eco friendly & eco chic shopping bag guide
by Maureen @ 12:20 am 25 comments »
Did you know that in Ireland in 2002, plastic bags were abolished practically overnight from the consumer shopping scene? If you haven’t seen the stats, Envirowoman rounds up some plastic bag info that’s sure to make you drop the plastic. NRDC provides a re-cap of IKEA’s moves to rid themselves of the plastic bags, offering customers reusable blue bags for 99cents/each. And yahoonews brings us the latest legislation regarding California’s efforts to bag the plastic.
Making the switch to reusable bags is easy to do. You just have to decide what you’ll use in place of the petro-based horrors.
Hopefully, you already own the perfect re-usable shopping bag — but you just don’t realize it. Perhaps it’s hiding in your closet — either on the floor or on a hard-to-reach shelf: maybe there’s a nice le sac or LL Bean lurking in the darkness, awaiting your grasp. Wouldn’t that be nice? You might uncover a lying in wait tote that you could flaunt on your way to the local market.
If you do need to purchase the perfect reusable shopping bag — first consider your personal, every day needs. How strong does it need to be? Does it need to collapse, roll-up & fold easily; or does it need to hold its shape? Washable? How stylish? Should it be made from sustainable material (hemp, jute, ingeo), organic cotton or recycled material with water or vegetable-based dyes; compost-able? Ideally, the answer to this last, detailed question is, YES! As with all goods,
there are degrees of
green-ness regarding the manufacture of a reusable bag. Here are a few good places you might consider if you need to purchase the “next, eco fashion accessory”…
b. happybags - U.S-based; zippy graphics, cotton; $20.
(pics #2 & 4)
motorcity - recycled fence, ornj $26-60
bags of change - hemp-cotton, UK-based.
downbound - tote style hemp bag, $17.50; & organic cotton $3 & up.
Earthbags- made from jute.
Ecobags - string, hemp, woven, canvas - best selection of produce bags.
Ecoezi - set of 10, washable bags; $21.95/set.
Eco-handbags.ca - reusable shopping bags as well as eco chic handbags. free US & Canada shipping.
Ecoist.com - totes from recylced rice bags
Ecolution - for wholesalers only.
Ecosilk - Australia-based; nice Alpha Bags, solid colors.
Ecosafe Bags - Australian-based; wholesalers.
Environment Bags available to wholesalers.
Envirosax - eco-friendly, fold-able, sets of 5; (pics #1 & 3).
flip&tumble - 24-7 @12/each, great colors
greenfeet.com - chico & string bags.
hip&zen - more like handbags than shopping bags.
I’m Organic - certified organic totes. free shipping over $75.
I’m Smitten - unique, stylish graphics.
Krata - OneLessPlasticBag - unique, double-fold pocket
and from the UK.
Natural Collection - UK-based. “support local foods” washable cotton canvas; and GreenPeace’s Little Green Bag for groceries.
POSCH bags from UK-based, Natural Store. Handmade from vintage fabrics.
rawganique - 100% hemp shopping bags.
reusablebags.com - high eco-friendly factor; many stylish options; practical shapes; some with wheels.
SierraClub - great selection of bags; $20-$38 totes & cinch styles.
tree2mydoor.com - jute bags, stylish and nice selection of sizes, shapes & colors.
Keep at least one reusable bag handy — whether folded up and tucked under the seat of your car, in your bike bag, backpack or handbag. With retailers beginning to either charge for plastic bags, or eliminate them altogether, it’s becoming an easier switch to make. Hopefully plastic bags will become a thing of the past soon.
A few of our other plastic bag-related posts:
anyahindmarch: i’m not a plastic bag
anya: NEWS update (4.27.07)
anya: a nyc hit (7/18/07)
reusable bag from Flip and Tumble (10.24. 07)
One Organic Earth for eco shopping bags (12.2.07)
paper or plastic? (12.15.07)
wear some green on your shoulder (1.10.08)
eco chic totes from Ecospun (2.13.08)
skeeda - an offspring of 3 sisters (3.20.08)
NO! Shopping Bag: shopping bag goes under garmento
Envirosax: lightweight, portable and water-proof
Natural Collection: Better Options (replace those tiny plastic food storage bags)
Where to recycle plastic bags, in California plasticbagrecycling.org.
