I've got a shelf in my hall closet that's basically a museum of canvas totes. Bookstore ones, co-op meeting ones, street fair ones, the nice thick ones from a dentist I haven't seen in a decade. I actually use maybe three: one for groceries, one for the gym, one for the beach. The rest just sit there looking smug.

I'm not trying to be a hoarder, but throwing them in the trash feels wrong. Do places even want used totes? Or am I supposed to cut them into rags and learn to sew? What does everyone else do with the ones you know you'll never carry again?

Okay I just moved and counted 14 totes, and I thought I'd use them for groceries but I keep walking out without them. Do donation bins take them? I used one as a gift bag once and panicked that it looked cheap, so it's now back in the pile.

Thanks for starting this thread. I need permission to get rid of at least ten.

Careful with the old Strand ones! The ones with the reinforced bottom seam are actually worth keeping, people collect those! Do NOT drop one of those in a donation bin casually, I keep one from years ago just for six-packs and it has held up better than my actual canvas grocery bags.

But the flimsy conference totes? Cut the handles off and use them as wrapping paper or rags! I also line the little bathroom trash can with one. Have you tried using the sturdy ones as a laundry bag for sweaters? Game changer!

The gift bag move is completely fine if you fold the handles under and tie the whole thing with twine! I did that for a baby shower and the tote got more compliments than the actual gift, which was honestly fine because the blanket was boring anyway!

I also cut the handles off flat ones and use them as drawer dividers for sweaters. My favorite weird use: covering a canvas tote over a bike rack bag in the rain. Looks ridiculous, works well enough for a short ride. Have you tried using one as a packing cube for shoes?

I've gone through several rounds of this. The short version: donation is useful, but only if you sort first.

Clean, sturdy totes without peeling interior coating are usually welcome at food pantries and community fridges. They often need them for distributing loose produce, pantry staples, or a few canned goods. But call or message first. Many small operations have limited storage and can't take thirty at once. Libraries sometimes keep a few at the front desk for patrons with an unexpected pile of books, though I'd ask before dropping off a bag of bags.

The thin, shiny conference totes are another story. They tear after two uses and volunteers usually end up throwing them away, so by donating them you're just moving the trash problem. Those I either cut up for wrapping or use as garbage liners in the bathroom.

My own system is three deep: one in each suitcase for shoes or laundry, one by the door for groceries, and one in the office drawer for the random 'I ended up at the store' moment. Everything else goes to a church clothing room, but only after I've checked for mildew and peeled logos. If it's a real estate tote with a broker's name on it, that's not a donation, that's just marketing.

@firstwinter 14 is a lot but I have at least 20. I tried a no-new-totes rule and then my co-op board handed one out the same week.

@brownstone_stoop I kept one of the old Strand ones from around 2011 and it's still holding a six-pack without stretching out. You're right about the bottom seam.

@oldyork_otis the suitcase idea is the first one that's actually made me think I'll use more. Do pantries care about small paint stains, as long as it's dry? Also what about the regular textile recycling bins at the farmers market, are those actually doing anything or is that a myth?

Replying to @SoHo_S and @firstwinter: a small dry paint stain on canvas is usually fine, as long as the bag doesn't smell and the handles aren't cracked. But if there's any question, ask the pantry outright. They'd rather have ten solid bags than forty clean-looking ones with paper-thin handles.

On textile recycling: it's not a myth, but it's also not magic. The green and white bins at farmers markets generally do collect textiles, and canvas totes can be included if they're clean and dry. But avoid anything with plastic lamination, peeling interior coating, or metal hardware that can't be removed. Those get pulled and trashed. One caveat: do not toss them in the regular blue recycling bin with paper and plastic. Sanitation's regular pickup is not set up to handle textiles, and mixed bags can cause more problems. Use a specific textile drop-off or a building collection if you have one.

My rule of thumb: if it would survive another grocery trip, recycle or donate it. If it wouldn't, use it for moving dishes, wrapping a sheet pan, or just line a trash can. @firstwinter, the gift bag move is absolutely fine, especially for cookbooks or wine. And yes, the real solution is to stop taking the free tote in the first place. I say this as someone who came home Saturday with another one from a street fair I didn't even plan to attend.