Reusable shopping bags of all shapes and sizes have become a way of life for most of us, but the problem comes in when we end up with piles and piles of them littering our homes. The irony sometimes is, even though we have many many bags at home, sometimes when we need them, they are nowhere to be found! (Can anyone relate? Or better yet, can everyone relate!)
So how can we keep these bags from cluttering our homes and ensure that they are available to us when we need them? With a few simple tips we will be on the road WITH our bags in tow but WITHOUT household clutter!
Not all bags are created equal
A friend of mine and I had an interesting conversation this summer, and it was centred around the fact that not all of these reusable bags deserve the ‘reusable’ name. I don’t want to call out any specific companies or brands, but I have a plethora of bags that are of poor quality, barely warranting two uses let alone multiple. They break and don’t hold very much and to me, are in the disposable category. I avoid these poor quality bags like the plague and if for some reason I find myself with them, I typically find a different use for them. However, what I don’t do is let them pile up and take up space in my home – use them in some way or return them from whence they came before you find yourself with multiples littering your home and car.
Keep the good and get rid of the bad
This statement is true of so many things (reusable bags, friends…but I digress); only keep the reusable bags that are of good quality and also, only keep what you need. This may come as a shock, but you honestly only really need 5-6 bags (depending on size) to be able to cover your shopping needs. I have invested in some good quality bags (and by investing I mean an investment of maybe 10-15 dollars per bag) and they have lasted me many years and are still in excellent shape. PRO TIP: keep these bags in your car at all times. Sure, you need to bring them in after a shop to unload but make a point of putting them right back in your car, or I promise you, they will not make it there. I cannot tell you the number of times I have not had my handy bags on hand – too many – so I literally walk these bags back to the car each time, and it is a walk well worth taking.
Don’t be afraid of culling and getting rid of them
I know I know – but they are reusable! These bags take a beating and won’t last a lifetime, so when they are done, throw them out and replace them. If you feel guilty for just tossing them, use them as a garbage liner but when they have run their course, replace them so that you have good working bags to use for your shopped items.
Clutter can come in many shapes and sizes and even though we don’t always think of reusable bags as creating clutter, they can and do so keep them to a minimum and happy shopping!
Avery Rich
Avery hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba, with a background in both law and yoga! As a long time Yoga Instructor, she hosts the Journey Into Yoga podcast, a show which explores and demystifies a different yoga posture each week. A true believer in creating space in our bodies through yoga, her Declutter U newsletter is designed to provide tips and tools on how to create more space in our lives by decluttering.
