Buying local foods at farmer’s markets and bringing your own reusable shopping bags are two great steps towards a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. Similarly, avoiding prepackaged, heavily wrapped foods can bring you to closer to that goal. But you could be doing even more for yourself and the environment on your regular shopping trips.
For example, have you ever put your newly-bought fresh fruits and veggies (packed in those flimsy plastic produce bags) in your reusable, organic shopping bag and thought: Hey, I thought I was trying to reduce the amount of plastic I was using. Why is there still all this plastic in here?
Well, you wouldn’t be the only one! In fact, many people have recently been switching to cheap, reusable cloth produce bags as another way to minimize their exposure to harmful plastic chemicals, as well as their environmental footprint. And not just that, their food has kept even better in the versatile breathing fabric than it would have in a stuffy plastic bag!
Are Plastic Produce Bags Bad?
The answer is, resoundingly, yes. The immense plastic waste we create has been virtually ingrained into our consciousness. We already know that the ocean is full of floating plastic that can not only harm and kill wildlife, but can also poison their genetic makeup. And their genetics aren’t a problem of compassion; they are a problem of our own well-being, because plankton filled with plastic toxins will eventually make its way up the food chain to us, if it hasn’t already.
What’s worse, plastic produce bags aren’t even particularly good for transporting or storing the foods inside them. For one, they tear easily and can be annoying to use. They also suffocate fresh produce and trap in moisture, ruining the conditions that would preserve your food’s taste and nutrition longer. Finally, produce stored in plastic has been shown to absorb leaked toxins, which could lead to everything from genetic damage, hormonal imbalances, and pregnancy problems.
So should you switch to a natural produce bag alternative? It probably wouldn’t hurt. At worst, you lower your environmental footprint and help keep the planet clean and healthy. At best, you help the planet and yourself in some crucial ways.
But why buy what you can easily make at home?
Reusable Produce Bag DIY
With a few cheap materials and a little sowing (this guide really requires just the most basic sowing skills), there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.
You’ll need:
- Organic cotton muslin (though other washable fabrics or even an old t-shirt will work just fine)
- Drawstring material (cable cord or even a large old shoelace works well)
- Sewing machine (it’s possible by hand, but we’ll use one for convenience)
- Thread
- Fabric scissors
- Quilting mat
- Iron
- Sewing pins
- Safety pin (will be used to insert the drawstring)
Directions
The bag at the end should be about 12” wide and 14” long. Try to leave 1/2” allowances for the seams.
- Lay out your fabric with so it has 2 layers.
- Cut a rectangle that’s 13” by 16” so that you get two equal pieces.
- Make sure the 2 pieces are overlapping and measure 2.5” down on one of the long ends. Mark that spot (you can do it with a straight pin) and leave that marked-off section to later make the casing for your drawstring.
- From that mark you left, sew a seam around the fabric, leaving only the last side and the drawstring casing open. The last open side will be the top of your bag.
- Fold and press 1/2” to the inside of the bag along the top edge with your iron.
- On the open section side, open the seam allowance and the drawstring portion.
- From the top edge, stitch down to the bottom of the 2.5” opening. Stop there, pivot, and sew across the side seam for around 1”. Stop again, pivot, and sew back to the top edge.
- Fold over 1” around the top edge to the inside of the bag and press with your iron. This will make the drawstring casing.
- Stitch all the way around at the edge of the 1” fold you just made, creating the casing.
- Cut your cord (or cord substitute) long enough to go around the bag through the casing with enough space left to tie a knot. A length of around 34” works well.
- Wrap the ends of the cord with tape.
- Stick your safety pin through one taped end of your cord and use that to feed it through the casing.
- Tie an overhand knot connecting the ends of the cord.
That’s it! Now you have an awesome, safe and sustainable shopping tool! You can also make smaller (or larger!) sizes simply by adjusting the initial dimensions of the fabric while keeping the drawstring casing and seam allowances the same. Have fun and keep on eating healthy!
Image Sources:
http://www.bethesdalocavore.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Plastic-Produce-Bags.jpg
http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/sites/rodalesorganiclife.com/files/images/5118092.jpg
