happyfrog testing team: the reusable bag

Comments 10 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Since DaveO bestowed $100 upon Keira and I to spend at happyfrog friendly and listed establishments I haven’t done much shopping. However, I bought something today and will deem is my first official purchase as a happyfrog tester, and it’s from a store you might not expect.

We’ve seen the emergence of reusable shopping bags around town, and there’s plenty of talk in the blogosphere as well about the important of reducing your plastic bag usage. (Metroblogging: Ban Plastic Bags Now and Plastic Bag Ban. Keira-Anne: Slopes and Totes).

John and I have cloth Safeway bags for our shopping, which are pretty great as they can hold the same amount of two plastic bags and are a lot more comfortable to carry on the long walk home. I now have something a little more universal which I picked up at Zellers. Yes, I’m mentioning Zellers in a eco-friendly blog post – here’s why:

Hbc is a recognized retail leader in sustainability practices in the areas of ethical sourcing, environment and energy, associate wellness and community investment. For the last five years, the Company has been one of the few Canadian retailers to issue a formal report on its progress in these areas. Going forward, all aspects of this program, as well as new policies and customer products will be part of the Global Mind brand…

…We will offer our customers environmentally friendly products under the Global Mind brand.Reusable shopping bags; Cold water detergent by Truly and Energy Star products will be available at stores across Canada. [Hbc News Release]

I picked up a nylon “Esprit Global/Global Mind” bag today for a whopping $0.99, which beats the heck out of some of those $40 designer go-green bags out there. I’ll toss this tiny, collapsible pouch in my work bag for impromptu grocery store trips on my way home, or for any time I just need something extra in which to carry items.

happyfrog purchase #1

It’s great to shop local and at mom n’ pop places but when you can find that the big wig department stores are also making an environmentally conscious effort, it’s worth noting as well. I found out that Hbc actually has an entire website dedicated to social responsibility [CSR] and better yet, they have added incentives for using your cloth bags when shopping at their stores.

The bags are available in select stores with broader distribution to all Hbc locations scheduled for November 1, 2007. Customers will receive 1,000 Hbc Rewards points when they purchase any of the Global Mind bags, and 100 points every time they use the bags while shopping at an Hbc store. [Hbc News Release]

I forgot my points card today but I’ll make up for it in the future when I whip out my Global Mind pouch for my next commercial excursion. And since the bag was so cheap, that means it’ll get a lot of use. Now, just 99.01 happyfrog dollars to go!

Keira and I will be blogging all of our happyfrog purchases. You can read our posts in our “happyfrog” categories:

Keira-Anne.com/category/happyfrog
and
Miss604.com/category/happyfrog

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10 Comments  —  Comments Are Closed

  1. EvaSunday, December 9th, 2007 — 8:22pm PST

    Recently, I’ve also started to use re-usable cloth bags for my groceries. Also, a while ago, I came across this site. It’s rather interesting.

    http://www.morsbags.com/

    Cheers!

  2. Alexa BoothSunday, December 9th, 2007 — 9:25pm PST

    Another great deal on bags.. if you buy Cascade’s 100% recycled toilet paper, it includes a free reusable bag.
    Capers and Whole Foods also have reusable bags for only a couple dollars 🙂

  3. Keira-anne.com – The Blog Of A Vancouver Island Girl Surviving In The City World » Blog Archive » HAPPYFROG PURCHASE NO. 1Thursday, December 13th, 2007 — 10:56pm PST

    […] the weekend, Becky mentioned that she’d picked up a reusable bag herself, and at a bargain price. While BYOB bags cost more than a pretty penny (mine […]

  4. DaveOFriday, December 28th, 2007 — 12:10pm PST

    Thanks for the tip Miss604. I have some hand sewn hemp bags i’ve used for years for smaller purchases, but getting enough cloth bags to do a big grocery shopping trip takes some planning!

    I saw one family using plastic tubs to load up the groceries and right back into a cart to take to the car. A very handy and sturdy solution. I also like how the BC Liquor stores keep boxes out for handy toting rather than grabbing a plastic bag.

  5. AbbyTuesday, February 5th, 2008 — 2:27pm PST

    Hey:
    I like that fold up bag. You said you got it…at…Zellers? I would never have thought to even look there; but I will now. I’m in Northern B.C., Canada; do you think they’ll have one at my local HBC/Zellers? Possibly not, but it doesn’t hurt to look. It’d be great to be able to buy one, though. Do you know that Safeway went out of the White Nylon Re-usables? (Sad Face, with tears) I’m allergic to plastic, so I’ve learned where sells reusables and where might not. The black-bag movement seems to have gained stature, but I’m not sure if they’re cloth or not. I’m thinking they aren’t, but recycled plastic. (That sucks.)

  6. Miss604Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 — 2:32pm PST

    Yep, @ Zellers. I’ve also found them at The Bay, usually in the umbrella / sunglasses / seasonal section. Good luck!

  7. JunorTuesday, October 21st, 2008 — 11:34pm PDT

    We are the professional manufacturer,we produce all the kinds of shopping bag,pouch bag,reusable bag.You can visit our website for more information .www.greatpackaging-tj.com

  8. Pearl PackagingSunday, November 9th, 2008 — 11:26pm PST

    Get your eco-friendly, reusable shopping bags at http://www.pearlpackage.com

    Non-Woven, OPP Finished, Canvas, all options you can use to go green as well as all your packaging needs. If you want to brand it, we can help you!!!

    Lowest prices, fast turnaround times!!

  9. jorgeThursday, January 15th, 2009 — 4:49pm PST

    i must have this item,,,,,,,,, i cannot find anything like this in the usa…….please help????

  10. anne JohnsonThursday, February 19th, 2009 — 7:14am PST

    where can i get these bags?

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