It’s a Maine Thing - Hezzy’s Sidewalk Talk

It’s all about being considerate of the world around you. That runs the gamut from being nice to those around you, to recycling, to shopping locall,y to reigning in the Fuji bottled water purchases (oooh, the transportation costs and energy use to get that Fuji water into your hands).

Yes, we all know about the big, obvious things that we can do….making one’s next car a hybrid, putting solar collectors on the rooftop, purchasing furnaces that use a miserly amount of oil.

All well and good, but most of us in Maine do not have the financial resources to be green on that level. However, there are lots of other simple and accessible things that can be done to reduce one’s energy use.

One easy way to pitch in is by taking a tote from home that you can use over and over to haul the groceries in. The Hannaford chain has done a terrific job of making all that easier for you by making available a new, well-designed tote. I have checked out a number of bags that other stores have made available, but this one is the best. In jazzy colors with earthy undertones (it’s the environment, right?) the bags are made from recycled materials (good thinking!), making the totes very light in weight.

When not in use they fold-up into a tidy 8 ½” x  4 ½ ” shape. Unfolded, they open up to a large, yet manageable tote that holds lots of groceries. Hannaford has given a great deal of thought to this bag that deserves lots of kudos. Under $2.00 and available in the check-out line at all stores.

Don’t be dumb like me, though. It took me awhile to get used to putting the bag back in my car after each use. I kept ending up back at Hannaford without the tote and leaving the store with the generic bag the they normally pack the provisions in.

Finally developed a system for myself where the tote ends up back in my car RIGHT after the groceries are put away. Gotta think green, right?