Reusable produce bags – the next lifestyle accessory in your trolley?

As Kiwis slowly begin to take a stance on their plastic wastage and disposal, we take a look at the new must-have item to covet. Hint: it’s bright, weighs only 9 grams and will end up saving you quite a few pennies.

OPINION: It’s a fantastic feeling when a stranger stops you in the produce section and says, “I love this, where did you get it?”

What can give you an even more satisfying glow is when it is an item that also impacts the environment in a positive way.

Ever since I created Rubbish Whisperer’s colourful reusable produce bags, I get stopped by shoppers in my local supermarket and asked where they can buy them. I use reusable produce bags for many reasons – to prevent the overloading of my kitchen draws with plastic, to prevent waste ending up in our oceans, to live in accordance to my principles – but I’ve noticed it’s getting a great deal of unexpected attention as a lifestyle must-have. This begs the question: have colourful reusable produce bags become the new currency for coolness?

Despite the amount of lifestyle trends we see come and go, reducing plastic waste is steadily gaining momentum throughout New Zealand and the world. Supermarkets and stores are jumping on the bandwagon trying to reduce the amount of plastic wastage that they create and offering alternatives to plastic bags.

Foodstuffs and Countdown supermarkets have both pledged to stop the sale of single-use plastic bags by the end of 2018, but this is just one plastic issue out of the many that are still yet to be tackled.

It makes me feel hopeful to see the number of people committed to making a difference to one small plastic habit at a time. And every bit truly does count. In 2017 alone, the number of reusable produce bags The Rubbish Whisperer sold will save over 9.7 million plastic produce bags from going out into the world and most likely ending up in our oceans. 

When I began creating reusable produce bags, I wanted to give Kiwis an easy way to make one impactful change to the way they care for the environment. I didn’t expect it to become a trendy lifestyle accessory.

Looking at them now though, I can see how it is a fun and stylish trend to adopt: it brings a certain kind of lightness to the serious business of recycling. The bright colours can perk up even the ugliest trolley, and it makes loading fresh produce that doesn’t go soggy into your fridge a breeze.

Best of all, it eliminates decision fatigue. After 7 years of using the same set of reusable produce bags, I don’t have to think about the pile of plastic bags produce bulging out of my kitchen drawer.  The habit of whipping out the 9-gram reusable bags has become a comforting habit. When it comes to tackling environmental issues, I have learnt that it’s the habits we practice over time that are likely to make the biggest impact. Let’s stop eco-shaming and competing to be greener than the next person. It’s about finding what works for you.