Chico, Sustainable

I was in the checkout line at Orchard Supply Hardware when the woman ahead of me made a single item purchase which the clerk promptly and diligently placed into a plastic bag. But here’s the thing—dangling on a clip from the woman’s belt loop was a ChicoBag.

“Excuse me for being forward,” I stated boldy, “but why don’t you just use your ChicoBag?”

A bit embarrassed, the woman replied “Oh. Right I guess I forgot about it. But the clerk already bagged my item.”

“I am sure she would be happy to remove the item and save the bag for someone else.”

And the clerk, being a pleasant person, did just that. I then apologized if I had made the woman uncomfortable, but she said no, my question was a perfectly reasonable.

At least she had her bag with her. Its when I get to the check-out stand and realize that I forgot my bag that I feel bummed and frustrated. Besides being a bit absent-minded (I think it comes with being a guy), I know that I was raised in a "throw-away" era (which started, perhaps, with the post-war 1950's and is only now started end), where having your purchase placed into a bag was never a concern. It takes some thought to get into a mindset that is more sustainably aware.

The solution in my house has been to have multiple reusable bags, everywhere. Bags by the front and back doors, in the car, in the backpack, in the briefcase, and in the bike basket. ChicoBags are certainly represented among our bag menagerie because of their extremely convenient size (but if they have one fault, it is that they may too convenient—they are so compact that at times, like the woman at OSH, I forget when I have one), but I also like bags that are big, gaudy, and obvious. Don’t have that many bags? You can find bags being sold for $1.00 or less as the local thrift stores.

And for the record, a colorfully written note on the chalkboard outside Trader Joe's the other day asked folks if they had remembered to grab their reusable bags from the car. Thanks, TJ.