Now that most of us have opted for reusable shopping bags instead of plastic shopping bags that harm our wildlife and environment, what about reusable produce bags? How can we fit these into our shopping trips and what types of produce bags are available?
Why do we need reusable produce bags?
Do you remember when you could get fish and chips wrapped in newspaper? Back in the day we used cardboard boxes and even paper bags to carry home our purchases from the shops. Now everything is plastic! However, given that we understand the problems of plastic shopping bags, most of us have a boot full of reusable shopping bags that we take back and forth to the supermarket.
Whilst this fixes the problem of plastic shopping bags, we are still left with the rolls of small plastic bags that grace the produce aisles in the supermarkets. We fill them with our produce, take them home, and then are faced with the same problem as plastic shopping bags! No-one seems to recycle these small produce bags, so they end up in landfills and waterways. It makes sense to replace these plastic produce bags with reusable produce bags, eliminating the problem once and for all. Did you know that these little plastic bags actually suffocate your fresh produce, killing it quicker!
Produce bags are usually made recycled PET plastics that can be reused, again and again. They are a good solution to the hundreds of small disposable plastic bags we use for our produce every year. They can be made from any material, as long as it’s lightweight, so that it doesn’t alter the weight of your produce at the checkout however it’s always best to have 100% natural products up against your food. The Swag produce bags are made out of 100% unbleached, unseeded cotton.
However, these types of reusable produce bags, won’t keep your fruit, vegetables and leafy greens fresh, crisp and nutrient rich. They’re simply a way to carry and organise your produce. So what do you do when you get your beautiful bounty of fresh produce home?
That's where The Swag comes in. The Swag is a patented, reusable bag that is specifically designed to keep your produce fresh, crisp and nutrient rich for two weeks or more! Yup, you heard it! For two weeks, you simply dampen down the bag and pop all of your produce in and BOOM! Two weeks of amazing freshness. How? Your fresh produce is living and breathing. You would never put a bunch of flowers in a plastic bag and seal it would you? Then why do we do this to our valuable produce? It needs air and water to survive and The Swag unique three layer system creates the perfect environment to keep produce happy and healthy for two weeks or more so you;re eating your produce at its optimum nutritional value.
How do you use these reusable produce bags?
Simply keep them with your other reusable shopping bags in the boot of your car, so that you can take them all with you on your next trip to the supermarket. Once in the food and veggie aisles, you can place your produce in the bags and go through the checkout as normal. It’s a good idea to place different fruits and veggies in their own bags, so that you don’t get confused at the checkout.
Our 100% unbleached, unseed cotton produce bags are useful for any type of fruit or vegetables, and can even be used within your Swags. Swag produce bags can also be used for dry beans, nuts and flours, etc. More and more people however, prefer to use unbleached cotton, rather than recycled plastic net bags.
How do you use these The Swag?
Simply dampen down your Swags and fill with a mixture of fruit and veggies. Machine wash every two-three weeks. The Swag is built to last years with proper care saving the average Aussie household $1,500 per year in fresh food waste. yipppeee!
Can you make your own produce bags?
If you are handy with a sewing machine and overlocker, you can make your own produce bags out of recycled materials or buy new material from your local craft store. Unbleached, unseed cotton is a safe choice, because it can easily go through a cool cycle in your washing machine and doesn’t contain any toxic chemicals that can leach into your fresh fruit and veggies.
So if you are happily using your reusable shopping bags, why not check out reusable produce bags and The Swag as well?
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