As we stood in the checkout queue at the fruit shop yesterday, I had a happy realisation. Every single person in line had brought their own bags.
Harris Farm Markets stopped supplying plastic shopping bags on 1 January 2018 – they still have small thin ones on offer for individual items, but even those were being used sparingly. The young man in front of us was piling unbagged fruit and veg on to the counter for weighing, and the well-trained cashier was placing them carefully into his backpack after ringing up. As always, it’s a joy to live in Sydney’s Inner West, where the community is happy to embrace initiatives like this without so much as a murmur.
I always travel with a couple of furoshiki in my handbag these days…
As I’ve mentioned previously, Harris Farm offers a range of imperfect fruit and vegetables – a boon to both the farmer and the purchaser. I was so impressed with the green mesh bags provided for these items that I wanted to make my own. It was a great use for the roll of mosquito netting that has been sitting in my sewing room for twenty years, and the bag of lanyards I picked up at Reverse Garbage six months ago. Not being a minimalist occasionally pays off…
The prototype worked so well that I came home and whipped up a dozen more. The fabric doesn’t fray, so it was a doddle to adapt the glasses case pattern from my Useful Bag post…
We picked up a mesh bag full of imperfect apricots for $3.99/kg (as opposed to $12.99/kg for the perfect ones) so that Pete could make our favourite jam. Of course, first we had to make pectin from Granny Smith apples (lucky they had seconds of those too). It’s been a very long time since we’ve had any of our own homemade jam, so this was a real treat…
My friends in the UK tell me that shops are now required to charge for plastic bags over there, which has greatly reduced their use. We still use more at home than we’re happy with, although we make a concerted effort to wash and recycle them wherever possible. How are you going with reducing your plastic usage?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Brilliant idea…as always. I use my plastic grocery bags for garbage bags….I refuse to buy plastic garbage bags so……not sure what the trade off is :(
In the UK they still provide small plastic bags for putting loose fruit and veg in, so I love the mesh bags. Our small independent local grocer provides paper bags, which is much better and you don’t have to use them if you don’t want to. Interestingly when we lived more in Spain than the UK (and they’re not really renowned for recycling) inrroduced the charge for shopping bags a few years before England.
Just came across mesh bags as an alternative to plastic the other day – that plus my reusable coffee cup will be my added to my endeavors to reduce waste in 2018 – thanks for the reminder! 😊
Great idea, I’ve been using fruit fly bags bought from a local nursery but I’m definitely going to have a go at making these. I’m half way through making my very first sourdough but after the overnight rise it’s not looking promising, unfortunately it was probably one of the coldest summer nights in Perth 🙁 I’ll leave it a bit longer and keep my fingers crossed
Shops in South Australia have been charging for plastic bags for over 4 years now. It didn’t take long for the public to be trained and now it is rare that you see someone at the checkout without their own bags. We also have had the container deposit legislation for years and that not only helps people recycle but it is obvious when driving around as you see much less rubbish on the streets. If only we could get Governments to use the recycled glass and plastic because they will no longer be able to send it to China.
We almost always use our own bags. I have a small one in my handbag and larger ones that stay in the car.
Your mesh bags look great and so useful. I have a set of this kind of produce bag and it’s a great way to help minimise the plastic that comes into our home. Wonderful that everyone had brought their own bags, that when shops stop providing them people can and do find more environmentally-friendly alternatives. Meg:)
Aha! Now I know what I’d kept that roll of mosquito netting for. Half a dozen of these dropped into my shopping bags for trips to the shops will definitely reduce the collection going to Redcycle every so often. It’s great they recycle the ‘soft’ plastics, but how much better not to need to do it…
I’m doing so well avoiding the plastic Celia! I have not usd any plastic wrap since January 2017….the roll is still sitting there! I think I might date it! I’m using Bees Wax Wraps….glass containers with BPA free lids and lunchpaper! No more buying plastic bottles full of water….although I did buy one in one year due to a cough at that time (and felt guilty)! The saddest thing was when a man on the wharf said they pull out many seabirds from the water with bellies full of plastic! That did it for me!
