The 4 Best Reusable Produce Bags

In our last look at sustainable bags, we looked at general shopping bags that could be used in many different scenarios. There are however some cases where none of those bags are appropriate due to the items that are going to be carried in them. Sometimes you just need something specialized that serves a singular purpose. You can use regular grocery bags for storing produce but that would just damage both your bags and suffocate your produce. Produce bags are designed to let the fresh fruit and vegetable breath to stay fresh for longer. They achieve this by their lightweight and airy design. To better understand what we are trying to communicate, read ahead as we show you our top picks for sustainable reusable produce bags.

Pro Tips To Keep In Mind

1. Produce bags absolutely need to be see-through, lightweight meshes. That particular design of produce bags keeps the food inside in contact with oxygen. Plastic bags, especially ziplock bags, cut off aerobic respiration of the plant tissue. This changes their composition for the worse. You are better off leaving the fruits and vegetables in the netted produce bags. There is an exception to this rule though that should be mentioned: Plastic bags should only be used if you are going to peel or cut the fruits and vegetables into smaller bites. The fruits in their natural skin preserve the nutrients inside. However once cut, if not stored in airtight plastic bags, they oxidize in contact with the air leading to a loss in taste, nutrition, and if left for too long – spoiling of the produce.
2. A big consideration when using produce bags is to maintain hygiene. Usually, when a plastic bag gets soiled by the produce kept inside it, it is chucked away. In the case of the reusable bags, you have to wash them regularly so that the gunk doesn’t stick to the inside of the bags. The bags will get discolored and start smelling foul if you use them too many times without washing. When putting them in the washing machine we like to flip them inside out to make sure we get the inside of the bag fresh and clean. If possible we also don’t mix in our regular clothes with the produce bags when doing the laundry because that can lead to odd smells on clothes that we are supposed to wear.
3. Even though you may have bought bags to take to the score there is a good chance that you are going to forget all about them when you leave the house for your weekly grocery trip. In that case, you will end up getting regular plastic single-use bags from the store and it will invalidate your purchase. Around our house we like to keep a pair of bags in the car so that we always have them in case we need them – even for impromptu stops at the supermarket.

A nice feature to have is to have the bags be barcode scannable. This way you can put the groceries in your bag before you get to the checkout line saving you valuable time. Look for bags that come in packs containing different sizes. It also helps if the bags are color-coded to help you differentiate between them. A drawstring is also a nice to have feature.

So with those tips in mind, let us look at the options we have available to us on Amazon.

BVN Reusable Produce Bags, 15 Pcs Extra Strong

These bags are made from food-grade and environmentally friendly materials, which are plastic-free, lead-free, and mercury-free. They are compostable. The bags are specially made from 20D upgraded mesh fabric and reinforced with lock stitching. It means the extra strong claim in their name is backed up with real engineering that enables impressive load-bearing capacity. The drawstring comes with a handy secure lock to keep your products in place. We love the different colors that they come in.

Ecowaare Set of 15 Reusable Mesh Produce Bags

These are very similar to the last product but come in a lot more buying options. Only want the bigger bags? These have got your covered. Don’t like the ratio? These come in packs of 3:6:6 or 5:5:5. The bags themselves are super lightweight. They are made from ultra-fine yet strong mesh polyester. You can add tags to them for easy organization. The bags claim to eliminate 1000 plastic bags after using them for their expected lifetime. It is just a nice gesture for the company to be aware of their environmental impact by doing the math for us.

Reusable Produce Bags, Organic Cotton Mesh Bags

These bags are made from organic muslin, which is a cotton fabric woven plainly, and is totally food safe. They come in a 7 pack with a 2:2:2 distribution for small, medium, large along with another bag which can be carried like a purse. The last option is amazing for carrying heavy loads from the car back to the house. They have a very simple design. The bags don’t even use plastic locks like the previous ones in this list. They are a little expensive for a 7 pack but we are sure they will last you a long time. The company even offers a refund if you are unhappy with the purchase.

Naturally Sensible Reusable Produce Bags

These are super popular on Amazon because of their durability. They are made from washable white nylon mesh. These bags are not going to be compostable but they will last longer than the others on this list. If you get them just keep in mind that you won’t be able to wash them in a machine as it is not recommended. We like the color options. Overall a solid package.

On earth, as every minute passes, approximately one million plastic bags are used. That is an absolutely terrifying thought. We do our best to educate people about this massive hidden problem. We start with ourselves. Then we present what we’ve learned to the world in hopes that at least a small portion will listen. Reusable produce bags are a very small part of the equation. There is a long and arduous road ahead of us to sustainable living. 

Love,

Scooch and Steve