I buy reusable bags from a guy who stands outside the entrance to the main vegetable market in the city. They come in either black or brown. I get some of each and relegate the brown ones for the produce that comes with soil on them. Oh, and they cost less than 50 cents each.
I have blogged about a few reusable bag retailers in the past. There are lots of bags out there that have interesting design, cool source materials and/or an entertaining logo. These are unnecessary attributes but I appreciate them anyway. All the entrepreneurs and organizations that are working to gain attention for their own bags are also bringing attention to the good idea of using reusable bags instead of disposable plastic.
If you sell or give away cloth shopping bags please leave a comment on this post and I will do what I can with this blog to promote your product in future posts and through social media. If you are looking to buy some shopping bags, try to pick a local retailer to minimize the carbon footprint of your purchase. Products that are produced locally are even better.
Snobby:
Plain:
Jute:
Bags made from Recycled Plastic:
Fat Bottom Bags:
Rip-Stop Nylon:
Super Cute Shopping Bags:
Simple, Smart Design:
Water Repellent Polypropylene Bags:
Black Recycled Cotton Shopping Bag:
Snarky Anti-Plastic Bag:
Artsy Design:
This list will grow as I discover more sources of reusable bags. I have not personally used any of the above products, so I can’t personally vouch for their quality or customer service. Several of the retailers were recommended to me by people that I follow on Twitter.
The Good Human recommended Flea Markets as a good source for reusable bags. I recently bought a used equipment bag at a market table to with our snorkel stuff.
Update: Just found out via email that Calypso Studios is giving away a bunch of their bags to celebrate Earth Day.
Calypso Studios launched the S.H.O.P. Totes ™ January 1, 2009. The company collaborated with American artists, such as Lori Siebert, Emma Hand, Robin Roderick, Tina Higgins, and Andrea Tachiera to provide beautiful art on the totes. The totes are a fashionable way to Start Helping Our Planet by using reusable bags. The spacious bags are 17” x 19” when opened and easily roll up into a 2” x 3” size. Three bags are conveniently stored in an 8” x 6” wristlet carrying case. Calypso Studios S.H.O.P. Totes were also chosen as one of the celebrity giveaway swag bags at the Academy Awards in February. Celebrate Earth Day carrying the bag the celebrities use!
UPDATE:
A promotional firm called TBWA Vancouver decided to bait the sensitive ecopeeps with some ironic bag designs. Click the image to see more designs and find out how you can get one of your very own.
UPDATE:
These shopping totes are sold by Wrapsacks.com. As far as cloth shopping bags go, these might hold the record for the biggest selection of colors and patterns. The company specialized in reusable gift sacks and they chose 22 of their patterns to use with these shopping totes.
The shoulder straps and foldaway design are nice touches. If you already have enough bags of your own, you could get a tote and a gift bag from Wrapsacks to use as a gift to someone that is presently still toting plastic grocery bags.
UPDATE:
Corporate Sloganny Bags -
If you are short on reusable bags AND cash some of your best options may be the bags on offer at various retail outlets. The catch with these bags is that they boldly advertise the store. Some stores sweeten the deal by donating proceeds from bag sales to a charity. The Body Shop does this in most markets. I was browsing there today (okay I was scoring some Try Me hand lotion) and I noticed that they were supporting a local reforestation project with their bag sales.
April 1st, 2009 at 1:57 am
Neat site. I wanted to add it to Google Reader, but when I try to do so by clicking your RSS Feed link, it says that the feed cannot be found.
Also, it might be nice if you had an email address someplace so someone can contact you about things like this rather than have to leave a comment in a post. Just a suggestion!
April 1st, 2009 at 8:25 am
Hi Liora,
Readers can email me at info@plasticless.com
I’ll put that somewhere more prominent and check out the problem with the rss.
April 1st, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I liked this post…I’m obsessed with eco-friendly bags =)
April 5th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
My favorite reusable bag is one of the new ultra-compact ones (like http://www.reusablebags.com/store/acme-bags%E2%84%A2-workhorse-style-1500-p-1.html). The best bag is one that I will always have with me, even on surprise trips to the store, and these can pack away and stay in my purse at all times.
