Green Product Review: My New Bags
June 4, 2008 by Jennifer
I previously posted about my reusable bag decision but didn’t do a review yet, because I wanted to use them for a bit first.
I ended up getting eight of the ACME Bags – Lightweight Recycled Cotton Tote with Dual Handles from reusable bags. Using one of the discount codes I posted about here, I got a free extra bag as well. I also got four large and three small reusable Organic Cotton Mesh Produce Bags.
Perks of the ACME Bags, as noted before include:
- Flat bottom
- Choice of colors – I got brown, because our light colored bags get dirty and dingy and these won’t look dirty!
- Made with recycled cotton.
- Machine washable
- Fair Trade
- Long & short handles
Perks of the Produce Bags include:
- Drawstring closure
- Saves use of plastic produce bags
- Certified organic cotton
- Compact & lightweight
- Machine washable
- If you buy in quantity you get a discount
- Can also be used as gift bags, lunch sacks & for general storage
What I think of the grocery bags:
My last reusable bags were a collection of old random bags I’d picked up from every which where, and they were all odd sizes. It’s really cool to have eight grocery bags that are all the same size. I over-estimated a little. I likely could have gone with seven bags and been just fine. Cedar and I go shopping all at once; so we don’t have to go back except for fresh produce, so we usually have a full cart. It takes about six bags to bag up a cart full of groceries. After having weird sized bags forever I was amazed at how much these bags hold. They hold a ton of groceries.
I was really worried that these bags didn’t self stand. They do flop over, but it hasn’t been a problem, except for an occasional cashier not being able to figure out how to load it. Frankly though, I did have some bags that stood up before, and cashiers still had issues, so I can’t blame the bags.
HUGE PERKS: The handles and color. Cedar helps to carry the bags and he’ll drop stuff or drag them, and they don’t show a lot of grime because of their brown color. Also the handles are fantastic. The long ones are perfect for me and the short ones make grabbing them fast a snap. I really like that they came with two sets. It also makes the bags feel really sturdy.
I can’t comment on how well they hold up, because I haven’t had them too long, but they seem very well made.
The produce bags:
These rock! As I mentioned before I’ve never had produce bags, but don’t like to use the plastic bags, so one, I end up with produce all over the place, and two, if I buy something wet, like lettuce, it gets all the other groceries sopping wet. I love being able to separate my produce, I love that my apples and beans aren’t flying around my cart anymore, and I wish I’d got these sooner. They have easy drawstring closure too. So far I’ve washed four of them twice each and they’re perfectly fine, a little wrinkled, but so?
The only drawback is that cashiers hate them. They sigh because they have to open it to see the stickers on the produce. Which is lame, so I ignore them. You can also get produce bags that are see-through mesh, but I hate those kind of bags, so I got solid ones.
Price & service: Ordering was simple, no stupid system glitches, or never ending forms to fill out. I got my bags about four days after ordering which was nice. Total cost was about $75 for nine grocery bags and seven produce bags. That sounds like a lot – but if you break it down that’s $6.22 per grocery bag, and the other $20 was for produce bags.
If I went with grocery bags from one of my local markets they’d have been about $1-2.00 each, but non-machine washable, non-doubled handled, and I needed the produce bags anyhow, which still meant I needed to go online. Also, I think these bags will last a super long time. So to me, a one time purchase cost was worth it.
Total Score: 
+
Five out of five happy tree smiles based on service and bag quality; plus a bonus point because the produce bags have changed my life!
[images via reusable bags]
I think I may just have to get some of these as well. I do need some new ones, and I like the flat bottom style. Does the bottom have a solid *liner* in it? With those type bags, I usually just put in a piece of cardboard to help with the sturdiness of them. I’ve been wanting to get the produce bags alos, so I think I’ll be placing an order soon.
There’s no liner, they’re sewn in such a way that the bottom stays kind of boxed off – like squareish, not round, but there’s no removable liner; I think because they’re machine washable, and I wonder if that would mess with that aspect. At first I was worried about not having a liner, but I haven’t had a problem, once groceries are in it sits perfectly upright, and the bag stays up, i.e. it doesn’t fall off the groceries. You should get some produce bags for sure, I feel way better since getting mine.
Oh be sure to use that free code if you order because you get the free bag with your order. I don’t like the free bag they sent me, as a bag, but I do like it because I carry my other bags in it.
While not recycled or fair trade (unfortunately they’re made in china), for those of us in the Midwest, Meijer has reusable bags for $0.99 each. They have two inner supports that fold away for keeping things upright and an outside pocket. They are
sturdy and strong. A lot of retailers have similar products, so even those of us on the tightest budgets can use reusable bags.