Wild Rumpus totes have an extra incentive. Show this bag at the bookshop’s till to receive a discount on your purchase. wildrumpusbooks.com. Photos: Chris Emeott
Starting July 1, Edina will implement a new ordinance requiring grocery, clothing, home goods and convenience stores to charge 5 cents per carry out bag as part of its Climate Action Plan. The only way to avoid it is to bring your own bag, a practice that is in line with the city’s goal of encouraging environmentally friendly shopping habits. But this is Edina, so if we must bring our own bags, we will do it in style. Here is a look at tote bags you can get in the city and beyond.
Baggu comes in a variety of colors and patterns. baggu.com.
From Mindset to Action: How to Reuse Successfully
We reached out to the city’s organics recycling coordinator, Twila Singh, to get her tips on the ins and outs of reusing bags.
“Almost every Midwestern house has a stash of bags in the pantry or underneath the sink, and it’s a giant bag of bags,” Singh says. “Why is it so prevalent in our culture to hold on to those bags after we get them home and not throw them away immediately? It’s because innately we know that they have a purpose in the reuse world, so people already have the mindset.”
- Choose carefully. “You can source bags from local stores, or you can shop online,” she says. “Make sure that you’re buying something that has a percentage of recycled content or is from a sustainable vendor if possible.”
- Take stock. Look around your home, and use what you already have, be it tote bags or plastic grocery bags from the days before the ordinance went into effect. “We’re not trying to make more waste at this point. We’re trying to reduce waste,” she says.
- Put a box of bags in the back of your car. Stock the box with plastic grocery bags you’ve already accumulated or reusable tote bags. This ensures you will always have a bag wherever you go.
- Remember to take those bags with you when you go into the store. “As long as the bags are with you as you roam around, you are more likely to use them while shopping,” she says.
Keeping it Clean
- Most cloth bags are machine washable
- For bags made from recycled material like those from Trader Joe’s or IKEA, they can be wiped down with vinegar or washed with soap and water by hand.
- Have separate, designated bags for meat/raw products, cleaning products and food.
