The Old Bag Project - an introduction

"Just say no".

That's been my policy for some time now on plastic bags handed out with abandon in almost every shop across the land. Despite that, I still seem to have a nest of them in every cupboard and hidey hole - are they breeding, I wonder?

The average household gets through more than 300 annually (that's nearly one for every day!) and that the vast majority end up in landfill, littering the streets or hanging from trees as witches' knickers. Often I end up with plastic bags because I forget to take along any alternative, or because I am simply too lazy to carry a bag around with me. And there's only so many plastic bags you can reuse as bin liners, after all.

Which set me thinking: can I find the ultimate plastic bag alternative - the ultimate reusable bag?

And so the Old Bag Project was born - my hunt for the best reusable bag I can get my hands on. Over the next few weeks I will be trying out various bags made of cloth and other materials, and reviewing them here on Horticultural. I'd like you to help, too - tell me which reusable bags you've tried, which ones work, and which don't, and I'll put your reviews on Horticultural.

I'll be testing bags against my main requirements, which are as follows:

1. The bag must be lightweight and easy to fold (scrunch?) up into my handbag to take along on shopping trips until needed.
2. It must be washable: no point in buying a lovely bag if you can't get that jam stain out.
3. It must have handles long enough to serve as a shoulder bag and short enough that the bag doesn't drag on the floor when I hold it with arms by my side.

I'm currently trying out a "Dig Your Veg" bag sent to me for review by Sally Walton of Carry-a-Bag, which you can see pictured above: a review will follow shortly. Then in the coming weeks I'll be taking a look at Tesco's Bags for Life and trying to get my hands on the super-stylish Anya Hindmarch-designed bag that's to go on sale in Sainsbury this April.

Got a great reusable bag you want to tell me about? Just send me an email.

You'll be able to read all the reviews by clicking here.

Comments

[louise perrone]

love the "i am not a plastic bag" bag - well the look of it anyway. we use reusable capers bags for our shopping at capers organic/local supermarket. you get either 5 cents off your bill for each bag you use or you can donate the money to selected local charities. feel so virtuous.

[Kate]

I was using the M&S reusable bag, which was great because you could fit alot in it, and the flat bottom means that it's good for things you want to keep flat. However the big disadvantage is that it doesn't fold up very easily.
Currently I am mostly using a fairtrade shoulderbag that scrunches down small, and seems to hold a good amount.

On the topic of refusing bags in shops. Last weekend I was buying a couple of things from 'Lush' and as they would fit in my bag, I told the sales assistant that I didn't need a bag. In response she actually encouraged me to take a bag because 'if you re-use it another 3 times you will get a free bubble bar'!! I'm ashamed to say that I was swayed, but next time I won't be.

[Rebsie Fairholm]

First of all, I LOVE the term "witches' knickers"! Never heard that one before but it's perfect.

And here's a thumbs down for a reuseable bag I tried a while back. I bought this set of string netting bags from Friends of the Earth (complete with their logo for maximum smugness factor) made from natural recycled cotton. Because they're made of netting they're very flexible and capacious and scrunch up small enough to fit easily in your pocket. However, apart from having all the charm of a string vest, they allow sharp corners of food packaging to poke through and repeatedly bang against your legs as you walk along. Not only that, but the weight of the shopping stretches them so much that you end up trailing your groceries along the pavement, unless you happen to have taken along a handy reuseable skateboard.

[Haddock]

Here in Germany it is popular to carry cloth bags for shopping and they are sold at many outlets. I am not sure of the price as my better half always buys them. They really do make a difference, and it is really noticeable that there is a lot less plastic litter here.

[Mel Rimmer]

String bags are great because you can scrunch them up in your handbag, but they grow really big when you put stuff in them. Not as easy to find as once they were though. A quick google turned up a great website called www.reusablebags.com, but it's American. And there's a very chap string bag at www.naturalcollection.com, but it's not as pretty as the ones at the other site.

[Jane]

I made a bag for best customers (and for sale on website) - all recycled materials - offcuts from curtain and upholstery orders - folds up into its own pocket - washable at 30 degrees - sturdy enough to carry all your shopping home from the market.
http://snapdragonphotos.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html
Let me know if you fancy trialling one
Best wishes
Jane

[amanda mc donald]

Hi I`m trying to buy one of these bags as I see one of your supporters was successful in finding one.I am living in Ireland and I am so happy that supermarkets in the uk are now following suit re plastic bags this law has been in Ireland for some time that its 15cent for a plastic bags,super when its an all rounder in England as it will protect many species.
Thanks
Amanda