Product Spotlight Series #20 - Organic Cotton #GiveAShit Tote Bag

If you’ve ever researched how to begin eliminating plastic from your daily routine, many bloggers and zero-waste ‘gurus’ list many of the same tips and tricks… one of which is switching from plastic bags to reusable totes when shopping. It is an easy change to make - it only requires the acquisition of a fabric tote and the ability to remember to take it to the store (pro tip learned from experience: leave it in the car so you don’t forget it)!

Now you can get a reusable bag virtually anywhere. Many stores now offer them near checkout aisles and it’s a popular item to sew/craft for online stores on websites like Etsy. So I feel that a specific bag is unnecessary to recommend - I simply chose this Organic Cotton #GiveAShit Tote Bag from Package Free because it supports one of my favorite stores and is made from organic material!

This product is super straightforward - made in the USA from organic cotton, 16” width x 15.5” height x 5” base, and only $10.00! But my favorite part is the sassy statement and simple design!

So why even bother? Well, take a look at some of these not-so-fun facts from the Center of Biological Diversity:

• Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture.
• The average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year.
• It only takes about 14 plastic bags for the equivalent of the gas required to drive one mile.
• It takes 500 (or more) years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. Unfortunately the bags don’t break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.

I don’t shop often but when I do, I need to make the commitment to use fabric totes!