The Red, White, and Green

Natural cotton reusable produce bag from EcoBags

I’ve amassed quite a collection of reusable totes over the years that I never fail to take with me to the grocery store, farmers market, and for shopping errands around town (I even have a little expandable one that I keep in my purse for unexpected purchases, though those have become few and far between given the current economy).

Once at the grocery store, I usually forgo the plastic produce bags for larger items like chard and bunches of carrots; a little dirt in my canvas tote doesn’t matter since I wash them regularly. But the other day at Whole Foods, when I reached for a plastic bag in which to place a handful of loose mushrooms, I suddenly felt like a hypocrite. Even though the WF produce bags are made from 100 percent recycled plastic and I can put them in my recycling bin at home, if I’m going to embrace reusable bags, I may as well go all the way, right? 

Amazingly, my local WF doesn’t sell reusable bags for fruits and veggies (although it’s not that surprising, since I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use anything but the plastic ones they offer in the produce aisle). Luckily, you can find a great selection of reusable produce bags online. A couple sites I like:

• ReusableBags.com offers a range of options, including an organic cotton net version that’s see-through for fast checkout, and an organic cotton muslin one that’s handy for bulk bin items like rice and nuts (both come in two sizes). The site also sells SmartCycle fine mesh bags made from recycled plastic bottles, which are machine washable and last up to 15 years.

• EcoBags makes lightweight sacks from certified organic cotton in an assortment of styles and sizes (including the cute printed one, above). The bags have a drawstring closure and are machine washable.

Got some old sheer curtain fabric lying around and and a bit of ambition? You can even make your own, thanks to this handy guide from Mother Earth News.

–Jennifer Grayson

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