Oh no! Poor birds. Dolphins have a hard time with plastic too.
I can imagine they would Cecilia…..so 😞 sad
Love the idea of mesh bags but how well do veggies keep in the fridge in these bags? Don’t they dry out?
Yes, we find they do. We transfer them to plastic bags when we get home and then just keep reusing those.
Bees wax wraps are really amazing, easy to make at home (only 3 ingredients ) with instructions from Google and you can make them any size you need.
We are doing better every year. 2014 I made a rule for myself that I could no longer use plastic bags at the grocery and if I forgot my bags I would just have to put all the items loose in the cart and wheel them out and put them loose in the car. I have forgotten 2 times. I keep a nylon bag that folds up really small in my purse and my larger bags have a home in the car where there is a chance I will remember them at hardware, garden and department stores.
Sadly plastic bags are readily available at all stores in my area, western Colorado. Ten + years ago I was a lone shopper with my own bags and clerks would give big sighs and act put out. Now I see many others with reusable bags and clerks take it in stride. The pace is TOO SLOW but it is getting better.
I purchased the mesh bags last year from Onya
and never leave home without them.The younger checkout staff always smile or comment “how cute” or “so cool” haha!
Great reminder Celia.
San Diego voted for grocery stores to stop providing free paper and plastic bags January 2017. I had to buy a few re-usuable cloth bags before I had enough in the trunk of my car for most grocery runs. The trouble was, I kept forgetting to bring them into the store. I had to learn to juggle multiple cans in my hands so I could carry then back to the car or I had to pay for a plastic bag (head bent in shame.) Wish i were clever like you and could create bags out of squares of cloth. Mesh bags are great. My friend never travels anywhere without a net bag that she got in Europe. Great for almost anything, light and washable. Another great blog post.
the jam looks so good, its beautiful to look at as well, here in our Canadian city bags can also be purchased for 5 cents each at the cashier but most people bring their own, Charging for the bags proved to be the tipping point to make people bring their own!!!! I have followed your blog for such a long time but never commented, I have admired your furoshiki , you made them from Kimono fabric I think, they are beautiful and you inspired me to make some as well. I always enjoy seeing your rock collections and beautiful clothing finds,, I do enjoy your blog,, Happy New Year to you and your family!
I try to remember to take my own bags when I shop, but if I fail I always ask for paper because at least those can be recycled. I do get an occasional plastic bag at the drug store and use them for trash can fillers.
Splendid Celia. Wish we had this here. Re bags. Plastic was banned in our state of India, and shops are charging!! for their own. Thanks for the idea re bags. Will copy with pleasure – for shopping and fridge. Happy New Year
Seattle voted to get rid of plastic bags in July of 2012 and can charge 5 cents per paper bag. We have a trunk full of re-usable bags but it wasn’t until I found tent fabric bags that fold up to almost nothing and can stay in my purse that could consistently use my own bags. I love your furoshiki bags – if my purse was bigger, I’d totally do that! And…seconds rock!
what a splendid idea, I liked it so much I have reposted it for you…have a great and wonderful start to the new year!
Celia, I’ve been carrying my own tote bags for groceries for decades and am so glad that new laws have forced many people to get on board. I’ve been intending to make myself a couple of furoshiki ever since you first posted about them. Great idea!
Thoroughly approve but happen to be in an odd situation. Living semi-rurally I have large monthly on line grocery orders from Coles [SW Sydney] I myself cannot reach . . . . you should see the amount of plastic used . . . often only 2-3 items are placed in a bag! Counted last month and for 162 items bought I had 39 plastic bags! And there is nought I can do about it! Have told the delivery people, have left little messages on the order form which actually does not allow it, have phoned the customer help line: at this stage all avenues still seem to think I am somewhat ‘difficult’ . . . When plastic bags will be a ‘pay’ item I DO hope I can convince someone to use cardboard boxes – but will they have sufficient . . . ?
