Hey friend,

Welcome to the first week of the Sustainable Swap Challenge! I'm beyond thrilled that you've decided to join me on this weekly challenge.

Here is a brief recap of how this challenge will work:

I will update the blog every Sunday
Each blog entry will consist of one swap with related resources and tips.
I may also be talking (more briefly) about the challenge swaps on Instagram over at @HeritageBelleFarms and would love to hear about any experiences in the comments!

Okay, now to SWAP #1: Reusable Bags!

Lets start off this challenge with an easy one, reusable bags. They are usually among the first changes we can make when adopting a low-waste lifestyle.

While reusable bags are commonly thought of for the grocery store, you really can bring in a reusable bag to any store you go to and opt-out of single-use plastic (or paper) bags… the pharmacy, a clothing store, an electronics store, home goods store, you name it!

I've never gotten any pushback from any store when bringing in my reusable bags. The worst I've gotten is a weird glance, but often cashiers will smile and react positively to the reusable bags.

Already have your bags, great! Skip ahead to the tips on remembering to bring them to the store.

Don't have bags? Here are some options:

Purchase (1) reusable bag each trip you make to the store. I’ve found really cute ones at places like World Market, Joanns, and even the Dollar Tree. Its ok to ease into reusable bags, and actually kind of addicting collecting ones you like.
Make your own! Pintrest or Google have loads and loads of free paterns. Everything from knitting bags using plastic bags to sewing bags using old t-shirts. Get crafty!
At the very least, reuse those plastic bags. I know they’re thin, but they can probably get several uses out of them.

BONUS: most grocery stores have a collection bin so you can recycle all those plastic bags. Don’t throw them out!

3 tips for remembering your bags:

Once you have your bags, the next hurdle is actually remembering to bring them into the store! Here are some hacks I developed when trying to build the habit of remembering my reusable bags:

Have a car? Put the bags in your trunk or in the backseat! A good habit to start is as soon as you put away your groceries, run your bags back out to your car so you don’t forget them.
Have a purse? You can always reuse plastic bags. They wad up real easily and if you’re like me, you can easily tuck a few in your purse or diaper bag just in case you need to run to the store on a whim.
Don't have either of these options? Leave your bags right by the front door in a place you'll see them as you're leaving your house/apartment.

BONUS: When making your grocery list or another shopping list, write out "Remember reusable bags" so you have that extra reminder when you're rushing out the door to the store.

I hope you found the above resources and tips helpful! If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear 'em—just leave a comment. It's a real person over here on the other side of this blog entry. Until next week. Happy swapping!

*Just giving credit to Elizabeth over at conscious life & style, the sustainable swap challenge is her concept, along with most of the wordage in this blog entry, I’m just adding my two cents and trying to further this challenge. consciouslifeandstyle.com