Feel free to jump in with your plastic bag replacement solution or story.
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Ok, what do you put your garbage in? I am not trying to be smart, just wondering if it is a garbage bag? I ask because here is my system: buy groceries in bags, recycle everything the city will take, don’t chuck batteries, compost or garberator food waste, and chuck the rest in the trash. The trash goes out in grocery bags. They won’t take open trash here.
I’ve done the same. I feel it’s the least we can do to make the best of the plastic bags.
I’ve been trying to find a US-based provider of these bio-degradable plastic trash can liners, but only know of this UK-based resource.
Link is here to Natural Collection’s corn starch based solution
What Can You Do to Save the World?…
The Alternative Consumer is a cool site; it's a lifestyle thing. They "present cutting-edge design, progressive initiatives and wise alternatives that stimulate a positive impact on the environment - one purchase at a time - alternativeconsum…
Thanks for the great resource! Another option to throw out there is to make your own bag. You can take the old plastic monsters, cut them into strips and knit or crochet them into a recycled, collapsable, lightweight work of functional art! I’m pulling out my knitting needles tonight. Here’s a website with instructions.
I live in an apartment building and they will not take open trash. I also have two dogs which are walked three times a day, using at least four bags a day. That’s a lot of bags. Are there any alternatives? I’ve been trying to think what they did in the old days when they didn’t use plastic bags. How did they buy their seafood, fruits and vegetables? Thanks.
thought you would like to see what were doing here at big stitch in england to help encourage families to use eco friendly shopping bags.
hope you like them my daughter drew the picture of the bird family on the one on our web page.
I understand the purpose of reusable grocery bags, but once again, what about garbage bags? Usually, I use the plastic bags that I get from the supermarket for everyday garbage and clearly, they are the biggest problems for landfills since the plastic isn’t biodegradable. Does someone have a solution? Also, I can’t use a compost bin because I live in an apartment and that could get quite stinky in my unit. Any insight would be most helpful
Hi Karen,
Trash Can Liners:
BioBags or Ecosacs from Natural Collection.
Composting in an apt is very challenging. NatureMill and Bokashi Composting Systems are 2 resources you may want to try. I think they require a “big commitment” when you’re in an apartment. If there’s a community garden group in your neighborhood, perhaps you can coordinate composting efforts with them.
Thanks for the commenting. Keep in touch.
I am opening a soccer store and I would like to help the environment by not using plastic bags does anyone know where I can buy enviro friendly bags for my store? Thank you, Susan
Hi Susan,
That’s a great question. I’m doing some research on your behalf, so stay tuned. Meantime, if anyone has a suggestion, please jump in.
Hello again, Susan,
We would of course encourage your customers to “bring their own” reusable bag, which is the best solution. Or you can source a manufacturer to make a reusable bag for you (using either a renewable source, like hemp or a material that’s made from recycled goods).
Another avenue you can explore is an option available via novamont. They manufacture Mater-Bio shopping bags that are biodegradable and compostable. These bags are designed to be “reused” as well.
Shouts of Thanks to Jeffrey at NRDC, Zach at Greenshopper and papernorplastic.com for their time and energy on our behalf.
OK, so I live in SF and we have a ban on plastic bags. To answer your questions about what to use for garbage, well, first off, we recycle big time, so there is very little going into the garbage bin. I line my garbage bins with good old newspaper. And voila, I just dump it all in the big garbage bin for our street pickup.
Life without plastic is not that hard. It just takes a little effort - and I do mean little.
Hello
Just want to introduce ourself, we carry all kind of Eco Friendly Bio Degradeable Shopping bags for personal, retail or wholesale.
Our site is http://www.esastrade.com
Thanks
Sam
These bags are totally cute! Organic and natural:
http://www.greenhome.com/products/housekeeping/reusableware/114159/
We (my family farm) want to buy a large quantity of re-usable bags to sell to our farmers market customers to use instead of plastic (many of them do this already). Problem is, we advocate for eating local and if I’m going to buy re-usable bags I don’t want to buy re-usable bags made on another continent. Talk about hypocracy! How sustainable, ecologically sound, etc. is that?! Most of the bags I have seen (and all of the pp ones I think) are made in China or other such far-off place. The ones made in the USA are few and far between and usually too expensive for us to buy wholesale and then re-sell. I am willing to pay more for made in the USA, just want to keep it near $5-$10 per bag range so it is do-able for us. Plus, if possible, I’d like to buy even more locally than just the USA, we are in the Northeast. We need a sturdy large bag that can handle large amounts of heavy and often wet produce. Preferably easy to clean. Any suggestions?
