{"id":184,"date":"2018-08-02T03:00:11","date_gmt":"2018-08-02T10:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/closedloopcooking.flywheelsites.com\/?p=184"},"modified":"2022-11-27T12:58:13","modified_gmt":"2022-11-27T20:58:13","slug":"reusable-bag-magic","status":"publish","type":"reads","link":"https:\/\/closedloopcooking.com\/reads\/reusable-bag-magic\/","title":{"rendered":"Reusable bag magic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jumping into a low waste lifestyle is daunting. I\u2019ve spent years habituated to convenient practices that I\u2019m not 100% sure how to shift. Are the products I\u2019m investing in ethical? Why am I so bad at washing kale? Why does everything have to be in a glass jar and why are these glass jars so dang expensive? So many barriers to entry, even for someone actively trying to make sustainable adjustments to my daily routine. It\u2019s difficult to imagine the barriers for someone else who might not have the means or context to make those changes. That\u2019s why my goal for Closed Loop Cooking is to create easy and accessible resources for anyone looking to make positive shifts in their lifestyle, one step at a time. Like using a reusable produce bag over the convenient plastic film roll at the grocery store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Say No to Plastic Produce Bags<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The scourge of my grocery shopping experience! You know what I\u2019m talking about \u2013 the thin oversized bag on a roll of 500 next to the bananas. Why do bananas need to be put in a plastic bag? Who are you protecting?<\/em> This kind of plastic is actually classified as a film, and is exceedingly difficult to recycle because it clogs up machinery and slows down the process. Not many recycling programs end up taking these and the ones that do usually make these back into more plastic bags that you just end up tossing. Myself, the ever-optimistic recycler puts a clean plastic produce bag into my recycling, having reused it within an inch of its life, hoping it will make its way out into the world again but knowing that it\u2019s not likely. Another single-use item I couldn\u2019t save.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plastic bags are adventurous free-wheelers that float on the wind and can end up in the farthest reaches of humanity, never breaking down. While they may be the most emotionally stable thing in my life, they have got to go! I\u2019m making a personal stand to stop using plastic produce bags and find some reliable alternatives I can easily remember. Enter in the magical reusable, cloth produce bag \u2013 made out of recycled materials that will eventually break down. Hopefully, you\u2019re already making an effort to bring your reusable tote to the grocery store, what\u2019s another small bag or two? Or five? How big of a traveler’s pack are we talking here\u2026?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid and Replace Plastic Produce Bags<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bringing your own produce bags is definitely challenging when there are several rolls placed conveniently throughout the fruits and vegetables in your local grocery store. But fight the urge my friend! That filmy sleeve won\u2019t last you long but it will last basically forever on the planet. Try these tips to help you avoid the scourge:<\/p>\n\n\n\n