Whole Foods Markets from New Jersey to Virginia began giving away one free reusable bag per customer yesterday to encourage shoppers to “BYOB” – Bring Your Own Bag.
The bag had already caught my eye, not only because it’s so cheerful and colorful, but also because it’s made from 80% post-consumer waste. Plus, it’s got a washable surface and actually seems more ample inside than the standard paper grocery bag.
I asked Lillian Buie, marketing manager for the Whole Foods where I shop in Silver Spring, MD, what the give-away meant for the store’s use of paper and plastic bags.
“As of Earth Day 2008 (April 22, 2008), we won’t be bagging food in plastic anymore,” she said. Paper bags (made from 100% recycled paper, and totally recyclable) will remain an option for customers who don’t bring their own bags, and the store will still provide plastic for bagging produce, meats and fish. But plastic grocery bags will be gone.
Even if you miss the free giveaway, these bags are worth buying. At only 99 cents per bag, you can’t go wrong (I’ve already bought three). And every time you use them, you’ll get a 5 cents/per bag refund on your grocery bill. The bags will pay for themselves in no time.
Thumbs up, Whole Foods.
MEMORY TIP: BTW, if you have trouble remembering to take reusable bags to the grocery store, try this: after you unpack your groceries, put all the bags inside a main bag, and put the main bag with your car keys. The next time you go to your car, take the bags and toss them in the back seat or the trunk. The bags won’t clutter a kitchen cupboard or closet, and you’ll always have reusable bags when you shop.
15 thoughts on “Free Reusable Bags at Whole Foods”
I am waiting for the day when the shops in the US start charging the 5 cents for providing bags! Now that move sure will get more people getting their own bags.
So I take it you don’t like single-use bags? What a bunch of Bag Monster Busters! There’s a blog for people who want to be entertained and informed about the bag crisis: http://www.BagMonsterBusters.com
Nobody seems to want us around anymore… It’s hard being a Bag Monster in the Age of Bag Bans! I can’t even get a job because of convenient reusable ChicoBags.
For a good laugh (at my expense), and the latest info on Bag Bans with an entertaining twist, go to my blog: http://www.BagMonster.com
A blog illuminating one Bag Monster’s story of freedom and oppression…
I was in Australia 2 years ago for a month and at the markets I visited you were charged for single-use bags. So I quickly purchased their reusable bags. These bags are durable and made of heavy fabric and have a flat bottom so that they stand up while you pack your food. Back in the USA I finally found a place that sells an almost identical bag – the website is: http://www.gethipgetgreen.com. These bags cost a little more but they will last longer than the flimsy bag I purchased at one of our local markets. I keep my bags in the back of my car so they are always available. Michele
I have been using my own basket (for heavy things like cans) and net and canvas bags for about a year and I love it – it makes so much more sense! But what peeves me the most are cashiers and baggers who freeze when I ask them to use my bags instead of the store’s plastic bags. I even caught one bagger putting the groceries into plastic bags and then putting the pastic bags into my bags! And this store sells their own branded, reusable bags…
I just read that paper doesn’t bio-degrade in land fills any faster than plastic so if it isn’t re-used and re-cycled it does not matter. My thought is:what about all those plastic produce bags!?? Why isn’t anyone talking about them?
Good point on the plastic produce bags. I have a couple of small mesh bags for exactly that purpose. The marketing director at my Whole Foods told me they’re going to start selling reusable mesh bags sometime soon.
Fascinating, specially the bit about 80% post consumer waste. I manufacture bags but have not come across any such fabric and would love to know about it and its antecedents.
Please share whatever information you can about this with me.
My thanks and regards, Rajiv
I Been Looking High & Low For Those Reusable Mesh
Grocery Bags(Red Color)To Giveaway At A fIRE Show &
Muster Event, Our 37th Year, All Proceeds Benefit
Handicap Children,Camp Happiness Located In Milford
CT. IF We Had Those Reusable Mesh Grocery Bags,I Would Advertise Showing Many People ,plastic bags
are out,And There’s A New Bag In Town ,Better For
Our Community,Better For Our Enivronment,Let’s Clean Up America.
My best suggestion is to check out the options at http://www.reusablebags.com. Good luck!
I don’t live near a Whole Foods, but would like to purchase one of these bags. Would you, or anyone out there be willing to purchase 2-3 for me – I would pay you for them – and send them to me?
The Earth has been facing immense pollution from our garbage and consumption. The latest deadly pollution is plastic bags that fill up the landfills. With plastic bags becoming a growing concern, cotton canvas bag has become the new way to help stop the pollution.
With plastic bag pollution being a rising concern, many shoppers need to start using reusable cotton canvas bags in order to stop the pollution.
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I have a couple of small mesh bags for exactly that purpose. The marketing director at my Whole Foods told me they’re going to start selling reusable mesh bags sometime soon.
it makes so much more sense! But what peeves me the most are cashiers and baggers who freeze when I ask them to use my bags instead of the store’s plastic bags.These broken down elements cause sickness and destruction to the air, soil and water system.
Good to see that Reusable Bags at Whole Foods,i have 2 or three Reusable Bags right now.
Hi all,
My best suggestion is to check out the options at http://www.reusablebags.com. Good luck!!!
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