Eco Friendly Shopping Bags

Last summer, the authorities in my Department here in France (kind of the equivalent of a county) decided that grocery stores shouldn’t offer free shopping bags anymore. They apparently felt it was wasteful to give them away. So of course the shops jumped in wholeheartedly, as I imagine they saw they could save a fortune not giving out bags anymore. Prices on groceries didn’t correspondingly go down (or as they say in the US- they didn’t “pass on the savings to you!”). I tried my best not to take bags from the store anyway long before then and had always carried a Longchamp shopper around with me (a Pliage bag). But, for years I used the grocery bags as trash bags in the bathroom trashcan. Last summer realized that was a waste, and just use a cute plastic trash can now that I just have to wash out occasionally. Anyway, a friend gave me a shopping bag that folds into a tiny little rectangle and attaches to my a keychain. I use this bag almost every day when we go to the market to do the day’s shopping. Though I love, love, love this bag, I was just thinking that it could be more chic in appearance, so I started poking around the Internet for alternatives.

I love hippies and granolas as much as the next person. In fact, I grew up in a town full of them and am still a granola at heart. But, I’m not sure why reusable shopping bags have to look so organic. The off-white, unbleached bags are lovely. They are. I love the fact that no bleaching was done. I get it. But I’d love to see aesthetically pleasing bags that are satisfying to look at and inexpensive, so you can buy multiples and everyone can afford to get one. I found this site, www.etsy.com, where everything for sale is handmade, so it’s all really imaginative stuff. I love to see what people have thought up and made- and admire their creativity. Anyway, there are some sweet shopping bags on the site. Here are a few of my favorites:

This lovely little number reminds me of sitting in my grandma’s kitchen eating pie in the summer. It’s got that great 50s vibe going.

This pattern isn’t for the faint-hearted. I love the contrast lining and the long handles. My current shopping bag has short handles so I can never carry it on my shoulder, which can be a bit of a drag.

I like this bag because it reminds me of wallpaper. Perhaps it’s my time spent living in England, but it just makes me think of an English home.

When I started using reusable bags I worried about forgetting them. I did occasionally, but now it’s just second nature to bring them. So buy a few. Or better yet, make your own.