apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I, too, found myself with unused, unwanted or unloved reusable bags. I now use those bags to pack up anything that is being given away to charity. The last few went to the pet shelter, along with mis-matched plastic food storage bins ("tupperware"), the forks and knives that my local take-out place insists on giving me and some old linens.

After I dropped everything off, and was across the room, looking at the kittens play, I heard one of the employees exclaim, "All this? And the bags, too?"

:)

Same thing happened to us. Way too many, some hardly used once. We started giving them to people we know did not use them, but that probably would if given the option. So far it seems to be working, we're 3 for 4.

I try to keep one in my office, a few in the car, and the rest at home so I can have some on hand for any store run.

A slight modification of HMR's comment: I don't have this problem yet, but I have previously made pretty bags, and filled each with "overnight" items, like toothpaste, a toothbrush, a comb, a few hair ties, as well as some clothes and toys to donate to women's shelters. Everything someone could need in one pretty little sac.

I sort of wish I had this problem. Want to send me some of your bags? ;)

start carrying an extra bag. next time you're at the grocery store & see that the person behind you doesn't have a bag, give them the extra one.

i love the logo-nice and materialistic!

My coop has a bin for used bags. After some friends and family gave us a few dozen reusable bags, I just dropped them in the bin at the coop.

I took my extras to a local store and gave them to other patrons who weren't carrying reusable bags.

Ha! I have this problem too. Only mine stems from forgetting to put the bags in my trunk so I end up (sometimes) buying another one since they're so cheap! Hm, think I'll go round them up and stick them in my trunk right now...

I always keep mine in the car, and bring one when I go shopping anywhere (even if I think I only need one thing). Unwanted extra bags are given to friends or to charity, and I now decline free bags given away at events so I don't wind up with extras in the first place (I've never bought a reusable bag - all of mine were trade-show freebies).

I use them as gift bags. In fact, I now keep an eye out for particularly nice looking ones just for that purpose.

bexsa, that was my thought too! Not the best logo for a "green" product.

Oooh I hate that. We have just the right amount now, luckily. We got them from our local transit lost and found sale.

It bothers me that every single store has taken it upon themselves to sell their own reusable bag, basically for the advertising benefits. Especially the large grocery stores. I mean, the mainstream emergence of reusable bags is great... but not if it means that we have created a whole new industry to consume from.

It would be nice if the bags sold in the grocery stores were at least made out a shipping byproduct. Maybe it would be an added reminder that our food travels and encourage people to buy local.

My bag issues predate my use of reusable grocery bags, so of course I had quite a collection before I realized I had more than I could ever use.

I brought all my extras (and a few non-grocery bags too) to work to share with my coworkers, and it seemed to go over really well. It started the reusable bag conversation, I've seen a number of my bags in action since then. I did this a few years ago too when I had collected more interesting thrift store coffee cups than I could ever use, and I still see them on desks around the office.

I totally have this problem. I have been relying on my canvas totes for over half my life and seem to acquire more from conferences or people thinking I want more since I always have at least one with me. I end up with a tote bag of extra totes from time to time. They come in handy though. When house guests come over for big meals and they bring containers to take leftovers... pop them into a bag. Someone needs to borrow a few items... pop them in a bag. Shipping products that need a little more fabric around them... bag.

For me the big issue is all these stores now making cheap bags (instead of cotton cloth) and people dumping them on me. I prefer heavy cotton because these cheaper ones are harder to give away.

Check with your local food banks. Some of them are trying to go greener by having their clients bring their own reusable bags. Better yet, fill the bags with food (like tuna, chile, peanut butter) and donate them that way!

I used Ikea's big blue bags for hauling supplies and even demolition debris up and down the stairs. We even lowered them off the balcony. Those suckers saved my sanity. I have twice driven to Ikea just to purchase more as mine always disappear.

Also, If you happen to be near water, the canvas bags are always extremely appreciated at marinas. For the live-aboards, I leave my extra canvas bags in the dock locker rooms and showers. They are always gone the next day.

I used to work at a food bank and we would give reusable totes to families at our distributions. They could use these each week instead of paper or plastic bags. Call your local food bank to check, and throw a few cans in when you go because if you can afford it there is a family, senior citizen or disabled person who can use it!

I also use the more decorative ones as reusable gift bags.

Check with your local library- they may be able to use them. We are constantly handing patrons plastic bags, but would rather see more of the re-usable bags coming in and out. With budgets the way they are none of us can hand out free re-usable bags, as much as we would like to.

I have the same problem, since I live in Germany and plastic bags cost 15-20 cents at stores. I have, in the meantime, reverted to always carrying a collapsable nylon bag which is perhaps not as good for the environment as the cotton ones but I make up for it by not owning a car and hence not having a trunk to stash my totes in. I love these babies (and they carry more and are easier to hold) and if i have two in my purse, i never need to purchase a plastic bag on my frequent on-the-way-home shopping trips.

As for the extra thousands of cotton bags i have, I use them for everything: packing luggage (undies,shampoo) organizing (cables, wrapping supplies, party favors, potatoes). I even have one hanging by a nail in my cleaning closet to hold clean rags. Be creative! And if they are really beaten up and holey, make a rag rug or use them as cleaning cloths!

I use them to organize stuff in my freezer. It's a chest type freezer and I'm a small person, so it was hard to get to the stuff at the bottom. That is, until I got the idea of storing stuff in canvas bags. Now I can pull up a bag by the handles and find whatever I want.

I also hang them on hooks in my pantry for storing potatoes and onions. It keeps them dry and aerated, but out of the light. The mess is contained in the bags, which are washable.

Every time I go to Ikea I usually come home with a couple blue bags. They're great for hauling laundry and especially useful when moving for carrying random stuff like clothes, paperbacks, random light and non-breakable stuff. I've found that they're better than boxes because they're more durable and it's easier to carry stuff cause I have weak, girly arms. And they don't take up much space.

I have donated a few to Goodwill, I just pack them with clothes or whatever and drop off the whole thing.

so, I have a reusable bag-related problem...

my roommate refuses to use them! she's never acquired her own, but no matter because I have some as well as a rolling cart (we walk to the grocery store). I have said on several occassions that she's welcome to use them and the cart, but she never does. and it's not that she's just stopping off on her way home from work-- she'll come home and leave again and reappear with armfulls of double-bagged plastic. we have a bin where we keep any plastic bags we acquire to try to reuse in some way, but lately she's started just throwing them in the trash.

I'm really rather stunned that she keeps using plastic. we're not all that close, though, so bringing it up in a manner more direct than suggesting she use my canvas bags may seem meddling and nagging (but maybe I just need to suck it up!). any suggestions?

Well, I've always had a thing for tote bags, so this is a "problem" of long standing with me.

Re: the blue IKEA bags, I have found them to be great for car camping, because they are translucent, and the shape seems well suited to keeping me organized in a tent.