Reuse produce bags when shopping for fruit and vegetables

Hi Canberrans, here are a few quick questions to ponder – What happens to all those fruit and veg produce bags you bring home from the supermarket? Do you store them? Reuse them? Or do they end up in the bin after a single use? And do we actually need more every time we shop?

There’s a growing push to reuse materials wherever possible to keep unnecessary waste out of landfill. This month, we’re focusing on one simple habit with a big impact: reducing the use of plastic produce bags.

Yes, produce bags are convenient – they keep things tidy in your trolley and fridge. But most are used once and thrown away. Even compostable bags still take up space in landfill and don’t break down easily in those conditions. The real goal is to reduce waste at the source by using fewer bags and reusing what we already have.

Here are a few small but meaningful actions you can take:

· Reuse the spare bags you already have at home on your next shop.

· Pause before tearing a new bag off the roll. Most produce don’t actually need one.

· Choose a paper bag when suitable.

· Use reusable mesh bags if you genuinely need a bag. Remember to take them with you when you go shopping.

SEE Change WasteLess challenge for May: Maximise reuse of produce bags when shopping for fruit and vegetables or even better, eliminate them altogether.

Go WasteLess!