Reusable Grocery & Produce Bags

Grocery and Produce Bags

Plastic grocery bags are convenient. It is hard to deny our shopping task is simplified, knowing an endless supply of those flimsy, single-use bags are waiting for us at the checkout stand. While it might seem like these sturdy carry-alls have been a part of our world since the Romans purchased figs and pomegranates at the gates of the Colosseum, the non-recyclable bags were only introduced in the 1980s by Safeway and Kroger grocery chains.

In the previous decades, shoppers gathered our fresh produce and goods in potato-colored paper bags, which, more often than not, disintegrated almost immediately.

Today, the cheap, single-use plastic bag has become one of the most harmful inventions of the modern world. Grocery and produce bags are the ubiquitous villains in the assault on our natural environment. They make up a large percentage of our non-renewable products, by the number if not by weight, and contribute to the global climate crisis, ocean pollution, and species extinctions.

The ramification of their worldwide proliferation is not only the degradation of our environment but has direct consequences for human health and welfare.

With growing awareness of the problem, many governments are beginning to take steps to alleviate further proliferation.

Luckily, there are several sustainable and convenient alternatives in the marketplace.

Product examples:

GreeOn Eco-Friendly Reusable Produce Bags—These non-plastic vegetable bags use eco-friendly hemp cotton mesh. They are washable and, with double-stitched seams, ready to hold the heaviest fruit, be it your favorite melon or pineapple. GreeOn offers the bags in three different sizes as well.

Another mesh bag is from Oraganix. These reusable bags are BPA-free and food safe. Like many sustainable produce bags, they come in various sizes, with Oraganix noting that their tight mesh bags can even transport bulk grain.

Another organic cotton bag is from Lonove. These bags are high quality and made with double-stitched seams for extra strength. The Lonove bags are plastic-free, lead-free, and both BPA and PVC-free. Unlike most b, they can b used to store produce in the refrigerator. The Lonove bags can be either hand-washed or tossed into the washing machine.

The reusable bags from Naturally Sensible may not be created from entirely eco-friendly materials, but they nevertheless can replace the single-use bag. Lightweight, these washable bags are offered in a large 12 x 14-inch size.