A few months ago, I made a pledge to myself to be as environmentally conscious as possible, which meant making changes to some of my daily routines. I had long ago gotten into the habit of using reusable tote bags at the grocery store, but I noticed that I was still bringing home a lot of flimsy plastic bags that held my fruits and vegetables, and it felt like a total waste (probably because it was). So, I made the switch to reusable produce bags as well, and after trying a few options, I found my absolute favorite in these Flip and Tumble produce bags.
There are a few reasons that, for me, these Flip and Tumble bags stand out among other options. For one thing, they’re white, sheer, and really easy to see through, which makes them easier to deal with when checking out - the two other brands I tried were more opaque, meaning that the cashier would have to open up the bag and rifle through it to figure out exactly what was in there. It’s also easier for me when I open up my fridge and glance in the produce drawer.
The Flip and Tumble bags all come in one size, which is actually ideal. One brand I tried previously offered sets of different sizes, which sounds nice in theory, but in practice is kind of annoying: if you’ve already used your bigger bags for other things and you need one of them and only have small bags left, it can be frustrating. The Flip and Tumble bags, though, are all the perfect size for fruits and veggies, and they have a bit of a stretch to them, so they literally fit pretty much anything (I’ve used them for everything from a few limes to a full-size melon).
On top of that, the bags are breathable and made of a mesh material, which is ideal for produce that is slightly wet, and the drawstring closure is really convenient. They don’t get warped when you throw them in the washing machine, so they’re easy to clean.
Now that I’ve been using them for a while, I constantly wonder why more people aren’t using reusable produce bags. There are so many advantages to them! They don’t rip or break open as easily as those flimsy one-time-use plastic bags at the grocery store - they’re really durable and strong, and they last for a long time. They’re also a lot easier to open, if figuring out which side of the produce bag is the open side takes up half of your grocery shopping time. And of course, they’re obviously better for the environment. Think about how much plastic you’re wasting when you’re bringing home piles of single-use produce bags home. It’s not worth it!
And perhaps the best thing about these bags? They keep my produce fresh for a longer amount of time. No, really: keeping your fruits and veggies in plastic is actually one of the worst ways to store them. Produce needs to breathe a bit so it doesn’t go bad immediately, and tightly closed plastic bags just aren’t breathable enough. I’ve absolutely noticed a difference in how long my produce lasts since I’ve made the switch to reusable bags, so my investment has definitely more than paid off.