Product Review: Wal-Mart Reusable Shopping Bags - No More Paper or Plastic

Several months ago, I noticed in the Wal-Mart ad that they had reusable shopping bags for $1 each. I had planned on fusing plastic bags into material I would make into reusable shopping bags, but the price tag on these bags got my attention.

When I saw them at the store, I was impressed with their apparent strength and how well made they were. Some had small 'Wal-Mart' logos on them, and some did not. All are black, 100% recyclable, and are made from 85% recycled materials.

The tags state that each bag is made from approximately 4 plastic soda bottles and can replace 50 shopping bags. The claim is that they can carry the same weight as 2-3 plastic bags.

An article from Sustainable is Good states that Wal-Mart will take these bags back for recycling at the end of their lifespan. The picture on that website shows these bags, but they look more like sturdy shiny fabric, and better able to stand alone, than the ones I purchased. The ones I purchased have a little more of a matte finish, feel like a papery fiber, and are floppy when you try to stand them up with no contents.

At the checkstand, I purchased five of them and had the cashier use them for my other purchases. At Wal-Mart the rotating bag-holder was not designed for reusable bags, and there really is no room for the cashier to put them elsewhere to load them.

My particular cashier had some previous experience with filling reusable bags at the check stand, so she did manage to work out a way to fill them without too much trouble, but it was more time-consuming than using their plastic bags, and it was a hassle for the cashier - though she really was a great sport about it.

We talked about how if Wal-Mart is selling these bags with their own logo on them, that is the same as promoting their use, and as such, they should provide some easy means for the cashiers to be able to use them - or at least use bags with a design that works with their plastic bag holders.

She gave me a "head's up" that anything wet or drippy like frozen items or meat products will leak through the bag, so I might want to line the bag or take the plastic bags at the store for those items. Later I remembered that Wal-Mart also sells special bags in the frozen foods section for use with frozen items that would probably work as reusable 'wet' items bags. I purchased some at another store that marked them down to $1, and they do, work well for those items.

I have used these reusable bags from Wal-Mart for several months now. I have found them to be easy to carry, and capable of holding a lot. In fact, you can comfortably place more items in one of these than you can the cheap plastic bags they give you are Wal-Mart and other stores.

There are no laundering instructions on the tag, but I am thinking a wash in the gentle cycle with an air/no heat or line dry would be okay if a simple wipe down didn't work. So far, I have not needed to give any of them more than one quick wipe down.

The tag did say each bag replaces about 50 plastic bags so I think that means they will wear out in about 50 uses. However, I have yet to see any signs of wear on mine.

I clipped off the store tags, and decorated each with a small embroidered design in an upper corner in order to easily distinguish these as purchased and as mine.

So far, I am happy with these bags, though I do think there is room for improvement. A different type of reusable bag I have since purchased comes with a small insert to keep the bottom of the bag stable, and to help keep the bag open when loading it. Something like that would help these great but floppy bags. Additionally, there is the issue of wet or frozen items. For now, I use the other bags I purchased that are specially made for those items. They work well at keeping cold things cold, too - which is something the reusable Wal-mart bags cannot offer.

The biggest problem I have had with these bags is remembering to take them back out to my car when I have put away the groceries, and to take them into the store with me each trip. Using them in combination with the bags with the insert and the insulated reusable bags has worked well. I would advise any consumer interested in purchasing the Wal-Mart reusable bags add at least one insulated bag to their collection, as well.

I give these bags a 4 out of 5 stars rating.

Resources:

Sustainable is Good
http://www.sustainableisgood.com/blog/2007/10/wal-mart-reusab.html

Wal-Mart Giveaway
http://walmart.triaddigital.com/Sustainability-Article_ektid39874.aspx