Plastic has its benefits; no one would deny that. Few of us, however, are as enthusiastic as the American Plastics Council. One of its recent press releases, titled “Plastic Bags—A Family’s Trusted Companion,” reads: “Very few people remember what life was like before plastic bags became an icon of convenience and practicality—and now art. Remember the ‘beautiful’ [sic] swirling, floating
bag in American Beauty?” Read More

“We have this whole mantra, the three Rs — reduce, reuse, recycle — but we never seem to really consider 'reduce',” Saxby, who promotes cloth bags as an alternative to plastic. By taking the old bag shopping just 11 times, the consumer delivers a lower environmental impact than one single-use plastic bag. Read More

I bought us a number of cloth bags after seeing them at a supermarket in Winnipeg (because that chain is not near us, we rarely go there for groceries). They are quite useful; so far this month, they've been to soccer games (blanket, insect spray, snacks, and water bottle all fit nicely in one), the kid's birthday party (snacks, drinks, clean up supplies), gaming (cookies for the gang, books/DVDs to loan) and, of course, groceries. And, as I've placed them right by the front door, I'm less likely to forget them when I walk to the store. (I will be getting more, I think, to have in the car for those "just in case" trips.) So I have to remember to bring the bags; I had to remember to bring my cell phone and wallet when I got them, so I think I can do this. It's all about making the conscious choice to change, right?