April 7th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
One of my favs by my favorite illustrator:
http://www.seadogpress.com/seadog/sea_togs/index.shtml
Great post!
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:22 am
short run,low volume,low cost plastic,pls contact me freely.
July 12th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
For a great comparison chart on Envirosax, Chico Bags, EnV and RuMe Bags, see this post:
http://brightandbold.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/reusable-bags-comparison/
September 13th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
My favorite bag is the b.happybag. Whenever people ask and I say that, I know they are thinking I’m just trying to upsell them…but it is so true! It is so durable and I have had my original for almost two years now and it has been through the ringer…looks almost new! The size is generous, good over the arm fit, made in the USA…I just love them.
http://thegreenpair.com/b-happybags2.html
One thing also that I didn’t see mentioned are produce bags (although I was reading rather quickly so my apologies if I just missed them.) I love the net produce bags for actual produce, but I often use the plain cotton bags w/o holes for bulk food bins. I can get pasta, granola, all sorts of things zero waste. It also encourages me to just buy what I need and conserve instead of going crazy and buying more than I will use and tossing it.
Ecobags makes great produce bags.. we only sell the net version currently, but will be expanding soon!
http://thegreenpair.com/produce-bags.html
Great article.. Some of those bags are fantastic and new to me!
September 13th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Hi!
I am into saving bags from being leftover!!! A great way to do this (other than picking them up) is to prevent the bags from becoming leftover. Thats where leftoverbags.com comes in with it’s quality reusable bags. I think you will find the designs refreshing, unique and super-wacky.
September 14th, 2009 at 12:23 am
We give away cloth shopping bags as gifts to our customers. We press our own logo onto the bags using ink-transfer paper and it looks great!
September 16th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
[...] am happy to add Fat Bottom Bags to my reusable bag roundup [...]
October 30th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Thanks for asking! My company (www.bulletinbag.com) sells reusable grocery bags in bulk – printed with custom logos/artwork for events, promotions and fundraisers. We offer fabric options and styles to meet all budgets and all ’shades of green’. We also just launched an innovative school fundraising program called Cooperation Green (www.cooperation-green.com). I’m following you on twitter (I am @baglady207). Thanks Again!
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:50 am
These reusable bags are great because you can use them over and over again
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:52 am
These reusable bags are great because you can use them over and over again i use them all the time when i am getting shopping for me my boyfriend and my son they are just great and they help the enviroment alot
November 27th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Via your tweet:
‘Which reusable bag is your favorite ?’
Still, gotta be… the one I made…:)
http://bit.ly/2e2qDL
November 28th, 2009 at 5:37 am
Plain. Most of the others are either silly in some way, or have a brand name slapped on them somewhere. I’d like to use a bag that isn’t kitschy and that doesn’t force me to advertise for someone.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:53 am
String bags — nameless, stretchy, flexible, squashable, put-in-pocket-able, washable, quickly dry-able, holds tons, used by my customers on pushchairs, to carry lawn bowls (yes!), store surplus vegetables from gardens and allotments, by children as swim bags, boot bags, what have you. Ah, the string bag is the best reusable bags — except when you wish to carry pens and pencils!
http://www.organic-ally.co.uk/26080.html
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:23 pm
I’ve got some cute fabric shopping bags – they’re easy on the hands and look nice too
http://www.etsy.com/shop/avocadocreations?section_id=5413730
December 10th, 2009 at 2:23 am
I leave a couple Baggu bags in my purse for random shopping trips or bag needs. But generally for “real” shopping I use either plain canvas ones or the kind sold by the grocery store (looks like the Polypropylene – I even have one from my local store that is insulated and zips for cold stuff!).
I do love the clever “I am sensitive” one though – maybe that would get my hubby to use them instead of groaning
December 10th, 2009 at 2:41 am
Reusable bags are great ideas although as with everything else, we are a society of over consumption and so I wonder, when do we have enough of these bags… Since they are trendy now, EVERYONE is making them.
For us, we use tote bags we’ve collected over the years and bags we received from conferences we’ve attended over the years.
Great site.. lots of useful information. thank you.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
A great way to help make using reusables even easier is to use The Tote Buddy. It’s The World’s First Reusable Bag Organizer. It neatly organizes reusable bags allowing them to be kept nearby and handy for every shopping trip.
