In a recent interview, a company told me they look for Type A personalities to join their team. This struck me as odd as I’ve often considered Type A traits to be rather detrimental to team building, especially if you have too many individuals of that persuasion in the group. However, I will admit that I do have some of those traits and that, by being nice about it, they make me pretty effective.

Which brings us to grocery shopping. I have a love-hate relationship going on there. I would love to get a delivery grocery service going but I can’t stand the thought of someone else picking out my bananas. Unfortunately, I also can’t stand the way baggers bag my order either. I’m actually gleeful when I get to bag my own groceries because I know I will do it right. (At least this part of my Type A personality has 3 years of part-time grocery store experience… I like how I bag.)

Confession time: For a long time I requested double plastic bags because the extra layer would save my groceries from ripping through the bag before it got to my kitchen. In short, I chose to consume more to make up for the incompetencies of the poor baggers at my grocery store. (In their defense, I don’t think they get any real training.)

I finally came to the realization that I will never reuse all the plastic bags I have shoved under my kitchen sink. There’s no point in adding more to the stash - they won’t fit anyway. Not to mention I’ve found myself increasingly disgusted by the sight of a plastic bag littering the street or a yard.

I ransacked (isn’t that a fabulous word?) the house for canvas bags. I found a couple of really nice canvas Food Co-op bags as well as a couple of random “Save the ___” bags from environmental charities. They now live in the Closet of Doom awaiting each grocery shopping trip with great glee. And you know what? They’re the greatest.

Why Canvas Bags Rock:

  1. Canvas works. They are sturdier than the flimsy plastic ones, hold more stuff, rip less, and make carrying things in from the car safer and faster!
  2. Canvas works - so well it bears repeating. Canvas bags sits better in the back of the car, spill less stuff and are easier to carry than those horrible plastic things.
  3. They are reusable! Over and over! The Co-op bags I mentioned above cost me $12 each and I’ve had them for over a decade.
  4. Canvas bags are useful! You can use them for more than just shopping! I’ve used them for moving, travel, carrying heavy, awkward stuff, laundry bags, and gift wrap!
  5. If they get wet, they still hold everything (unlike paper).
  6. Canvas is a natural, non-petroleum based product. Renewable resources for the win!
  7. Canvas bags have a sense of style - you can get them in bright colors, cool designs and with various sayings.
  8. They are relatively inexpensive ranging from free (with donations to various charities) to $3 on up. While the plastic bags are free from the store you’re shopping at, then you have to deal with disposing of them.
  9. They can save you money. Some grocery stores will give you a kickback for using them - usually 5-10ยข. IKEA has recently started charging for plastic bags in an effort to raise awareness of just how cool it is to reuse bags.

    10. And finally…

  10. Canvas bags help save the planet! And the planet needs all the help it can get!

This is a relatively recent commitment. Like most habits I’ve tried to form, I’ve tried canvas bags several times in the past and it never stuck. I’ve decided that this time it will stick. I hope to drag the canvas lots of places with me and on all my shopping trips.

And, because Jon asked for it: Here’s a close up of the praying mantis’ head.

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