiously short straps.

then weis' started selling their own bags. nice, big and boxy, they are bright green with a globe logo printed on them. pretty strong too. my only complaint is that i wish the straps were a couple inches longer so i could carry them on my shoulder. maybe the newer bags have longer straps now. but it's a very good bag to have.

i bought a couple bags at giant (i'm using their name becos their policy pissed me off). a while back, i took my bags to my local store and was told that after that day, only THEIR bags could be used at the store, not other reusable bags. i pray that they've changed their policy becos their bags SUCK. dark green with their logo, flimsy as a paper gown, with a plastic insert for the bottom, which incidentally cracked and literally disintegrated. luckily i don't shop there often and the times i was there i forgot my bags (no biggy, i only bought a few things, and the plastic bags i got i reuse for lining my small garbage cans). i don't use these bags at all - right now i'm using them for storing the boy's confiscated robot toys as punishment.

then i bought some bags at walmart. they are black, with some smartass green quote printed on them. same size as the weis bags. soft sturdy material. nice long straps to carry over my shoulder. i really like these bags and would make them my favorite except they come from walmart...(i'm a walmart snob).

then i bought a couple bags from target. bright red, with a tree printed on them, made from the same flimsy material as the giant bags. the ones i have stink. there are holes where the stitching perforated the material. i had to do some seamstressing in order to save these bags. i'll admit i bought the cheaper ones, they have bags that are a buck fifty and come in their own little pouch for your purse. next time maybe i'll buy one of these and see if they're better.

i also have a couple of trendy tote bags that i bought at walmart and target that i think are meant to be beach bags. the bags from walmart are yellow and blue with witty "green" quotes on them. they are double lined. i've been using these to carry sunscreen/umbrellas on trips. the blue one was used for knitting when we were in lancaster. shallow straps tho. but i do like these bags.

i got 2 canvas tote bags from target that are ORGANIC. plain cotton bags with witty green quotes on them too. nice straps. i've been carrying one when we go to library. i'm such a green whore. and i'm not afraid to show it either!

i can't say i know how the bags are when they get wet. seems to me i remember my weis bags getting wet in the rain, and they were still pretty strong. i'd guess the walmart bags would be strong when wet. giant and target would prolly rip at the sign of wetness.

i've hauled lots of canned goods and juice and milk bottles in these bags. again, weis and walmart are very good, as are the generic canvas bags and the trendy walmart/target totes.

when hauling messing items such as leaky meat or produce, use bags that can be washed. i use my generic bags for this purpose. if they get bloody or muddy, i can through them in the wash and not care.

so if i were to rate all my bags, this is how i'd rate them (from best to worse):

1. weis/walmart

2. the generic canvas/recycled plastic farm show bags

3. the target/walmart trendy tote bags

4. target bag

5. giant bag


i hope this helps someone out there who's trying to reduce their load of plastic bags. i know it's made a difference for me. what's better yet is that stores are recognizing us. when i first started carrying my own bags i got a lot of funny looks (still happens, now that i think about it.). oh well. label me a green freak. this is one thing i can do to make my planet a little greener. i take my bags everywhere - grocery store, big box store, farmer's market, even yard sale-ing. save some plastic. reuse a bag today!