Last summer when we had our family gathering in the town where I grew up, we visited the dump. This may sound strange, but with 5 grandchildren under 5 years old (including one boy who’s obsessed with recycling!), it was a real highlight! What struck me most was the thousands and thousands of plastic bags all over the place.

I’ve been wanting to switch to a cloth bag when I buy groceries but cannot bring myself to buy those cheap versions available at the checkout because they’re made in China, they’re branded with the store’s logo (I don’t care to be a walking advertisement for the grocery store!) and they’re just plain tacky. I’m trying to be more conscious of purchases (especially in light of The Story of Stuff) so the other night I spend some time on Etsy looking through pages and pages of grocery totes and was delighted to find Kootsac.

I love these Kootsac grocery totes with their modern orange/blue color palette and clean, simple styling. I’ve placed an order for four totes! When not being used for groceries, these totes would be perfect for bringing children’s gear to the beach or pool this summer. I never had a fancy diaper bag, so I can envision using it for that purpose too.

The seller also offers re-usable bags for bulk food. Due to an overwhelming response yesterday, she’s currently sold out but I hope you’ll check back if you buy food in bulk and want to reduce the number of plastic bags you bring into your home. A real bonus for Canadians like me is that Kootsac is based in British Columbia.

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