Made up parcels of these, and beeswax wraps, as Xmas gifts this year. A few years ago I made these to take to our local Crop and Swap, and I was interested because people were excited to trade for them to use as fruit trees branch covers too :-)
I live in Tasmania, where we have been plastic bag free for several years now (though, the big supermarkets “sell” you a supposedly compostable plastic bag, which according to “War on Waste” is little better). I carry reusable bags with me where ever I go. The store that gets most of my business is “Hill Street” They now offer paper bags for fruit and veg! Go Hill Street!
South Australia charges 10-20c for a so called biodegradable white grocery bag. I think those mesh bags are great, I know of someone who makes them so will get some.
These drive me nuts. If they are on the beach, they fall to bits when I try to pick them up! and my understanding is that if they are buried in landfill and not exposed to sunlight they don’t degrade? They do degrade in compost bins?
My brother in the uk got told off for using the paper mushroom bags for his onions! He politely recommended they supply paper bags for all their fruit and veg. Think I will make and send him a set of mesh bags, he will love them, brilliant idea!
Celia – as of January 2018, they are now charging for plastic bags in Greek supermarkets. We will see what the affects of this will have on consumers. I’m hoping for the best, but it is difficult to stop a lifetime’s infatuation with plastic bags. Having been used to using cloth bags in the UK, it is second nature to grab a few when heading out to the shops. Until now, they have always been bemused by these bags at the checkout. Not so now! Love the idea of mesh bags. Also, will be investing in beeswaxed cloth for wrapping food – cutting down on clingfilm and foil.
Hi. I live in the UK and to try to cut down on plastic I also have been making produce bags but I have used butter muslin this beeing a nateral material and will rot when I have worn them out. I have also made my own bees wax wraps.Now to try and cut down the plastic bottles that enter the house containg soap and shampoo etc.
It is an ongoing journey – cutting down on plastic. I fully support everyone efforts. i can’t sew though! But I do have these little string bags that i bought in NZ – when i use them here in the states the check out persons are totally mystified by them. Easier not to use the plastic shopping bags though. I have some lovely canvas shoppers that live in the car. Have a good one! c
I go to (bona fide) farmer’s markets a lot – perturbed yesterday to see some stallholders had a lot of stuff pre-packed in plastic. I do understand it makes throughput faster, but the alternative (weighed amounts in small buckets, customer puts in back at checkout) doesn’t take much longer and its much better. I used netting to make much simpler bags – net equivalent of plastic bags, closed on 3 sized only – which I like; occasionally persuade stallholders that my lightweight nylon shopper weighs almost nothing, its okay for me to fill it with spuds/onions/apples and weigh the lot together. Incidentally kudos to Coles supermarkets which are now offering recycling bins for soft plastic (from any vendor) – shopping bags, frozen produce/crisp/bread bags, gladwrap, onion nets. Although I keep the onion nets to keep cabbage moth away from the veges!
We’ve been using cloth bags for about a year and a half. Took a while to get used to but it does make it easier to bring in the groceries. I have a small crate in the back of my car to keep them in.
You won’t be surprised to hear that I’ve crocheted my own string bag that the pattern fancily calls a French Market Bag. I’ll send you a photo :) The amount of packaging here in Tokyo is just astounding – individually wrapped pomegranates and pumpkins – WHY????!! Drives me more bonkers than I already am!!
Happy New Year. Grocery stores here have been charging for plastic bags for years! We seldom enter a store without our reusable bags, even during our month-long stay in Arizona we accumulated enough reusable bags to not have to use plastic, it is such an easy thing to do and it makes such a difference. I am interested in your veggie bags, particularly made from the material of the suits I had told you about. This could be a cool business!
We have been charged for years here for plastic bags so I have material ones that I take shopping with me. I love my mesh bags and find them so useful. Now all I need is a shop that sells imperfect fruit and veg!
[…] each time, it’s worth consideration. If you’d like to make your own, read Celia’s instructions for sewing mesh […]
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