Adina,
You can contact 2 companies and inquire about wholesale orders:
1) sales@reusablebags.com and
2) sales@ecobags.com
Let them know that we recommended them. Good luck with your project, I love farmers’ markets.
I love the idea of BYOB, but Im wondering how stupid I would look at the check out when the bagger puts my meat in a plastic bag and then in my canvas tote…so what could the meats and produce items be placed in before you put your groceries in the canvas/hemp…bag??
Whats the solution for these other items?
I have at least half a dozen tote bags that came free with cosmetic purchase that have been shoved in the back of my closet and plan to put them in my car to have handy next time I go grocery shopping, but am curious as to what I put meats/produce/fruit in???
Meda,
If you’ve saved any plastic bags from previous market purchases, you could keep some of them in the car, and use those in addition to your recycled bags. It’s not a perfect situation, but don’t feel stupid about occasionally having to use a plastic bag in order to keep your reusable clean. I’ve been using a string bag for gathering my produce, since it’s see-through. At the checkout, I separate like items for weighing. I bought a couple of insulated reusable bags with a zipper around the top for transporting refrigerated items. They’re great for meat and dairy, and the inside can be wiped clean very easily. If anyone has any other suggestions, please feel free to jump-in. So start re-using those free totes, and don’t worry about the occasional need for a plastic bag. At least you’re making a conscious effort to bag the use of plastic bags.
This is a great web site, but I still don’t find an answer to my “burning question”: what do people put their garbage/trash in once they can no longer re-use plastic grocery bags? I haven’t thrown away an empty plastic grocery bag for years! I changed over to cloth shopping bags some time ago, except to the extent that I need plastic bags for garbage. I’ll have a real problem soon because they’re being outlawed in my area, but it really doesn’t make sense ecologically or economically to go out and buy NEW plastic bags for garbage.
I live in a condo and composting isn’t practicable. Local regulations prohibit throwing loose garbage/trash in our dumpsters. So, what am I to do? No one seems to have an answer to this question. Help, please!
Hi Elizabeth,
This issue really bugged me as well. I live in an apartment and the garbage has to go down the SHUTE which I don’t think people are realizing. Except the lady who said she uses newspaper as liner, then throws it in the big dumpster. That would be hard in the winter and could fall back on you,too.Anyways, I figured you now have to buy your own compostable bags at the local walmart or wherever. So basically, buy some huge paper or compostable bags. I really hope that helps as I was so confused by this as well.
Hi Elizabeth, (Anita and anyone else who’s trying to figure out what to put your trash in these days)
As I mentioned in a comment on June 30, 07 — I recommended BioBag as a kitchen-sized, trash can liner solution. Buying bags to put our trash in may add to our cost of living but at the same time it will help the environment. So it’s a downside in economic terms, but an upside in ecological terms.
http://www.biobagusa.com/Consumer.htm#order.
These bags are made from corn — they’re very thin so you can’t “overload them.” I think in time there will be more options available.
Like composting, it’s one of the challenges involved with living in an apartment.
Ecosacs, btw as I mentioned previously, are biodegradable and compostable — mostly for veggies, etc.
Thanks for jumping in…
I have a question about the bio bags. If they are plastic, are they really biodegradable or is this the same as putting “all natural” on a product that is anything but? Are these bags tested somehow? I hate to sound skeptical, but I want to make sure I am getting what I pay for.
Yes they are tested. As you would see if you read the faq on their website. The Bio Bags are certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute to meet ASTM D6400 specifications.
To Anyone looking for another “green” alternative for trash can liners, I’m currently using EcoSafe Tall Kitchen Bags. They’re PVC and plasticizer-free and packaged in materials made from recycled paper. They contain a proprietary additive called DCP (degradable compostable plastic) which allows for “total fragmentation … leaving no toxic or harmful residues.” Available at LetsGoGreen.biz/.
I am very interested in purchasing wholesale bags
please notify if possible