*notcot in food+drink , 21:38

Corporate Re-Bags- 10.20.07

newrebagmain.jpgI guess you could say i have a preoccupation with the state of reusable grocery bags, and while i was out tonight i couldn’t help myself, and gave in and purchased a 99 cent Target zip up bag, as well as the new insulated Whole Foods bag for $2.99. Also thrown in for comparison is the standard Whole Foods 99 cent bag (the matching version at target was around $1.49 i think - and i’ve also seen variations of these same ones from various grocers). The other one from the same manufacturer that i have at home is the 6 wine bottle version (basically the standard with braces to hold your bottles apart). So, from a shoppers perspective it looks like Green Bag has got quite a hold on the corporate reusable shopping bag market. And they are great! Just not quite as pocketable as the Baggus and Envirosax we were discussing earlier. One of the nicest things about these other than the super reasonable price points ~ these are the reusable’s equivalent to a standard paperbag ~ a bit sturdier, and love that they have a plastic insert to keep the bottoms strong. These are great in the back of my car and for odd shaped items. As for the target one, i couldn’t resist the adorable bird on a target tree design they had. Isn’t it cute? And the tag reads: Reusable Shopping Bag “Reuse to Reduce”. Due to the zip up nature of the bag, no sturdy flat bottom for this one, and not quite tiny enough i’d want to keep it in my purse.

An observation on the difference of the corporate check out culture between Target and Whole Foods. When i was at Target and purchasing the bag, she just throws it into a PLASTIC bag and hands it all to me… doesn’t even think to put my stuff in the bag. When at Whole Foods, the insulated bag i was buying was in the cart… and she asks me whether i brought my own, or i’m buying that one ~ and proceeds to load my groceries into my reusable bags. [I’d link you to places to purchase these online, but i can’t find links!]

targetrebag.jpg

wholefoodsrebag.jpg

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7 Notes

Target is now implementing a incentive program every time you use the reusable bag. Smart in these trying times and a beautifully designed bag to boot!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wink/51323628042?ref=sgm

----- scott thares 25.11.09 14:09

Hey: the idea of buying a reusable bag and having it, and everything else thrown into plastic bags is a common one. I have finally (I think) gotten it spread far and wide enough that I’m allergic to plastic bags. I think about 20-25% of the checkers and bag people believe me, and they all think that the cloth bags I make are great looking, but they all still prefer the plastic bags. (I presume to save time…or something: it isn’t to save the planet or the rivers or the roadsides!) I’ve not seen any like the ones that you’ve shown. It looks neat though. I think I can make something like that.

----- Accidental environmentalist 06.02.08 16:18

You can buy the Target bag online over at the Target Bullseye Shop .

----- Nicola 04.12.07 05:04

PLEASE TELL ME WHERE I CAN PURCHASE TARGET REUSEABLE SHOPPING BAGS. THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN THE CHICAGOLAND AREA :(

----- barbara miller 25.11.07 21:40

I think it’s great that the inexpensive bags that stores offer makes the whole reusable idea accessible to more people, but those mass-produced polyprypolene bags are neither eco-friendly or well-made. I started a company called minusbags (www.minusbags.com) because I wanted to have well-crafted, cotton bags made in the U.S. The sewers that make my bags take great care with their work and it shows. And I don’t think $16 is an outrageous amount for a washable bag that will last a very long time. I am curious to know if more people are willing to pay more for organic cotton. It’s something I struggled with — better to have it be cheaper to get more users? or keep it as green as possible? Any thoughts?

----- mb 23.10.07 08:53

A few years ago Trader Joe’s sold canvas bags that have been completely fantastic. They had regular sized bags for about $2.99 and large canvas bags like the LLBean or Lands End bags for just $6.99. They’ve held up great and I just keep them in the car for all my shopping. I bought several of each.

I looked at the current model at Trader Joe’s, and I am less than impressed.

----- Andrea 22.10.07 14:38

I bought five Green Bags thru ecobags.com about six months ago and had problems right off the bat. Two out of the five arrived with unsewn seams and then less than a month later two more developed holes in the seams due to poor stitching and cheap thread. Thankfully the customer service at ecobags was outstanding and they refunded my money without me having to ask for it. They’re great bags, if they’re sewn properly.

I’ve also purchased bags at Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid. Rite Aid was the only shop that put my bag inside a plastic bag. The cashier obviously had no clue what the bags were meant for.

----- Betty 21.10.07 11:30


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