Cotton Canvas Grocery Bags: Strong, Durable & Sustainable Shopping Piece

Dear Family and friends,

Did you know that the Philippines ranks 27th out of 50 countries in the 2025 World Bank What a Waste Global Database? We generate 14.6 million tons of municipal solid waste each year.

In Asia alone, the Philippines is one of the 5 countries that are responsible for 60% of the plastic waste in the world's oceans, which includes China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

How come I feel my fellow Filipinos don't care at all? I see one or 2 bring their own bags to the wet market or grocery stores. Rustan's supermarket and 7-Eleven share the advocacy, but the rest of the people and retail stores, business as usual.

In Divisoria alone, those green, pink and blue sando bags are predominantly used. This is how it works, let us say a kilo of cucumber, siempre pipili ka, the seller gives you the bag, doon mo ilalagay ang napili mo na cucumber. The practice should be ilagay mo sa kilohan ang napili mo so that you take the cucumber directly sa eco-grocery bag and pay. Can you see the picture clearly, correct? Ang nagyayari, the seller stares at me thinking I am weird for doing differently.

I bring my own canvas bag to Divisoria or supermarkets. Cotton canvas grocery bags are reusable, completely washable, and easy to carry, fold, store, and grab at any time. When at the grocery store, I politely requested the store attendant to put the SKU sticker on the banana directly. We have to assert and be creative to avoid using the one-time-use plastics to shout out, NO TO PLASTIC BAGS!

Use sturdy cotton canvas instead of the store's plastic grocery bags. These bags very strong and durable fabric, so your canvas bag will last a long time.

Let us help each other spread the practices so others follow suit. I can not do this alone. We need your help!

Sincerely,