As discussed last week, BYOB (bring your own bag) is the new eco-friendly shopping trend. Re-usable bags for sale at stores with their logos displayed are the most affordable. But if you prefer to invest in individuality or a worthy cause, the following companies offer bags in all shapes, sizes, materials and price points while providing social and environmental benefits.
Recycled Consumer Packaging:
- XSProject Group: Indonesian trash pickers convert items such as toothpaste containers, juice boxes and detergent containers into bags; profits go back into the community
- Collpart: recycled fish-feed bags by artisans in Cambodia
- Teracycle: messenger bags made from juice-packs
- World of Good, Inc.: fair trade bags from all over the world made from materials such as recycled bottle tops, sari fabric scraps and rice bags
- Nahui Ollin: chain-linked candy wrappers made by artisans in Mexico
Recycled Billboard and Art Posters:
- 2xO ("two times around")
Miscellaneous Recycled Materials:
- Sea Bags: bags made from recycled sailboat sails
- Everquest Design: bags made out of original space mission parachutes and Mt. Everest tents
- Feuer Wear: bags made from recycled fire hoses and seat belts
- Blue Lotus: bags made from 100% organic cotton remnants; 10% of profits go to protecting sea turtles (thousands die each year from swallowing plastic bags thinking they're jelly fish)
- Reiter8: ("reiterate"); recycled sailboat sails
- FEED: burlap and organic cotton bags; sale proceeds go to feed a child for a school year via the United Nations World Food Program's (WFP) School Feeding operations
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One-Stop-Shop Online Bag Stores:
- Nubius Organics: B. Happy bags and the compact, roll-up Envirosax bags are handy
- reusablebags.com: check out the hemp "Plastic Bags Blow" bag
Another option is to promote your favorite charities and non-profit organizations. Many now sell canvas bags printed with their logo or message as a way to raise money while at the same time increasing exposure.
This barely scratches the surface but it's a peek at how fun bags can be, in both form and function. Whatever you choose to use, remember that the mission is to re-use.
