Don’t Shop ‘Til You Get These Plastic-Free Reusable Produce Bags

Plastic-free reusable produce bags are the MUST HAVE way to avoid those flimsy single-use plastic bags you grab when you’re shopping bulk produce aisles.

I’ve updated this post for Plastic-Free July to remind you how great reusable produce bags are and help you find ones that work for you.

Get some and do what I do: keep them with my reusable cloth shopping bags. That way, I’m sure to take them into the store and have them handy when I need to stock up on loose green beans or a half dozen apples. I LOVE not having to use  throwaway plastic bags that are so thin they can’t be used more than once.

We originally partnered with SGM Reusable Mesh Produce Bags to let you know what plastic-free alternatives were readily available. While those are out of stock, here are three other great options so you’ll never need to use ANY plastic bags again.

Organic Cotton Mesh Reusable Produce Bags – These bags come in a set of 3 large bags, 3 small bags, and 4 medium bags. I have a set of 3 medium cotton mesh bags. I use them for everything except bulk beans. I can put them and the produce they carry directly in the fridge, so they’re very convenient. They’ll get a little stretchy if you put heavy food in them, but that doesn’t affect their performance.

Simply Eco Reusable Produce Bags With See-Through Window – This set of 7 bags includes muslin bags for bulk shopping. It also includes mesh bags for produce shopping, and a bag the manufacturer says works like a lettuce keeper in the fridge.

Reusable Produce and Muslin Bags, Plus Bonus Bag – This looks like a good set. It includes three  produce bags and three muslin bags (good for seeds, oats and grains, rice, cereals, etc.). And the large drawstring bag can be used either for bulky items like apples or corn on the cob, or as a grocery bag.

Here’s Why You’ll Love Reusable Produce Bags

⇒ They’re both durable and washable. They can be used over and over and over again, so each bag could probably replace thousands of throwaways. They’ll last pretty much as many times as you go shopping.

⇒ They often come in “value packs” of 12, in three sizes: 3 small, 6 medium and 3 large. Use the small ones for foods like herbs, nuts, and raisins that you buy in bulk. Use the medium sized ones for lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, radishes, onions, carrots, plums, and more. Use the large ones for grapefruit, apples, oranges, bananas, and larger quantities of anything else you need to get. (I personally don’t need more than 8-10. You might need a couple more or less.)

⇒ They’re “Multi-Purpose.” In addition to using them for produce, you can also use them as mini laundry bags when you travel, or to hold kids’ toys, office supplies, and laundry “delicates” (i.e., underwear!).

⇒ They’re cheap. And once you buy them, you don’t need to buy them again.

⇒ You can rinse fruit right in the bag and then put the bag directly in the fridge. They create no extra waste or packaging.

⇒ They’re versatile. Use them in the grocery store but at the farmer’s market, too.

⇒ They’re easy to store. Just place them in one of the reusable tote bags you take to the grocery store.

At least once a day, someone from the Big Green Purse community contacts me asking where she can get reusable produce bags. For a lot of people, getting rid of single-use throwaway plastic produce bags is the last step to truly plastic-free shopping!

We’re happy to link you to these bags and hope you’ll get some straight away. And please share this post and the links on your own social media. The more people use them, the less plastic we’ll be throwing away.

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