My 4 Favorite Stylish, .99 Cent, Reusable Canvas Bags
As we've often talked about here at the Fun Times Guide to Living Green, it doesn't always cost a lot to take steps towards going green.
Earlier this month I wrote about a .99 cent reusable canvas bag from Publix, helping us free ourselves from a dependency on plastic bags.
Thanks to the response and comments on that post, I thought I'd pass on 4 more .99 cent canvas bag options. Some of these even resolve some of the common complaints of carrying reusable canvas totes!
A recent post from LifeHacker.com highlighted a set of 4 canvas bags that would run you $24!!
Yikes, though they do accomplish the same purpose, I'd rather stick to the .99 cent range myself.
So what are some options under a buck that not only get the job done, but simultaneously avoid looking completely utilitarian? (Let's be honest, canvas totes are becoming one of the hottest accessories to be seen with.)
4 Stylish and Cheap Reusable Canvas Bags & Totes:
From Target: (These are my personal favorites)
Target has 2 options,
1) The smaller version for .99 cents (pictured in "zipped up" state to the right).
2) The large flat bottom version for $1.49. (pictured in both expanded and collapsed/snapped shut in the animated picture above.) Yeah yeah, I know it's a little over .99 cents, but it's too cool not to mention.
- Both versions solve a major complaint, like as in this comment on the aforementioned LifeHacker post, as they both fold up small enough to easily fit into a glove box, briefcase, or backpack. So portability is no longer an issue.
- The small version actually zips up into its own little pouch and is the exact size of most women's wallets (and a friend of mine actually passed over the small one in the store, thinking it WAS a wallet--you know who you are). This means a couple could easily fit into a woman's purse.
- The large version remedies another complaint of reusable canvas shopping bags...it has a hard bottom! Some people complain that bags without a hard bottom are hard to load, their items shift, etc. This bag fixes that problem altogether!
From Publix:
I talked about the Publix bags in my post from earlier this month (actually the whole post was about it). You can see my favorite version, black bag with green lettering, in the animation above.
*Be sure to check out the size comparison of the Publix canvas tote, and the large reusable Target bag, which is shown in both folded/snapped up and expanded configurations in the above animation.*
From Trader Joe's:
We don't have a Trader Joe's here in Nashville, TN, but from what I've read, they come out with stylish bags that are season-themed for .99 cents all year long.
This bag from Trader Joe's was available in the summer of 2007 (and may still be, to my knowledge).
From Whole Foods:
Whole Foods offers a wide variety of reusable canvas bags at their stores, including the new "Better Bag", pictured here.
This bag is, "woven from a special fabric made of 80% recycled plastic PET pellets (derived from #1 plastic bottles), each Better Bag represents approximately three 20 oz. plastic bottles [and is] 10 times stronger and will last longer than any reusable non-cotton bag previously available."
Whole Foods will actually be plastic bag free by Earth Day 2008!
So there you have it, 4 sylish, .99 cent reusable canvas bag options to choose from. Where do you get your favorite reusable shopping bags?
You can find FREE canvas bags at www.shopragbags.com. It's a fun site! I really love the big canvas bag! It goes everywhere I go!
How do you wash these type of bags that you get from Publix and Walmart?
The canvas bags hold more (3-4 plastic bags load per canvas bag). Get the reusable ones with a square bottom. They also don't hurt your hands like plastic bags either when you are trying to bring several in from the car all at once.
If you found the manufacturer to the "made from PET bottles" bags, please let me know.
I got these large Canvas and burlapp shopping bags from www.thegreenaura.com. The shipping is free and the bags are not very expensive.
Connie, thanks for stopping by and raising that excellent question.
In a previous post I did about .99 cent reusable shopping bags, I said, "The amount of groceries that used to fill up 15-20 plastic bags, now fits in our 3 new reusable Publix shopping bags".
I hope you find the same to be true for you. Be sure you kindly request the people bagging your groceries to get as much as they can in each bag. They'll inevitably try to put 1 or 2 things in each bag (as they do with plastic bags).
What I like about the plastic bags is that I can carry 3 or 4 at one time in one hand. Is there a reusable bag that would work in the same way?
@Hunt I haven't been able to uncover who the manufacturer of the bags is, but have you tried calling Whole Foods to ask? I suspect, they'd readily provide you with that information.
Hi Jeffery - Nice article. Could you possibly tell me who manufactures the better bag for Whole Foods? I am researching these types of products for a company promotion. Any help would be appreciated. Thanx!
@Meredith, I'm so glad that you shared your personal experience with the Better Bag! Sounds like it's a definite winner...especially for $.99!
Also, that's a GREAT idea about picking up some totes at thrift stores and garage sales! I didn't even think about that.
Hey, Jeffrey, I actually HAVE the Whole Foods bag shown in your photo--the very same one. I like it very much because it seems much tougher and feels nicer than the thin 99 cent bags.
It is just long enough to be carried under the shoulder, Indie, but not if it's as full of groceries as ours usually is.
What I like best for carrying my groceries as a shoulder bag is a hot/cold bag my mom bought at Harris-Teeter. It's designed like a regular tote with an insulated lining.
Honestly, I think we could all do best just to pick up some roomy canvas totes at yard sales and thrift stores.
@Indie, I measured the three bags that I have (both the small and large Target bags, and the Publix bags) in order to answer your question.
Both the large Target bags' and the Publix bags' handles measure approximately 10'' tall. I suppose it's possible to slide your arm in there to get them on your shoulder, but I can't imagine it'd be very comfortable...especially with multiple bags.
The handles are also very sturdy, but not padded in the least, so if they were loaded down, I'm sure it would be very uncomfortable indeed.
For now, the only inexpensive shoulder totes I can find is this set of 4 for $8.99. They're not very sexy, but they'd meet your need.
Perhaps another commenter will know of another nice shoulder tote. Until then, hope those I found help.
Which of these can be carried on the shoulder? I have three kids in a third floor apartment and I'm cursing myself for buying shopping bags that I can carry on my shoulder.