The Brown Paper Bag Crisis

As a family, we are devoted to bringing reusable bags to the grocery store -- every time. It's a practice we started WAYYYY back when we were living in New Jersey, continued in France (where a plastic bag is not free) and we've gotten pretty good about remembering each time we go. (Checklist: grocery list, phone, sunglasses, bags). 

And yes, I look down my nose at people walking out of the grocery store with a cart full of plastic bags. It's so wasteful, horrible for the Earth and bringing your own is stupid SIMPLE, people. 

BUT, with this pandemic, grocery stores are not allowing use of reusable bags for fear of spreading germs from home. I'm fine with that. But I'm NOT OK with using plastic bags. 

We get by with refusing a bag, when it's just a few items. Or requesting paper bags, which are a far more sustainable choice. Most are made of recycled paper, are easily recycled or reused around the house. 

But let's discuss the reality of the situation. It's been seven months! And a weekly grocery shop for our family means A LOT of brown paper bags stored up. 

While, yes, I can absolutely recycle them. I'm kinda stuck on the idea of repurposing the WHOLE PILE. 

I know, it's madness. That's a lot of bags. And more coming, too. 

So I've gotten creative. I've used them in painting projects, to protect the carpet under the paint can. I've used them to bag recycling from all over the house. And trash, too. 

They are providing all the inspiration I need to continue to declutter, as I fill them up with Good Will donations in them; books, clothes, toys and shoes. And they work under messy art projects my girls get in to, too. 

Brown paper bags are great for landscaping, so I had this idea of using them to line the bottom of the area under the play structure in the back yard to kill off the weeds. And in the raised bed gardens, at the end of the growing season, when a few layers of brown paper bag will slowly chock all the weeds while decomposing over our long winter -- under a mountain of snow -- and by spring will be ready for fresh soil and plants. 

If I needed anymore incentive to keep decluttering and doing messy home projects, these bags are it. I have a stash that will last me years. Or not, if I get really creative. 

Either way, they are a FAR BETTER choice than the plastic bags I'm now forced into at Target and Home Depot, etc. Long live the paper bag!