There was always something about plastic bags in grocery stores that irked me, the way they feel against your fingers when you try countless times to open them up, how easily they rip and leave me with pears aimlessly rolling around the supermarket floor, the way they sound... they were never my friends. And, once I first started learning more about plastic pollution and waste, I really refined my aversion to them, they were now the enemy. Shopping bags were one of the first things I really cut off my day-to-day life, I saw no point to them seeing as I had so many tote bags around the house, I made this change early on, way before I even started delving into the whole plastic-free-living subject and I have regretted nothing.
Produce bags, on the other hand, are a completely different subject. As much as I hated them, I really didn't know there were other options, no one tells you when you're young "Hey, you don't have to use plastic bags for your vegetables, just bring some cloth ones from home" and so, for a long time, I continued to use the crappy and detestable plastic bags we all know and hate. Once I moved out, and started buying groceries way more often, it really bothered me the amount of plastic bags I had to use every week and so I simply stopped, I bought fewer fruit and vegetables each time and I would just carry them in my hands while I did the rest of the shopping. Every cashier in town hated me and always tried to stick everything in a plastic bag themselves, most times I was successful at avoiding them which always made me happy.
Fast forward until now, still refusing to use those annoying little bastards, still making cashiers angry for refusing them, and finally finding a way to replace them. In case this is a change you're yet to make, I thought we could go through it together. I've already started making my own, I simply got an old pillowcase I had and didn't use, cut it in four sections, and made four little bags, this way there was a lot less sewing to do and all I needed to add was a few strings I always save to help close them if needed. I was also lucky to find some lost ones at my grandma's which she told me to keep, so my little collection is growing. Cashiers still find this strange, and often wonder if I'm trying to steal something, and I get a few looks while I'm filling them up with my veggies, but I'm learning to ignore them, or sometimes teach them when they actually come up to me asking about them.
I prefer both my produce and shopping bags to be either in cotton or linen, and I usually just make them myself out of old pillowcases, tablecloths, whatever I have lying around that no longer serves its' original purpose but could easily make a bag. I've also made a big tote bag out of some scraps of fabric my mum had bought years ago to eventually make a dress (the dress was never made as the fabric was a bit too stiff for it, but it has been turned into a tote bag, a toothbrush pouch, and a little bag to keep my stainless steel straws, and there's still plenty to go around). If I'm buying my own fabric, I'll make sure I'm going for organic cotton and I usually like to buy the off cuts that the fabric stores tend to throw away because they're too small to sell by the meter. If you're interested in making your own, here are a few tips:
- make sure to always wash your fabrics a few times before sewing to prevent it from shrinking, I'm sure you don't want to make a bread bag to have it turn into a tiny bag to carry one lonely apple (I'm obviously exaggerating, but you get my point), you can skip this step if you're re-purposing old clothes that have been washed a lot already;
- if you're planning on making several bags at once, all the same size, make a template to make cutting easier, this way you won't need to measure every single time you cut a piece of fabric, you can use the first piece of fabric as your template, no need to waste a piece of paper;
- make sure to hem both the tops and the inside of the bag, this way it won't fray nor leave bits of fabric on your food;
- whether you're using a sewing machine or sewing by hand (as I do) I recommend you iron and pin the bag before starting to sew, to make sure all edges and corners align;
- tie a furoshiki cloth, one of the simplest bags you could ever use, simply because it starts out as a square of fabic that you simply tie all four corners in pairs, I tend to use this when I'm out and about and need to carry a snack, I grab whatever I'm having, put it in one of my fabric napkins and then tie two knots;
- make your own bento bag, this one is quite new to me but I love the look of it, and would love to make one soon. If you're not familiar with the bento bag concept, it's basically a piece of fabric that after some folding and pinning turns into a bag, like some magic origami piece. I've also seen these being used as gift wrapping or to carry lunches to work or school. Here's a pattern* you can use to make your own.
If sewing really isn't your thing and you'd rather buy them I also have a few places to recommend. If you're in Portugal you can't miss Pegada Verde, Mind the Trash, CÃrculo Bio and, my local store, Granel da Rainha. Internationally, you can find them at Plastic Freedom, Veji Bag, Dans Le Sac, and so many others. If you'd rather go with small makers, there are plenty of beautiful options available on Etsy, I particularly love this linen* one by EcoBugBags, and the print makes it really special, or this set of 5 cotton drawstring bags* by MadebyTyng, whose work I love so much, or any of the Cool & Mellow's products really.