They’re on sale now for the holidays!!
December 17th, 2009 at 2:38 am
Many of those bags are neat and nifty, but many of the companies out there are creating new polyester and making bags and calling them “reusable or recyclable”. – All green washing to me.
OBOEbags are made from reclaimed fabrics that were left over from the production of some other items. The fabrics are top quality, water proof, and no fuels of manufacturing were lit to produce the materials for these bags…they already existed. Who else can claim that?
http://www.onebagoneearth.com – Get your bag on!
December 17th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Julie, I have to question the point of The Tote Buddy. I have to take 3-6 bags with me for the weekly stock up trip and I just put all the bags into a bag.
Sam, I love the idea of using remnant fabric to make reusable bags. When I was a coffee roaster I was asked to save the most decorative 69kg jute bags for some ladies that were planning to make several shopping bags out of each one.
December 17th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Most of my reusable shopping bags are cheap ones that I bought on the street in Tunisia. They get a lot of use and I have noticed that the handles are starting to tear. The two bags that I got from http://Wrapsacks.com have strap material that goes all the way down the sides of the bags. I think this design feature is important for durability. If anyone is thinking of making bags for themselves, I would suggest that you have the straps go all the way to the bottom of the bag.
December 18th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Two of my favorite Snarky reusable tote designs were bags that said 1. “My wife makes me use this bag because she cares about the environment” (so true, getting us started on using totes was my thing. My husband’s was being Mr. Recycle Guy.) and 2. “I usually forget this bag in the trunk of my car” (because who hasn’t at one time or another?)
January 1st, 2010 at 12:27 am
Nice list but I’ve got to add Project GreenBag
http://www.ProjectGreenBag.com
Stylish, organic cotton, and made in the USA. If companies are going to make green bags they should walk the walk. Many of these bags are made overseas or from non biodegradeable materials.
But then again I may be a bit bias
- Manuel
Founder Project GreenBag
@ProjectGreenBag
January 1st, 2010 at 9:08 pm
As Sam says, reclaimed fabrics are the way forward – morsbags are made out of vintage clothes, remnants, offcuts and old curtains and duvet covers, so no green washing! Over 60,000 morsbags have been made in local communities (so no polluting travel miles either) and given away for free. Each one is original, strong and as colourful or as plain as the owner fancies! Grab a free pattern here: http://www.morsbags.com and make one yourself! Pay it Forward!
January 11th, 2010 at 1:10 am
I like the arty bag! I also really love jute.
January 19th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
The SULIbag systems uses dual lined, reversible Outie bags along with single lined Innie bags. This lets you hold many bags inside your Outie bag but only have to carry one bag into the store. Right now we have 4 different designs to choose from. My sister and I designed the bags, they are made of 100% cotton canvas, and we have them made right in our small hometown of Mexico, MO, USA!
February 5th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
We are a Canadian manufacturer of Produce,Bulk,Market String,Grocery,Shopper and Book Bags. We make our 100%cotton certified organic mesh bags from scratch. We Buy yarn locally, weave the mesh and sew and finish our bags in Canada. We now have added a line of snack/sandwich bags, wine bags and bread bags to our line. The designs are excellent quality and will last for years. We do corporate branding, fundraising and wholesale, and we now sell on line as of 2010!
Thank you for reusing and saying no thank you to plastic and paper.
Judy Lazar
Founder
Credobags.com
February 8th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
We love our farmers market totes reusable bags made from recycled materials but not all bags should be reused which is why we also carry Poop Bags for when you need to toss that bag with its contents. http://ecoshop.makufurniture.com/products/poopbags-by-poopbags
February 25th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
I South Africa retailers have been forced to charge for plastic shopping bags, and no longer give them away for free with your purchase. This has led to the shopping bag having a tremendous revival, definitely one for the better of the environment.
March 6th, 2010 at 12:06 am
I need some advice for my blog….I like your layout. Can you help me?
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:14 am
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April 20th, 2010 at 9:47 am
That have interesting design, cool source materials and/or an entertaining logo.
Very useful for shopping in market& looking nice Very designable, stylish & more fashionable .