Say it with me: "I've gotta bag!"

It’s been almost two years since my husband and I started our personal “I’ve gotta bag” campaign to curb our consumption of plastic grocery bags that are so bad for the environment.

The idea is to always have a reusable shopping bag on hand to use at checkout, thereby eliminating the use of the plastic bags by proudly saying, “I’ve gotta bag.”

Actually, shopping with reusable bags is one of the more sustainable acts of green we can perform on a regular basis. And, it’s easy once the “I’ve gotta bag” habit is established.

I keep a small fold-up bag in my purse so I’m always ready. My husband and I also keep an ever-growing stash in our respective vehicles.

A clerk at Walgreen’s thought it was awesome that I brought my own bag to the store. He had recently been camping with his family and was amazed at how many plastic grocery bags end up loose in the environment where they can cause harm to wildlife. 

If you need inspiration to join our “I’ve gotta bag” campaign, here’s some facts from inspirationgreen.com:

• Scientists estimate that plastic bags could take as long as 1,000 years to decompose.
• The production of plastic bags is toxic to the air, since it requires petroleum and often natural gas and chemicals.
• Americans use and dispose of 100 billion plastic shopping bags per year and at least 12 million barrels of oil are used per year in the manufacture of these plastic grocery bags.
• The amount of petroleum used to make a plastic bag would drive a car about 115 meters (377.3 feet.)  It would take only 14 plastic bags to drive one mile.

And if you need proof that plastic bags are mucking up the environment:

• There is six times more plastic debris in parts of the Pacific Ocean than zooplankton.
• At least 267 different species are known to suffer from entanglement or ingestion of plastic marine debris.

We’ve made it a game to collect bags from our favorite local haunts, as well as unusual ones from other places we visit. We have bags from Meijer, Target, and Petsmart, as well as from Oleson’s grocery store and Friske Orchards in Charlevoix, Mich., our favorite northern getaway spot.

Our personal reduction effort has been successful. We no longer have a huge “bag o’bags” in our utility room. Yet, I’m amazed at the amount of plastic that still accumulates from bread, produce and takeout food. 

I think reusable bags make great promotional items in lieu of T-shirts. If you need a quick gift, why not give a reusable bag? Or, why not give your gifts in reusable bags instead of using wrapping paper?

The only thing better than saying, “I’ve gotta bag” is “I don’t needa bag” and avoiding the use of a bag entirely. Very small purchases can sometimes be tucked in a purse or pocket.

I sometimes feel guilty when I have an occasional lapse and forget to bring a bag into the store, or put one back in my purse. But I forgive myself. After all, when it comes to practicing everyday environmentalism, none of us can do it perfectly, but every little bit helps.