How many plastic bags do you think you use each week when you go grocery shopping?
I used to get around 10 a week from our supermarket, but for the past 5 years, I've been using my own reusable shopping bags made from old sheets.
Until this year, I kept those bags in my car, but frustratingly there were several times I forget the bags and left them in the car when I went to do my food shopping.
My solution? A secret compartment in the bottom of my handbag where I keep my shopping bags so I never forget them!
Of course I had to design and make the handbag - and used my favourite thing to sew with - a pair of jeans; so the handbag is also very sturdy.
It even has side pockets with some eco-friendly produce bags for the few pieces of fruit and veg I occasionally buy from the supermarket rather than the local weekend market.
Now I use this handbag all the time and never forget my reuseable shopping bags. I also keep a couple of handibags in there for times when I do a bigger then usual weekly shop!
Each year, by using my own custom made reusable bag set, I avoid the use of around 500 plastic bags! And that's just my little family!
Imagine if everyone used reusable bags for their weekly grocery shopping - what a lot of single use plastic bags wouldn't be needed and wouldn't then be left to pollute our environment and endanger our amazing animals!
So if you'd like to make your own set of shopping bags - you can buy my ebook which contains full photo tutorials for all of these bags, including the handbag.
Wouldn't this make a great gift for someone who sews and cares for the environment for Christmas?
You could even package it up with a pair of old jeans to get them started!
This e-book is available for free download by clicking the following link:
Jill
Thank you for this post! I am very sensitive towards plastic bags you keep getting in shops. From January 2016 on it's forbidden in shops in The Netherlands to give away plastic bags for free and it's not a minute to soon!
ReplyDeleteOh that's great that The Netherlands are stopping giving out plastic bags in shops. I wish it would happen here. One of our big stores tried for a while to charge people, but apparently so many people complained they started giving them out for free again! So frustrating!
DeleteThis is a very clever idea. You are very creative! I try to remember my own bags which I manage to most of the time. Hmmm, I wonder if my Mum might like that book? I'll have to try and remember to ask her and then remember to come back here!x
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Kezzie!
DeleteThe secret compartment is just brilliant. I am ALWAYS forgetting to return my shopping bags to the car. You continue to be awesome every dang day!
ReplyDeleteAw thanks Mich!
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