By Luke Stewart, Elizabeth Wilkerson, Stephanie Collins
Good recycling begins with the choices we make at the store, including what to carry our shopping in. When it comes to finding a bag to carry shopping in, there is no perfect solution, but some options are better than others. Reusable bags are the standard for helping to reduce the amount of plastic waste we dispose of, but where do we go from there? How to do we do our part to in the breaking up of this relationship?
The plastic bag sauntered into our lives, whispering sweet nothings that it’s a cheap and easy to produce convenience item. The backs of our hairs raised. We never really considered whether these bags were made from non-renewable resources and would go onto litter our ecosystems with plastic. Even if we were able to shrug of the romance of the plastic bag, what we have committed to is a relationship that is incredibly slow to breakdown and harmful for many animals (and us).
Plastic bags, especially single use bags should be avoided… Easiest bet is to swipe right.

In search for a healthier relationship, we must remind ourselves that a change of skin tends to not go beyond the surface. You see, not all cloth bags are created equal, some are made from natural fibres like cotton and others from synthetic fibres like polyester, which is also plastic. Both are hardy and durable, and you can reuse them for years, if not decades, and can make the initial higher cost a sound investment. Unlike polyester or polypropylene (the plastic used in plastic bags), cotton and other natural fibres are not only renewable resources, but also break down a lot quicker once disposed of. We must choose our relationships wisely.
Cloth bags do come with their own environmental impacts including larger water consumption through farming and resources used during production. Even paper bags require four and a half litres of water to make… though paper bags are easily to recycle. It takes a cotton bag hundreds of uses, or even thousands, in some circumstances to equal the impact of a plastic bag. The more uses you get out of one the lower the impact it has. The more your cotton bag sticks around, the better the outcomes of that relationship are.
Polypropylene reusable bags are the types of bags that say all the right things, but it takes actions to impress this dater). Reusable plastic bags are more durable then single-use plastic bags and require less initial energy and resources to produce than a cotton bag. Of course, these bags are still plastic and if not recycled will become a lasting problem in the environment. If we let these types of bags go after one use, it is even more damaging to the environment.
With so many options, (fish in the sea), it can be hard to pick the right back in a school of choices, but the best bag to use is the one you already own and have a stable relationship with. Reusing a bag from your stash under the sink or in the ‘bag bag’ in your laundry, will always be more sustainable than buying a new one. Sometimes new and shiny cannot replace the dusty old thing that we have got.
Here are 5 tips for remembering your reusable bags:
- Schedule your shopping trips so you know when you’ll need them
- Add them to the top of your shopping list
- Keep them in your car
- Put them under your keys when you’re done unpacking, so you remember to put them back
- Have bags that you like and find easy to use
If you do end up with an abundance of reusable bags there are many ways to reuse them around your home:
- Use for household storage and organisation
- Pack donations for op shops
- Use as an overnight bag
- Use to wrap fragile items when moving
- Create plastic bag yarn for craft projects