The people at ReusableBags.com(whose motto is the cute "Plastic Bags Blow") contacted me after reading Living Simply's article about Recycled Christmas Wrap. Their bags would certainly work nicely as reusable gift bags, but should be considered for year-round use as well.
They sent me some sturdy, reusable bags to try out. These bags are innovative and strong! My sense is these were constructed from the same rugged materials as outdoor grear - soft, ripstop stuff sack-wear, heavy canvas/nylon haul bag material and stitching...as an avid recycler and outdoor enthusiast, I was impressed.
I started by sampling three of the company's most popular products:
- Plastic Bag Dispenser - EcoSpun - The bag holder for plastic supermarket bags is a real boon for the reuse mentality. You stuff in your plastic bags and hang it up. Simple! You draw bags for reuse out of the bottom; it keeps all these bags neat and handy, and encourages even resistant family members to save the bags. My husband actually uses this - which says a lot. He hated saving all those plastic bags when they just kicked around under the sink cabinet.
These nifty items are totally Earth-friendly - they are made of EcoSpun, a fabric made out of 100% recycled plastic bottles and containers. The product costs around ten dollars and it's worth it just for my husband's buy-in to my ideals! :)
- ACME Workhorse Style 1500 - This stuff sack shopping bag, is - finally - practical for me. Most shopping tote bags get left at home because they are too big to carry everywhere. This bag takes up less space than the popular Euro drawstring sacks.
You literally stuff the empty puppy into it's built-in pouch, and it's small enough to travel in the bottom of my purse, as needed. The black, silky bag is roomy and sturdy enough for two bottles of wine, or a whole heap of produce - It's rated to 25 lbs.
Another nice thing: if this bag gets dirty, I can toss it in a cold wash on a gentle cycle, or handwash in my kitchen sink with gentle dish soap.
This is a budget-minded bag at less than $10, and is stylish (black) enough for even East-Coast fashionistas (no offense meant; my New York roots go way back).
I found myself wishing these bags fit over my shoulder, but they are your basic design and I can't complain about the wonderful compressability.
- Earth-Tote (tm) - The Earth-Tote bag is revolutionary in it's superior sturdiness. It's basically a backpack in a "paper shopping bag" shape. It features a front pocket for receipts, shopping lists, a pen and your car keys. The waterproof interior protects your clothes and car interior from spills, and the flat bottom makes this bag easy to unpack on the kitchen counter. I've never seen such a sturdy bag - nothing I've used in the past comes close.
If there's something to improve, it would be the handles. The webbing should be thicker (doubled over would help), and while there is some double-stitching, I don't think it's enough for heavy use.
Here's what their website says about this bag: Made with armor-like, ultra-durable 600 denier Cordura nylon fabric, each of these bags will save thousands of throwaway bags. Bag comes with a Lifetime guarantee!
Obviously, this is considered a premier bag. So if your handle breaks, you can probably use the guarantee to get a new one. Cost is $24.95.
Remember!
It's up to all of us to keep the level of plastic bag garbage out of the landfills, and even more important - out of the stomachs of our wildlife. Animals, like deer, fish, and many birds, injest these bags and starve to death, even surrounded by nutritious food sources.
For more information, the Reusuablebags website offers a lot of sad statistics on the amount of plastic bag refuse blowing around the world. Start with their Fast Facts. They also have a great page dedicated to how you can, in their words, "reduce the mindless consumption of single use plastic and paper bags".
I really like that this company is working hard to become part of the solution, and I plan to give them my patronage.
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Recycled Christmas Wrap
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