Shoppers going to Boney’s Bayside Market no longer need worry if they forgot their reusable shopping bags. Emerald Keepers has taken the concept of the Little Free Libraries and applied it to reusable bags.
The Little Free Bag Library was installed at the entrance to Boney’s last week. Anyone who needs a bag, can take one. Emerald Keepers volunteers have supplied the library’s initial stock of shopping bags, but the program depends on community member contributions. Check your cupboards if you have extra reusable bags and drop them off at the Free Library. It’s a great way to help your neighbors, support a circular economy, reduce expenses, and cut down on waste.
Emerald Keepers requests that only durable reusable bags, such as nylon or cloth, be donated. No plastic bags. If you’ve borrowed a bag and don’t need it, please return it for others to use.
The Little Free Bag Library is operating on a one-month trial, with a permanent installation dependent on people keeping it clean and stocked.
The City of Coronado adopted a plastic ordinance on Feb. 18, 2025, that allows only paper carryout bags, which cost a minimum of 10 cents. California banned the thin, single-use plastic grocery bags in 2014. A new stricter state law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2026, bans all plastic bags from grocery stores, retail stores with a pharmacy, convenience stores and liquor stores.
These new laws have helped and will continue to help reduce plastic pollution. The Little Free Bag Library is designed to reduce waste further and save shoppers a bit of money.
If you see any issues with the Free Little Bag Library, please contact Emerald Keepers at info@emeraldkeepers.org.
