• Make the commitment to change! DUH
• Have bags on the ready – in your car and your significant other’s car, by your back door/garage, in your office, at your friend’s house. If they are around when you need them – you’re more likely to use them! Start with just using them at the grocery store then move on to carrying a bag into other stores or to the mall. Smaller foldable types fit nicely into your purse until you need them.
• If you go to a store and forget your bags – make yourself walk out and get them out of your car before you shop. If you do this a few times – you’re more likely to remember them the next time! For just a few items, skip the bag. (I’ve actually even checked out at the register and had them put the stuff back into the cart, then walked to the car and bagged them up right there!)
• Once you use your bags, immediately fold them up and return them to where you store them. (Having a lot of bags on hand is helpful here – because if you own 20 assorted bags and use 10 but forget to put them back – you still have 10 left in the original spot!)
• Forgive yourself when you mess up and fail on any of the above challenges. Start over again immediately! Succeeding 50% of the time is still better odds for the planet than if you never try!
• Get other people in on the act. Sometimes it’s easier to walk the walk when you’re recruiting others to the mission field as well. Kids are great resources for keeping you focused! The bags are inexpensive so buy some and give them to others – use the pass it on theory and there’ll always be a bag around when you need it.
• Finally, shop in stores that offer reusable type bags. Support stores who offer incentives to you for using them. (Target gives $.05 back to you off your total when you bring your own bag). Incentives act as a positive reinforcement and we all need that!

Back in the day when my sister and I were dreaming of what a better place the world would be if we could only supply all consumers with reusable bags, we launched a search for the perfect bag. This initially meant we were looking for the perfect fabric. The best fabric to us, was first and foremost, a fabric that the everyday shopper could afford. We know that to the uber ‘green’ sect – our bags are not pure as the driven snow. Non-woven polypropylene is a man made product – not exactly in the same category as 100% cotton or canvas. We’ll admit that using a petroleum based product doesn’t sound as awesome carrying around something like jute or canvas BUT organic fabrics tend to be expensive and not likely to be purchased or used by the general masses.

We love that Brown to Earth Bags are sustainable – a product that can be reused for many purposes. We also love that our bags are durable, washable and recyclable. What we loved most of all was that our eco-friendly wholesale bags are affordable! If you want the masses to change their evil ways of accepting a river of plastic (or paper) bags while shopping – you’ve got to offer a great bag at awesome prices.

I know, I know you have some bags but forget them at home when you go to the store… it’s okay – even if we only use them 50% of the time – it still helps! The savvy shoppers I know keep their reusable shopping bags in the car so they’re there when you need them. (Also: fitness experts agree that it’s okay to walk BACK out to the car to retrieve those bags!)

Here at Brown to Earth Bag Co. – we specialize in reusable, sustainable bags. While not canvas, our bags are durable, washable, and recyclable. We can help you create the perfect personalized bag to reflect your group’s identity. We love helping our planet by providing customizable and sustainable bags that can be used again and again. Check us out and allow us to help you with your bag needs!