From 20th of June, Woolworths, Coles and other supermarket and retailers will be banning plastic bags from all their stores.
Don’t panic; it’s a good thing!
Plastic bags are used on average for just 12-minutes but can take up to 1000 years to decompose. 200,000 plastic bags are dumped in landfill every hour, and only 3% are recycled.
By removing plastic bags we’re taking a significant step towards a greener future, but it does raise the question, what do you use instead?
Of course, there are the obvious solutions:
Keep tote or textile bags inside your handbag or car for spontaneous shopping trips
Continue to reuse the plastic bags you already have at home instead of throwing them away
Carry a chic basket and up your style game, they’re not just for the Farmer’s Market.
We dug a little deeper and found a few extra reusable bags to make sure you get through this change like a boss.
Look for (or make your own) Boomerang Bags
You may have seen Boomerang Bags around your local shopping centre or been given one by a friend.
The super cute totes are made from recycled material by volunteers, who then pass them on friends, family, colleagues, bagless strangers… or leave them at shopping centres to provide an alternative to plastic.
Keep your eyes peeled for these sweet little bags, or head to the website to find out how to make your own.
Get your hands on some Onya reusable produce bags
Onya Reusable Produce Bags are available in a 5 Pack and will fit easily into your handbag.
While produce bags are not part of the plastic bag ban (yet), these are a great zero waste alternative to disposable plastic bags.
You can buy 5 for $15.95 and then they’re yours forever.
Get yourself a collapsable carry basket
The Avanti Collapsable Carry Basket
If you don’t want to lug a carry basket around with you or don’t one taking up space in your car or kitchen, these collapsable bags are the answer.
The Avanti Red Collapsable Carry Basket (23L) is a reusable shopping basket that folds up for easy storage anywhere.
Get yours in red or black for just $29.95.
