cotton canvas tote bag:5 Things You Didn’t Know About Reusable Shopping Bags

Who doesn’t love reusable shopping bags?

They’re eco-friendly, they’re easy to carry, and you can match them to your outfit. They’re everywhere – from grocery stores to big-box retailers – but they seemingly came out of nowhere. Here are five things you didn’t already know about reusable bags.

reusable shopping bag1. They’re Green

Did you know about 1,000,000 plastic shopping bags are used every single minute? That’s incredible. These bags can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade and scientists say paper bags (and any one-time use solution) is just as bad for our natural resources. The solution lies in reusable shopping bags that last for months and even years, preferably made from post-consumer recycled materials.

2. They’re Dirty

Only 3% of shoppers say they regularly wash their reusable shopping bags but in lab tests over 95% of all bags tested showed dangerous levels of bacteria. E.coli, salmonella, and even the dreaded Norovirus can live within the fibers of these bags, so wash them frequently.

3. They’re Long-Lasting

Did you know that just one reusable grocery bag can take the place of over a thousand plastic bags in its lifetime? That’s a lot of trash! And since about 14% of America’s natural gas goes towards producing plastics, it’s a switch worth making.

4. They’re Great Marketing Tools

Do you own a business, run a swim team, or want to get more people interested in a particular charity? Custom printed reusable shopping bags are a lot cheaper than you think and they come in a dizzying array of colors and styles. Many bag printers can replicate your exact logo and some even offer side-gusset printing which allows you to print down the side of the bag, too.

5. They’re Better than Bans

News reports about plastic bag bans are a dime a dozen but in fact, it’s actually more time-intensive and costly to enforce the bans than it is to just give out reusable bags!