Reusable Poly Bags: Bag It Again, Sam

By Brian Bainscott

Despite their usefulness and popularity, plastic bags often are regarded as a burden to the environment. They are seen as difficult to dispose of and recycle in today's eco-conscious world.

With this in mind, manufacturers have come up with an eco-friendly solution to standard, single-use plastic bags.

Re-usable plastic bags are a handy, wise way to store almost anything. And they're increasingly a popular storage device across the globe.

The grocery market is considered the home of the reusable poly bag. Some grocery markets even sell these bags in a multitude of lovely colors and sizes. They resemble a purse or book bag, and can transport a sizable amount of groceries. They're prettier than paper bags and are easier to use and environmentally friendly than any other variety of bag.

Beyond the supermarket, people like to use their reusable plastic bags in libraries and book shops (where they can carry many volumes, regardless of their size and weight), music and video stores (where you can place the CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes you bought into these convenient bags), as well as clothing and retail stores; these soft, easy to handle bags seem custom made for fabrics and fashions.

When you're away from home, you can use your reusable plastic bag as a picnic basket (it's softer and lighter to carry than the wicker variety), a makeshift laundry bag, or as a variety of purse or satchel that can hold wallets, cosmetics, day planners and address books, combs and hairbrushes, loose change, and other items. These bags are easy to carry and are often very fashionable in appearance.

At home you can use your reusable plastic bag to store any number of things; anything from newspapers and scrapbooks to books and tapes, clothing to toiletries. Instead of placing these items in an old cardboard box that takes up a lot of space, you can store them in a compact, eye-catching bag.

Regardless of your uses for reusable plastic bags, they provide an eco-friendly alternative to single-use bags. This is recycling in its purest, nicest form.

Convenience is another selling point of the reusable plastic bag. You have less trash to take out to the curb, and another ready-made and portable storage space in your house.

The versatility of the reusable plastic bag makes it a very wise buy; instead of making separate purchases of a hand-bag, a picnic basket, and a shopping bag, you can buy a solitary plastic bag of the reusable variety to serve many purposes.

Manufacturers also have come up with various variations on the recyclable bag theme. Restaurants and coffee houses sell reusable cups, in a variety of styles, sizes and designs.

More people are dividing their recyclables into convenient plastic containers, which they position next to their rubbish cans for the purposes of refuse pick-up. And on a daily basis, more people are opting to use handkerchiefs instead of paper tissues, cloth towels over paper towels, etc.

All in all, reusable plastic bags are an efficient, economical and attractive alternative to conventional bagging methods. Should someone ask, "Paper or plastic?" say, "Reusable plastic please! - 30544

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