I have a collection of reusable shopping bags, but my favorite is the white canvas one with a label reading “Shop ‘n Save” sewn along the top edge.

It’s been awhile since the vast majority of Shop ‘n Save stores in Maine changed their name to Hannaford — around the turn of this century. At this point, I estimate, I’ve brought my own bags to the market for 25 years.

I used to be an oddball, but now several Maine communities are restricting the use of nonreusable bags. Portland was the first; Kennebunk residents will be voting on an ordinance this month. It’s no longer unusual to see people bringing their own bags even when they don’t have to pay a nickel for a plastic one.

It makes my heart happy, and not just because I don’t like standing out in a crowd.

According to an October 2015 article in the Portland Press Herald, “Estimates are that every human being in America uses 360 plastic bags a year.” And plastics “don’t biodegrade, but they do break down into smaller pieces and increasingly, studies have found plastics in everything from mammals to mussels. And therefore, in us.”

Bringing bags to the store regularly is just another habit. Mine is so ingrained that I shudder when I forget. I may even buy a new cloth bag on the spot. We do reuse any plastic bags we collect for doggie poo pickup, but that’s not really any excuse. I actually have no rationale at all for neglecting my duty, as we keep a half dozen reusable bags in the car and one folded on the kitchen stool where I keep my handbag.

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My husband, Paul, and I are also excited about the single-stream recycling we now have in Augusta. We’ve recycled our cans, bottles and newspapers for years, but I always wanted the opportunity to do more. Paul is conscientious about taking the tall blue recycling bin to Public Works (or one of the satellite sites) as soon as it fills up. This happens several times a week, probably because we don’t pay equal attention to the “3Rs” of environmental living — reduce, reuse and recycle.

Reducing, limiting the amount of disposable stuff that comes into your home, is the most difficult. I recently read the book “Zero Waste Home,” by Bea Johnson, which details how she and her family have reduced their trash to a tiny amount — something like less than a mason jar’s worth yearly. One way she does this is by buying in bulk, using thin cloth bags and jars to carry the goods home in.

Yeah, that’s a lot of work.

I can reduce my trash when I buy from the farmers’ market and pick some of my own fruits and veggies in my backyard. Most of the year, we have eggs from our chickens. But while I try to avoid excess packaging in the supermarket, I often find myself faced with conundrums. Do I buy the regular peppers, and put them in a string bag, or the organic ones, which are wrapped in plastic?

Reusing has become a way of life for many of us. Fabric bags largely have replaced paper sacks for toting lunches. Reusable water bottles are ubiquitous. I have several different containers for portable meals, depending on whether they are salads or need to be heated up. The one I like the most is a vintage Corning Ware casserole — mini-sized. I pack it for lunch, along with the necessary silverware and a cloth napkin. We compost — the ultimate reuse of waste.

But I still use some plastic bags. I store leftovers in bowls and cover them with plates. I use waxed paper bags for some items — but this was a disaster in the produce drawer because I couldn’t see what was in the bags without opening them. I continue to search for a better way.

Recycling increasingly becomes easier. We send old clothes to Goodwill or tear them into rags (to avoid using paper towels). We recycle everything with a deposit on it, including our glass milk bottles. Junk mail, magazines, newspapers, pet food cans, cereal boxes and yogurt containers all go into the big blue bin.

Sometimes I feel as though I’ve been taking baby steps towards a more eco-friendly life for 25 years, but it’s better than just standing still.

Liz Soares welcomes e-mail at lsoares@gwi.net.


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