Getting Groceries? Don't Leave Home Without One of These Reusable Shopping Bags

There are a few things you can always rely on at your local grocery store: tirelessly searching for oat milk creamers, maneuvering around other customers in the ice cream aisle, and double bagging at the check-out counter. But change is upon us! The New York plastic bag ban finally went into effect on Sunday, March 1, and we're so ready to bust out all the cute nylon, canvas, and tote bags.

What does this ban mean? New York is joining other states—including California, Connecticut, and Maine—in the ban against single-use plastic bags. First of all, they're flimsy and thin (hence the double bagging) and are terrible for the environment, creating greenhouse gas emissions and getting into our oceans and rivers, and even rolling around on streets. Last time we checked, this isn't the city's version of tumbleweed.

Even if consumers recycle single-use plastic bags, they'll take over 500 years to break down. And with approximately 23 billion plastic bags used daily in New York State alone, lawmakers worked to enact the new plastic bag ban, pushing for the eco-friendly change that we can all get behind. The bill, signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2019, will prevent retailers from distributing plastic bags, and will enforce a 5-cent fee for paper bags.

Instead of trying to find a nickel, go for one of these 17 stylish, reusable shopping bags! The one sad bag you have in the closet might not carry everything from your grocery haul, just saying. Adorn one of these bags on your arm to bring flair to any outfit and shopping experience, plus do a load of good for the planet. P.S. We're kind of obsessed with our No. 1 pick!