When professional home organizer Britnee Tanner visits her clients, she often spots extra reusable bags buried under the kitchen sink or stuffed in a corner of the pantry.
asserted
she → visit → pantry
“They just are sneaky,” said Tanner, who lives in Salt Lake City.
asserted
who → say → City
“I purchased a handful of these and then somehow I’ve collected ones I’ve never purchased, and I don’t really know where they’ve come from.
asserted
they → purchase → where
Reusable totes are intended as durable alternatives to single-use plastic bags.
asserted
totes → intend → bags
But it’s easy to accumulate too many, from freebies at events to giveaways at the grocery store.
asserted
it → ’ → store
The environmental impact of a reusable bag is relatively small, so ending up with a sizable stash isn’t a significant problem.
asserted
ending → end → stash
Still, paring down can declutter cupboards and lead to a smaller collection that’ll actually get used.
asserted
that → par → collection
“You don’t want an entire closet of reusable bags,” said sustainability scientist Shelie Miller with the University of Michigan.
asserted
Miller → want → Michigan
“You want well-loved reusable items, and that’s really what gives the environmental benefit.
asserted
what → want → benefit
Reusable bags are helpful but can accumulate
Single-use plastic grocery bags aren’t meant to last.
asserted
bags → accumulate → ?
They become urban tumbleweeds or break down in the environment, releasing harmful microplastics.
asserted
They → become → microplastics
Single-use plastic shopping bags are banned across 12 U.S. states, and several more cities and towns have instituted their own initiatives, including bag taxes.
asserted
cities → ban → taxes
As a result, many people stock up on reusable bags made from canvas, cloth or thicker plastic.
asserted
people → stock → canvas
A few solid, durable bags used for errands or groceries can stand the test of time.
asserted
bags → use → time
Environmental economist Kimberly Oremus uses hers for up to a decade.
asserted
Oremus → use → decade
But whether we intend to or not, additional bags of various shapes and sizes worm their way into our homes.
asserted
bags → intend → homes
Just like any product, reusable bags require energy and resources to make — like the water that’s used to grow cotton.
asserted
that → require → cotton
Researchers have found that the number of times a bag needs to be reused to offset the environmental cost of its production varies widely based on what the bag is made of.
asserted
bag → find → what
There isn’t a magic number of uses to strive for, but durable bags that look and feel thicker tend to accrue more environmental debt than flimsy plastic totes and need to be reused more times to pay it off.
asserted
that → be → it
Reusables “are generally good for the environment, with the caveat that they have to be reused,” said Miller.
asserted
Miller → reuse → caveat
Save your best reusables and donate the rest
The simplest way to cut down on a reusable bag supply is to avoid getting new ones.
asserted
way → save → ones
But life gets in the way, and people get stuck at the store empty-handed.
asserted
people → get → store
When Oremus forgets to bring a reusable bag to the store, she asks the employees if they have any empty cardboard boxes for her to use.
asserted
her → forget → boxes
“If you forget it, it’s not the end of the world,” Oremus said.
asserted
Oremus → forget → world
She tries to use her reusable bags until they can’t be used anymore, then donates the scraps to textile recycling centers.
asserted
they → try → centers
If you’ve already accumulated a crowded kitchen cupboard, save the best and give away the rest.
asserted
you → accumulate → rest
Home organizer Tanner tells clients to pick out their favorites and assign a job to each.
asserted
Tanner → tell → each
After using one, put it back where it came from — be it the trunk of a car or inside a purse — so it’s ready for the next use.
asserted
it → use → use
Reusable bags generally can’t be recycled through curbside programs.
asserted
bags → recycle → programs
Tanner brings her extras to thrift stores.
asserted
Tanner → bring → stores
Other stores or food banks may also accept donations.
uncertain
stores → accept → donations
Las Vegas Books accepts reusable bag donations to hand out when customers at the used book store in Nevada need one.
asserted
customers → accept → one
Burbank Animal Shelter in California uses larger totes for food, toys and other pet care supplies.
asserted
Shelter → use → food
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey has collected reusable bags since 2022 for neighbors who visit their food pantries.
asserted
who → collect → pantries
They welcome bag donations as long as the items are reasonably clean and not ripped.
asserted
items → welcome → donations
“They’re always something that our pantries need, and that we have available on hand whenever we can,” said the organization’s president, Elizabeth McCarthy.
asserted
president → ’re → hand
The Associated Press’ health and science coverage receives financial support from the AP Fund for Journalism and private foundations.
asserted
coverage → receive → Journalism
The Aporia
