Here in Montreal, over the last year, there has been a seachange from disposable to reusable bags in grocery stores. One store started providing high quality cloth (or plastic-impregnated strong paper) reusable bags for a dollar. The bags were so gosh-darned useful that people started buying them and using them not just for groceries, but for carrying stuff all over the place, advertising the name of the store as they went. The other stores quickly got involved, and started competing to make more and more attractive ones, so it was their bag that was being carried, not the competition. The plastic bags are still available for people that want them, but carrying one makes you a pariah on the street. This time last year, you would see hundreds of those bags stuck in trees and streetlights, breaking down in alleys and filling trash cans. Not any more - the combination of real utility (the bags are actually very good - I use them to carry things to work, for luggage, in the garden, lugging tools in my workshop, and for storage when homebrewing), low cost (the bags are printed with the store's name, so it's free advertising) and social stigma seems to have corrected this problem in a very big way. One unexpected problem that has arisen is that I used to use those plastic bags as trash bags. Now, I find myself buying real plastic trash bags, which is a habit I have to break.

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Here's a tote bag pattern: http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/Plastic%20Bag%20tote.html Here's another one for a round tote: http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/round%20plastic%20bag%20tote.html

I had a few and used them around the house and for traveling and then one store put them on sale for 49¢ and gave 5¢ credit for using it right away, and of course 5¢ credit each time you use them. The older female cashiers are pretty chintzy on how many bags they'll credit you so you need to watch for that at these stores although another nickel or dime isn't *that* big a deal. I also got a bunch for free from Menards so I have a bunch now and I use them for a lot of things. I was skeptical at first about whether I would use them consistently. At first it was just Rainbow that gave the credit but that's my preferred store most of the time anyway. I wondered if I'd remember them when I needed them but I started just leaving them in the vehicle and then just had to remember to bring them in. There's been a time or two I forgot to bring them in but that's not often. I've probably paid for them now from the credit. And I do line them for messy things. I usually prefer to pack my own groceries. Mine have the plastic card for the bottom and are very easy to clean. I can't help but think that the poly version would be more sanitary than canvas but who knows. A quick spray with cleaner, a wipe around and I usually let the cleaner sit on it for a bit then a rinse off and hang them up. Who says they're not washable? :) But even with the regular plastic bags, doesn't anyone else carry more than one at a time? Depending on the weight and bulk I can carry 4 or 5 in each hand pretty easily if they're not too heavy and bulky so I don't see how I can carry more in the reusable ones. I can often carry a couple of the reuseable ones in each hand too.