by Michael Smoker

Created on: September 06, 2010   Last Updated: September 07, 2010

Reusable shopping bags are becoming increasingly common. Often made of cloth and canvas, they are inexpensive to purchase and offer good value. They are also durable and prevent extra plastic from going to the landfill. Cloth and canvas shopping bags also hold more weight than disposable plastic bags, are more comfortable to carry, can be decorated for self-expression, and can be used for purposes other than carrying groceries.

One good reason to take advantage of reusable shopping bags is cost-effectiveness. Some grocery stores now charge extra for disposable shopping bags. The charge isn't much, but over the course of a year it adds up. A reusable shopping bag can often be purchased at the same store as a disposable bag. It pays for itself over about a month or two of using it to carry groceries, and can last more than two years, resulting in money saved.

Being made of sturdier materials than disposable bags, reusable shopping bags can hold more weight. This is useful to those who want to minimize the number of bags they carry back from the grocery store. Unlike paper bags, reusable cloth and canvas bags almost never break. Unlike plastic bags, they are almost never cut or ripped by content that has sharp edges.

Disposable paper bags must be carried underhand to avoid having them break, which is awkward for some people. Plastic bags have thin handles that cut into your hands if you're carrying something heavy. Cloth and canvas bags, on the other hand, have wide, soft handles that are much easier on the hands.

Although most reusable bags come with a logo already on them, they can be decorated with buttons, pins, stitching, and additional designs. It is also possible to make your own reusable bag with your own design if you know how to sew, and the cost of materials is even cheaper than the cost of a pre-made bag.

Reusable shopping bags also make great bags for clothing, books from the bookstore or library, carrying cooked food to social events, or simply as inexpensive substitutes for a purse or clutch bag. A homemade or well-decorated clutch bag can be every bit as stylish as an expensive storebought bag, and much less costly.

The obvious reason to use canvas or cloth bags rather than disposable paper or plastic ones is to avoid having the bag go into a landfill following a single use. There are, however, many other reasons that make reusable shopping bags the smart choice.

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