Bringing your own bags when no one else does

Going greener when grocery shopping.

(Photo by Geoffrey Whiteway/FreeRangeStock.com)

I recently came across an article on OneGreenPlanet.org that outlines seven ways that we can be "greener" when shopping for groceries. Among the recommendations: Reusable shopping bags.

This is something I've done for years ... but only when I shop at Aldi, which operates under the assumption that customers will bring their own bags. They have plastic bags (and paper, if you prefer) in stock, but they cost extra. That means my grocery bill goes up if I buy them. It's not much, but it feels like money I didn't need to spend.

The story is different at other grocers near my home. They assume I want their bags. They never ask if I've brought my own; they just scan the item and drop it into a sack and move onto the next item on the conveyor belt. It's so convenient. And apparently practically every other shopper in the store feels the same way, because I rarely see a shopper toting his or her own bags. It's so rare, in fact, that the thought of bringing my own bags makes me feel weird.

But that's one of my shopping habits I am vowing to change. Yes, I will still feel weird about it at first, but I've decided I need to get over it, and perhaps in doing so, I will inspire someone else to do the same.