by Texas Homesteader ~
Swapping wasteful disposable plastic bags for cute handmade market baskets is trending right now. There are many benefits to this sustainable lifestyle choice too. Check out the benefits.
(Note: Some links in this post will take you to other related articles for further information. But links preceded with * are affiliate links. If you click and buy something I could receive a tiny commission.)
Benefits of Shopping With A Handmade Basket
Y’all know when I’m shopping I shun plastic bags like the plague. Much of our typical shopping is for small quantities, so I use a beautiful handmade market basket now when I’m doing my shopping.
Not only do these cute baskets look great, but there are many other benefits of shopping with a market basket:
Easy To Carry Through Crowded Store Aisles
Open Top Easy To Drop Purchases Into
Comfortable Way To Carry Purchases To Car
Eco-Friendly & Zero-Waste Choice
Starts An Eco-Friendly Conversation With Other Shoppers
See what I mean? So many benefits!
Where I Found My Reusable Handmade Shopping Basket
When RancherMan & I enjoyed a vacation with my siblings in New Braunfuls, Texas, we were visiting during Market Days weekend.
On this day I picked out a gorgeous, roomy hand-made basket with leather handles. It even had strips of bright pink woven in. Since becoming a breast cancer survivor I enjoy having splashes of pink around me. It’s beautiful, I love it!
If you’re looking for handmade baskets I found some *Hand-Woven Shopping Baskets on Amazon as well!
Reusable Is A Positive Environmental Impact
There are several ways I use my market basket to make my own little positive environmental impact:
Shopping With NO Disposable Plastic Bags (of course)
Corralling Items For A Day Trip
Garden Produce Blessing Basket For My Weekly Class
I get so many compliments on this beautiful basket!
Remembering To Bring Reusable Shopping Basket To Store
I’ve read that many have trouble remembering to put their reusable shopping bags or basket into the car. Or they forget to bring them into the store when they shop.
I unload my market basket as soon as I get home from the store and put away my purchases. Then I return the basket to the car when it’s empty.
Years of using it keeps me from forgetting to grab the basket when I get out of the car. It’s always right there in the backseat so it’s easy for me to grab as I get out of the car.
Shopkeepers Love It
I’ve lost count of the number of compliments that I’ve received on this beautiful shopping basket from shopkeepers & clerks as well as other shoppers.
I have no problem dropping items into this basket as I stroll down the aisles. Of course all the local shop owners know RancherMan & me, but even when shopping in the ‘big city’ I feel comfortable dropping my planned purchases into my basket. Those items are certainly as visible as if I were carrying them in my arms.
Then when I get ready to pay for my purchases I place my items on the counter & I tell the clerk that I’d like these items placed back into my basket.
Since the basket holds itself wide open it’s so much easier for them to place items into than trying to wrestle my items into a fabric bag.
Plant A Seed For Eco-Friendly Living
I love my handmade shopping basket, y’all. I’m sure many others are now considering getting a basket of their own because of quick conversations held with strangers in a grocery store.
Hey, any way I can help further environmental awareness without being preachy is a good thing for me. Actions certainly speak louder than words! Get one for yourself and see!
~TxH~
This post categorized in 
Other Low-Waste Stories
Saving Money
Reusable & Eco Friendly
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- 5 Zero-Waste Products We Love
- Eliminate Plastic Produce Bags
- How I Got Cute Gingham Napkins For Only $1
- How To Host A Low-Waste Party
Food/Drink
- Food Waste in America: What Do Those Dates Mean?
- Our Low-Waste Coffee
- No-Waste Citrus Juice For Recipes
- Don’t Waste Those Onion Trimmings
Health/Beauty
Other Posts About Reducing Household Waste
Reducing Trash
- How We Reduced Household Trash
- 5 Zero-Waste Products We Love
- I Love Mother Nature So I Recycle LESS!
- Where Exactly Is ‘Away’?
- Easily Reduce Or Eliminate Junk Mail
Kitchen
- 7 Ways To Reduce Plastic In The Kitchen
- Ditch The Plastic! Using Glass In The Refrigerator
- Paper Napkins In A Paperless Kitchen
Food
- Replacing Plastic Wrap With Beeswax Wraps
- Making Your Own Pourable Sugar Jar
- Eliminate Plastic Produce Bags
Cleaning
Health & Beauty
- Zero-Waste Hygiene
- Reducing Plastic In Personal Hygiene: Deodorant
- No More Plastic Razors – How To Use A Safety Razor
Repurposing
- Repurposing Empty Coffee Containers
- Denim Repurposed Into Fun Crafts
- Repurposing A Parmesan Cheese Lid
- 5 Handy Repurpose Ideas From An Old Sock
…and Many More
See All Eco-Friendly Posts
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This bag is beautiful, I’d want to show it off all the time too! And I love anything that helps reduce plastic bags. 😉 Thanks for sharing on the #WasteLessWednesday blog hop!
You’re so right, Katy. Anything to reduce plastic bags. And heck, you might as well do it beautifully, eh? ~TxH~
Pretty basket. I use a heavy duty large canvas bag for hauling everything…had it for 15 years and wash it every quarter. No 1 time use bags for me
That’s awesome Gail. It’s funny how little effort it actually takes to turn away those crappy plastic shopping bags. The biggest effort is just noticing how many opportunities there are! ~TxH~
I’m loving that basket!!!! You don’t have any info on the people who made do you? I can see all my hairdryer/brush items in there or my cleaning bottles and towels. It’s not only functional it’s so beautiful!! I live in Illinois and good luck finding anything like this, except made in China.
I also carry pink with me. Mom died 12 yrs ago from breast cancer, came back for the second time and spread everywhere. It’s been 17 yrs ( I was 37) this June since my double mastectomy, I’ve been all clear since.
Warrior Sister! Congrats on your 17 (plus) years of being a survivor. I don’t recall much about the vendor selling these bags, but I fell in love with the pattern and colors of this one. I worried that it was a little more bulky than I’d be able to use easily but as it turns out, it’s the perfect size for many of the things I do with it. I’ll be doing a whole series of the different ways it’s come in handy, be sure to be watching. 🙂 ~TxH~
I use canvas / cloth bags when I do grocery shopping, Home Depot shopping, etc. (no plastic bags brought home here) I do love your basket. Nice basket for your grocery items and would also probably be great for caring in your fresh picked garden veggies, etc.
I have canvas bags too and although I *have* used them to carry my purchases as I was shopping before going to the register, I always worried that it looked like I was stealing. With this basket I don’t worry about that false perception since it’s wide open. And it’s much easier for the clerks to load than the cloth bags were. But I’ll still use my cloth bags for larger shopping trips when purchases won’t fit in the basket. I’d say about 85% of the time this basket will fit the bill. Love it!
Tammy, one more compliment here~ I love it. I have my canvas bags, but have been eyeing baskets like yours. My mom bought one a couple years ago and loves it. I will, but have to be in the right frame of mind to splurge on myself. I’m thinking this fall I will be to an event that has some beautifully made ones. Just maybe. . . 😉
PS I too avoid those plastic bags like the plague!
Totally understand the apprehension of splurges for oneself Lady Locust. I also held off quite a while before buying this one. But I absolutely love it, and I’m able to use it for many things – not just shopping. I’ll be doing a series of basket posts, be watching for them. ~TxH~