Bags Printed
One of the simplest, most convenient ways to “go green” is ditch the flimsy, disposable plastic shopping bags in favor of reusable shoppers at the grocery store, mall, and elsewhere. For those fashion-forward consumers who want to make a difference but can’t bear the idea of toting around one of those most unbecoming bags, many designers have started to offer stylish shoppers that look great while remaining “green.” These include colorful shopping bags printed with Earth-friendly slogans, smaller bags printed with colorful graphics, and even tote bags printed and embellished with sequins, rhinestones, and ribbons.
There’s an earth-friendly plastic bag alternative to suit every shopper whether they need a small carry-all for daily use or a durable, roomy tote for trips to the grocery store. In fact, many supermarkets and other stores offer reusable printed bags throughout the store and at the checkout. Not only are these bags affordable to purchase, but select retailers even offer small discounts for customers who use their own shopping bags. These bags are great for shoppers who just want a low-cost opportunity to make a difference in small, subtle ways.
For those who believe appearances are everything, high-end designers such as Juicy Couture, Anya Hindmarch, and even Marc Jacobs have come out with couture-inspired reusable bags printed with logos and bold graphics. This environmentally-friendly new breed of reusable shopping bags comes at a time when they’re needed most. In the United States alone, consumers go through an estimated 100 billion disposable shopping bags per year! Worse yet, these discarded bags end up in landfills and oceans, where they can remain for hundreds of years. Those flimsy printed bags with store logos and generic “Thank You For Your Business” slogans aren’t really pleasant to look at, are they? Not to shoppers, and certainly not to the thousands of marine animals who die each year as a result of pollution from plastic bags and other litter in the oceans. Many environmentalists state that the responsibility for cutting down on shopping bag waste should be shared by retailers.
Rather than switching to paper or compostable shopping bags, they recommend charging consumers a tax for using disposable printed bags! Although this radical approach might actually be effective, it would be unnecessary if more shoppers would just take that first step by seeking out a good reusable bag. There are many different options for many types of shopper, from practical to pretty and in all sizes. Style-conscious shoppers may be delighted to find that the most attractive solution is to seek out fashionably embellished and printed bags that will never go out of style.


