12 Clever Uses for Reusable Grocery Bags You Haven't Tried Think beyond the checkout line. Close Credit: Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty Images It’s easy enough to accumulate those reusable plastic grocery bags in the checkout line. You purchase one after forgetting to bring your own during an impromptu stop for fresh produce—rinse and repeat. The question is what to do with the excess of reusable grocery bags you eventually find in your midst? In this case, consider all of their practical purposes besides just lugging groceries. And as it turns out, there are a lot of them. We went to organization and sustainability experts to find out all of the creative ways you can use your reusable grocery bags, even without adding an onion or a single banana to the mix. Christian Pfeiffer, professional organizer at Valley Organizing Wendy Trunz, partner and head organizer at Jane’s Addiction Organization Jennifer Brandon, sustainability consultant at Wild Beacon Consulting 01 of 12 Portable Laundry Bags Credit: FabrikaCr / Getty Images When making a quick stop at the dry cleaner with a few garments, a reusable grocery bag is the perfect tote. “I keep one of these reusable bags in my closet and throw my dry cleaning in it,” shares sustainability consultant Jennifer Brandon. “The whole bag can then come with me, as opposed to having to transfer from a laundry bin to a bag to my car.” 02 of 12 Seasonal Storage Covers for Home Décor As the seasons change, you'll want to safely store your home's holiday and seasonal décor in an organized fashion. (This will make it all the easier to redecorate when the time comes.) Professional organizer Christian Pfeiffer recommends large reusable grocery bags for covering seasonal décor pieces, such as wreaths, while they’re in storage. Not only do they keep the dust and dirt off, but they help group like-items together on shelves. 03 of 12 Storing Crafts Credit: Emilija Manevska / Getty Images Stray knitting needles, yarn, and other unfinished craft projects and supplies have a way of sprawling across surfaces if not stored away promptly and neatly. Your reusable grocery bags are ideal for this purpose. "Even within a larger sewing or craft bin, having all of the pieces of a project together in one bag helps keep you organized and makes it easier to start again," notes Brandon. 04 of 12 Garbage Bags for Your Car We all know how cluttered our car interiors can get. Try using a reusable grocery bag to collect trash as you travel. "Place handles of a bag over the seat back in your car and use it for garbage to keep your car clean," advises Wendy Trunz, head organizer at Jane's Addiction Organization. 05 of 12 Transporting Recyclables Credit: Getty Images So that you don’t end up placing more problematic plastic bags into your recycling bin, Trunz recommends using your reusable grocery bags as bin liners. When full, simply grab the handles to transport your cans and bottles out to the corner or recycling center. (Recycling has never been more convenient!) 06 of 12 Dust Covers for Purses The last thing you want is to reach for your favorite bag, perfect for the occasion du jour, and find it damaged in your closet. Brandon recommends using reusable bags (particularly cotton ones) as dust covers for your nice purses. “You can also use reusable bags to store all of your small purses and handbags to keep your closet organized,” she adds. 07 of 12 Sports Bag Separators When packing a sports bag, it’s not recommended to slide your oft-used shoes in alongside your clean workout wear. To avoid the spreading of germs that close contact creates, Trunz advises using reusable shopping bags to separate golf shoes, tennis shoes, cleats, etc., from the rest of your workout gear. 08 of 12 Donations Bags Credit: Damian Lugowski / Getty Images Secondhand shops often have a shortage of bags, so consider donating your items in reusable shopping bags. You're not only helping the planet, you may also be helping the donation center, too. “You can also donate them to food banks, refugee centers, and your local schools or libraries,” Brandon says. “All of these options make sure that fewer new bags are being bought, which reduces waste, reduces your clutter, and helps ease charities’ budgets.” 09 of 12 Gift Bags Some reusable bags are pretty enough to use for gift bags, says Trunz. Whether for a birthday or a housewarming gift, these bags are perfectly acceptable for presentation. For the holidays, Trunz suggests choosing a seasonally designed gift bag for each person in your family. “Put their name on each bag, and as they open gifts, they can organize and gather them into their personalized bags to take home,” she suggests. 10 of 12 Bonus Bags for Moving Credit: Viktoriya Skorikova / Getty Images At the end of a long day of packing, there's bound to be remaining rogue items that just didn’t make it into those cardboard moving boxes. This is a perfect opportunity to put your reusable grocery bags to use. "They're great for packing the last odds-and-ends of moving—the paper towels, scissors, Sharpies, cleaning supplies, and things that you need first and last at a new house," says Brandon. They are especially great for moving books—the heavy load is made easier to manage with those handles! 11 of 12 Trick-or-Treat Bags Many of the reusable grocery bags we see in check-out aisles have cheerful and attractive designs that, in a pinch, make for perfect alternatives to trick-or-treat bags, notes Trunz. Not only are they often seasonally themed, but they are sturdy enough to carry all of the Halloween candy that a child could want. 12 of 12 Beach Bags Reusable shopping bags are perfect for a day at the beach. You can transport your dry towels and beach toys in them as you head out in the morning—and then, when the day is done, these reusable shopping bags are ideal for storing wet, sandy towels and clothing until you get home to wash them, says Trunz. Explore more: Cleaning & Organizing Storage & Organization