Plastic is out. Mesh is in.

As if you couldn't tell from my last post about my excitement over reusable shopping bags, I am even MORE excited about the new reusable produce bags I just picked up.

Can I just interject here and state, for the record, I used to be much less lame. Grocery bags would have never excited me pre 2009 when I got married. Trust me, lip gloss, diamonds, and designer handbags still make me giddy like a school girl, but now I mix in some more practical excitements. I'm blaming my new found lame-ness on Mr. TL. Love ya ;)

Where was I... Mr. TL can attest that every time I go grocery shopping, I find myself wondering, if we're so concerned with plastic grocery bags, why aren't we concerned with the plastic bags we use for produce? On an average trip, I'll get 5 or 6 different types of produce, each of which requires a bag to hold them in. Once I get home, I tear into the bag, put my produce away, and toss the bag aside. Wasteful!

So I did some Google searching and came across a company called Flip & Tumble that sells both reusable shopping bags as well as reusable mesh produce bags. At $11 for a set of 5 bags, I went for it (plus a carrying tote) and I'm glad I did. They are not only super easy to manipulate, with a large opening and easy drawstring closure, they also fit nicely into their carrying pouch and right down into my handbag (right next to my EnviroSax reusable shopping bags!).

Here is one of my bags in use after this afternoon's grocery trip...

And my set of 5 spread out on my table (love the multi color tags - just a fun addition to the bag)...

And the simple little carrying tote (which my little grey EnviroSax tote fits down in to as well - Bonus!)...

Doing my part to help stop waste... one bag at a time.

I know you've all seen the reusable grocery bags that every single big box chain store have available for purchase. Whole Foods. Target. Trader Joe's. Stop & Shop. Even WalMart! I had been a faithful user of these bags for years, even before it was "cool" to do so. That was until I stumbled across an expose piece on a local news station about how terrible these bags are for holding germs and bacteria and how I was basically gong to shrivel up and die if I continued to use them.

Okay. So maybe that last part is a bit falsified. But it is true about the bacteria and germs that lie dormant on these bags - and it makes sense if you think about it. Sure you can attempt to wash them but I remember that some of mine were oddly fleece lined and that wouldn't have done so well at all and others were made of a plastic material both inside and out.

So I dropped my reusable habit and started requesting paper bags. At least with those, I could repurpose throughout the house and not feel AS guilty had I used plastic. However, not every store has a paper bag option - like CVS for example.

Then came Christmas this year. My mom is known for finding quirky, sort of off-beat gifts to put in our stockings. So needless to say, I wasn't shocked when I opened my stocking and saw a reusable grocery bag that had pigs all over it.

I was intrigued by the bag, loved how much it held, how sturdy it felt, and when I found out that it was machine washable, my heart nearly skipped a beat. The company that produces these fabulous bags is Envirosax. They offer a pattern and style for everyone and are such a practical investment.

I received my order earlier this week and was so giddy to get to the supermarket today and use my fancy new bags! They arrived in a little grey pouch, which is the perfect size for tossing into your handbag on your way into the store (I always had a fight with the typical reusable bags as I tried to wrangle those, a carriage, my keys, and a handbag!) The ease of use was a welcome change.

When you open up the little pouch, you see the bags all rolled up and think "I'll never get them all back in here" but if I can do it, you can do it! They condense so well and have the perfect little snap at the bottom of the bag that makes rolling and unrolling a dream.

Here is one my my bags all "stretched" out. The bag is as large as the other reusable bags but not as boxy or bulky in feel, which makes carrying them pretty easy. The straps are long enough to be swung over the shoulder too - bonus!

I ordered my bags from Bright and Bold online which allowed me to make a custom pack of 5 bags, and pick from an array of colors, all the while using a promotion code for 10 %off! Here's what I ended up with:

(top row: La Boheme 1, Botanica 4, Bloom 2)

(bottom row: Midnight Safari 4, Origami 1)