Video Guide to Small Reusable Shopping Bags For Produce & Bulk Items

By now, most people at least know that they should bring their own reusable shopping bag to the grocery store. This prevents waste from plastic and paper shopping bags, which get at best a few uses after returning from the store. However, one eco trend that hasn't quite caught on yet is reusable produce and bulk bags - every day thousands of shoppers use the provided small, thin plastic or biodegradable bags at the market without even realizing there's an alternative, and they usually end up in the landfills. Good thing there's a fantastic option: reusable produce bags made from cotton, canvas, or related plastic! Skip to the bottom for the video.

Eco-Friendly Messenger Bags for Men

My boyfriend asked me if I knew of a "manly eco-friendly shoulder bag" - I was thrilled that he asked, but nothing came to mind. So I posed the question on my Facebook page and got some great suggestions worth sharing in case you're looking for one too.

 Bare Tree Apparel - made from canvas (also available in black) ($34) this is the one my boyfriend ended up buying

Pretty trash

I stumbled upon an article about pink polka-dotted trash bags, which were used as an art project by Adrian Kondratowicz in NYC. Besides being cool to look at, they're also biodegradable and contain natural insect repellant. The best part is that you can buy them if you'd like. 

BYOBag & container

Today I got take out one of my favorite organic restaurants, A Votre Sante in Brentwood, and I made sure to tell them "no bag and no utensils". Whenever I get take-out I always bring my own bag and never take their plastic utensils or napkins.  

I also recently started bringing my own to-go container to some places, for my leftovers. And, I when I order over the phone from another one of my favs, China Beach Bistro in Venice, I also tell them I'll bring my own container. When I arrive there I hand them my container and they put my take out in it (or else they'll use styrofoam)!

Also, consider buying glass food containers over the standard plastic (like Tupperware). Chemicals from the plastic can leak into your food, and glass is also more durable.