Every Bag Matters

Giveaway Alert!  I have two giveaways with this post and two winners compliments of graze organic and ReUsies!  See details for entry below. ECO-ngratulations Cinella and Tamara! Cinella just won the set of reusable bags from graze organics and Tamara won the set of reusable bags from ReUsies!  Watch your email for more information!

Go look in your kitchen and tell me how many boxes of plastic sandwich and snack bags you have!

(Yes, that was an order…go look now!)

(I’m waiting!)

My pantry has one box of sandwich size bags and I plan on having that box last me the rest of the year!  We are slowly breaking our baggie habit.  It’s much easier to break the habit with my kids and myself but I’m still working on the hubster!  Did you know that the average person uses 3-4 baggies per day?  Multiply that number by the number of members in your family and then multiply that by 365 days of the year and you have a really big number don’t you??  (Ok…I’ll wait as you write that down and do the calculations!  For me that would be 6,840 baggies in just one year!!!)  I’m almost positive you are not like my dear sweet Grandmother who washes her baggies and reuses them, are you?  No, you use them once and throw them into the trash (which in case you are wondering is probably still sitting in a hole in the ground not far from your house.) 

Well I have a solution for you!  Reusable fabric sandwich and snack bags.  I found 2 brands which I was very fond of and want to share these wonderful companies with you. 

The first is graze organic, a small business in California, that makes 100% certified organic cotton bags.  Available in two sizes (sandwich and snack size) these bags have no plastic lining, are printed with water based (non-toxic/PVC-free/no plastisols) ink right here in the USA!  graze organic sells their bags in sets of 3 and in a deluxe set of 5 bags ($24-38/set) perfect for your complete lunch!  My son’s favorite graze bag is the ‘Surprise!’ bag!  Even if something doesn’t require a bag he insists that I put it in one of his bags!  It’s actually quite adorable!  The graze bags seal using hook/loop velcro and is very easy to use.  They aren’t lined so you should use caution if you want to put watermelon or other ‘water’ substances into them!

You may be wondering how easy they are to clean!  I actually (depending on what I put into them) reuse them a few times before I wash them.  Just open and shake clean (empty the crumbs the mice have left behind) and they are ready to use again.  They are machine washable too.  To extend the life of the fabric (and be a little greener) you could always hand wash them in your sink and lay them out to dry!  I tend to just throw them in wash with the kitchen towels at the end of the week.  Very cute and very functional bags!  Our graze organic bags have become a staple in our school lunches and in Lil’ B’s diaper bag (great for puffs and cereal snacks!!).

The second brand of bags is from ReUsies, a small business from Seattle.  The ReUsies bags are 100% cotton (not organic) and lined with a leak resistant nylon.  Don’t worry…the nylon used is BPA-free, Lead-free, and Phthalate-free so they are safe for you and your family!  ReUsies are also machine washable but since they are lined are very easy to wipe clean between washes.  ReUsies also have Velcro closures.  ReUsies currently have over 25 different fabric patterns for girls, boys, and adults!  My son is loving his baseball bag in black!

ReUsies are sold individually at $8.75 for the sandwich size and $6.75 for the snack size.  That’s about the cost of 1-2 boxes of disposable bags and you won’t ever run out!  Just think how much money you will save by not having to keep buying bags to throw away!  Your pocket book will thank you!

Buy It Now!  Don’t waste any more money on those disposable bags!  Invest in a set of reusable bags for each member of your family today.  Whether you like the graze organic bags or the ReUsies I’m sure the Earth will thank you!  

Win It!  Both graze organic and ReUsies are giving away a set of reusable bags.  graze organics is giving away a set of 3 bags (one large, two small) and ReUsies is giving away a set of 2 bags (one large, one small).  I will draw 2 winners, one for each brand.  Contest open to residents in the US. 

MANDATORY ENTRY!  Visit both graze organics and ReUsies and tell me your favorite style/design from each brand.  Leave a comment below with your responses. 

EXTRA ENTRY #1!  Follow us on Twitter!  @TheEcoChic @grazeorganic @ReUsies.  Leave a comment below telling me you follow us all!

EXTRA ENTRY #2!  Tweet about this giveaway!  “Reusable sandwich bags are great for the Earth! Win a set from @grazeorganic @ReUsies from @TheEcoChic www.backtocalley.com”  Maximum of 5 extra entries for this contest!  Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.

EXTRA ENTRY #3!  Subscribe to The Eco Chic via Feedburner to be delivered to your inbox!  That way you will never miss another giveaway!  Leave a comment below with the email address you used to subscribe.

EXTRA ENTRY #4!  Subscribe to The Eco Chic via Google Reader and Share this post with your friends!  Add me to the “People You Follow” and “Share” this post with your friends!  (You can find me at theecochic@gmail.com on Google Reader)  Leave me a comment below.

EXTRA ENTRY #5!  Become a Fan on FaceBook of The Eco Chic!  Feel free to share me with your friends!  Leave me a comment telling me you are a fan!  

Remember to leave a separate comment for each task and the first one is mandatory before the extra entries will be counted! 

Contest ends on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at midnight (EST).

LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS HERE TO ENTER!

ECO-ngratulations! Cinella and Tamara are the winners of this giveaway! Watch your emails for more information!

 

A set of graze organic reusable bags and a set of ReUsies reusable bags were provided by the companies for this review.