Here are just a few ways to help remember to bring reusable bags with you when shopping:

• Put a note to “bring reusable bags!” at the top of your grocery list
• Keep the reusable bags in your car or by your garage door so you see them right when you leave
• Keep a lightweight reusable bag in your backpack, purse or glove compartment for impulse buys
• Ask your store to post reminders on doors so you don’t have to make a trip back to the parking lot after your cart is full.

Most woven reusable bags are sold for a few dollars, making them a relatively affordable option. If you are concerned about the added cost of purchasing reusable bags, paper bags are less environmentally costly than plastic checkout bags and can still be an option. You can also reuse plastic bags that you already have or use cardboard boxes to transport items.

Though they may appear free to shoppers, plastic bags have never been free of costs. Costs incurred by retailers from purchasing single-use plastic checkout bags are passed to shoppers through higher costs of goods.

A significant amount of energy is required to mine the raw materials used to make plastic bags, natural gas and petroleum. Depleting nonrenewable resources to create a product that is only used for several minutes on average, yet never fully breaks down, is inefficient and wasteful.

Because they are so light, plastic bags are more difficult to dispose of and become litter easily. Plastic bags clog our storm drains, slow water filtration machinery, and become scattered throughout our communities. The additional costs of labor for maintenance and clean- ups are passed on to taxpayers.

The long term environmental and economic costs of plastic bags are lasting and incredibly harmful. Plastic bags break down into microplastics and leech toxins into our air, soil, and water. People ingest approximately 74,000 particles of microplastics each year—they have even been found in human placentas.

Here are some suggestions for how you can eliminate plastic checkout bags from your life:

• #BYOBags. When you shop, take your own bags to the grocery, retail or convenience store. Canvas, vinyl or cloth are great options. Find a design or color that matches your personality and purchasing habits.
• Reuse single-use plastic checkout bags that you already have. If you have a stockpile of bags on hand, it’s better to reuse them as much as you can before throwing them away.
• Pick up poop. Bread bags, frozen food bags and used food storage bags are a strong option for picking up after your pooch on your next walk around the neighborhood.
• Forget the poop bags altogether. Use an unlined handled scooper or shovel to collect the doo then deposit the pile into a backyard dog waste composter.
• Use reusable produce bags. Purchase mesh bags or make your own reusable cloth bags for fresh fruits and vegetables. Ask the clerk at the checkout to remove items sold by weight from reusable mesh bags so you are not charged for the weight of the bag. Be sure to wash them often.
• Do you really need that bag? If you're only purchasing one or two items, or taking restaurant leftovers to go, carry the items out of the store or eatery without a plastic bag.
• Use other bags you may have around the house--such as pet food, birdseed and dry-cleaning bags as kitchen trash can liners. You may be surprised at the options you already have in your household.
• Consider not lining smaller trash cans in laundry rooms and bedrooms at all. If you prefer a liner, try using a paper bag instead. Some manufacturers make bathroom trash bins with removable permanent liners that can be removed and cleaned.

• Try using reusable water bottles rather than bottled water.
• Pack food in reusable containers rather than cling wrap or disposable containers.
• Skip plastic forks and carry washable, reusable silverware in your lunchbox. For more information on sustainable practices, visit the Sustainability Department website. For more information on recycling, visit the Solid Waste District website.