Have you made the switch from plastic bags to reusable canvas totes for grocery shopping? If not, what are you waiting for?
Need a little encouragement? Consider this:
- The average consumer uses a plastic bag for 12 minutes, but that bag has a life expectancy of up to 1,000 years.
- Globally, the world uses 500 billion plastic bags every year.
- If nothing is done, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish by the year 2050.
The science is sobering…but making the switch from plastic to canvas is an easy swap that can have a profound impact on the environment.
Let’s look at 5 benefits that come from ditching plastic and embracing canvas totes.
1 – Often made from recyclable or sustainable materials
Natural fibers like jute, cotton, and bamboo are reusable, often recyclable, and biodegradable. Using bags made of sustainable materials means, when they eventually break down, no harm will come to the environment.
Other bags are made from fibers created using recycled plastic bottles. Oftentimes, these bags can once again be recycled when they finally wear out…and think of all the plastic bags you’ve avoided using in the interim!
2 – Help Reduce Litter
Can you count the number of times you’ve seen a plastic bag blowing across a parking lot, down a busy street, or being picked up and carried into the sky like the world’s saddest balloon? For most of us it is too many to count.
Using a reusable tote bag reduces the number of plastic bags that are lost in our environment.
3 – Save Trees
It’s not just plastic bags that are the problem. Many well-intentioned consumers request their grocer bag their items in paper, knowing it can be recycled. While this is true, it has led to an increase in paper bag use…which puts a strain on natural resources.
By using reusable totes, you’re reducing the stress on the natural environment and saving trees from a paper bag fate.
4 – Long Lasting
Reusable bags can be used for years before finally wearing down. You can also get more into them than plastic bags, and it’s highly unlikely a tote will tear sending your apples rolling into the parking lot…a situation that’s all too common with plastic bags.
5 – Can Save You Money
Many grocery stores now offer incentives for shoppers who bring their own bags. Some charge a nominal fee for each plastic bag you use, while others offer a rewards program for customers who bring their own shopping totes with them.
Supplying your own shopping totes is a small effort that leads to big environmental savings. While it may seem hard to believe your efforts have such a tremendous impact on the planet, the collective shift that occurs when everyone makes a small change in their personal habits is what leads to global improvement.
So, take along a few reusable bags on your next trip to the market. We think you’ll enjoy the feeling of knowing you’re doing your part to make the world just a little bit healthier.
Written By: Sonia Irani
Director of Marketing | Cooper Industries Canvas PVT Ltd.
Sonia is an experienced marketer who has been working for companies big and small for over a decade. It was not until recently that her sister and inherited a global canvas exporting business from their father that she realised her passion for all things canvas.
She is now on a mission to make the world as eco-friendly as possible – one canvas tote at a time!
Known for her skills and integrity coupled with a positive outlook, Sonia runs Cooper Industries with passion to ensure the Cooper Legacy lives on.