Today is Earth Day, so I thought I’d share about my favorite reusable bag: Baggu. Because I live in California (and specifically, the San Francisco Bay Area), I was indoctrinated into carrying a reusable bag early on. Now, I always have two on me: one for groceries, and one for non-food items. The number of plastic bags I accumulated before I started carrying a reusable bag bothered me. Even though I re-used those flimsy plastic bags from grocery stores as liners in trashcans, I always had so many of them.
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It’s nice to see that it’s becoming standard practice now in many places to carry your own bag. Ikea stopped supplying plastic bags in all their stores in 2000. You have to bring your own or buy one of their now-ubiquitous (and super handy) Frakta bags.
Still, change is slow to come in many places. I remember going home to Texas one summer and buying something in a clothing store, which led to an argument with my mom. BYOB was not a thing in Texas yet then. I had brought my own bag but my mom insisted I get a plastic bag from the store because otherwise the store would think I was shoplifting. “But I’ll have a receipt that shows I bought this,” I said. Eventually I gave in out of a sense of embarrassment — we were holding up the line with our argument. I’m still trying to convert her from her plastic-bag-hoarding ways.
I’ve tried many brands of reusable bags and my favorite, hands down, are from Baggu. Not only is Baggu an ethical and eco-conscious company, they make damn good bags.
Oh Baggu, how I love you! Let me count the ways. First, the Baggu is a great size. The Standard Baggu is 15″ across — big, but not too big. I can easily carry a grocery bag’s worth of stuff in it. Second, its handles are long enough so that you can carry it on your shoulder. Third, the material (nylon) is lightweight and tough. A Standard Baggu can carry 50 lbs. And you can just throw it in the wash. I’ve had some Baggu for years and they are holding up just fine.
Fourth, I like how it folds up flat, so it takes up little space in my purse. (I put mine in special slots in a purse organizer as demonstrated in this post about Everlane tote bags.) I fold my standard Baggu in half lengthwise, then once more so that it’s a long skinny rectangle. Then I fold that in half, and then into thirds and it fits perfectly back into its 5″x5″ pouch.
I’ve never been a fan of the kind of reusable bags that has a stuff sack attached. It leaves you with a ball-shaped clump, and when you unstuff the bag it’s all wrinkly. (Yes, I care about that.) I realize that for a lot of people, the fact that Baggu has a separate little pouch is a deal-breaker. Some people (like my partner) would loose it in about two seconds. Even I, who’s pretty careful about these things, have lost the little pouch. (But I wrote to Baggu about it and they sent me a replacement for free. Thanks, Baggu!)
But not to worry. I have a simple solution. All I did was safety pin a lanyard I had lying around to connect the pouch and the bag. Tada!
The fifth thing I love about Baggu? The awesome prints. It’s a bit of a problem, actually, because I already have enough Baggu but sometimes they come up with a print so great that I can’t resist. Last year they created these prints with food on them. I got both the banana and watermelon ones for myself and gifted a few as well (including one with donuts on it). So cute! Do you get compliments on your resuable bag? I do.
This year, they released some fun plant-themed prints.
Standard Baggu Cherry – $10
Standard Baggu Hilo – $10
Standard Baggu Anthurium – $10
They also make the reusable Baggu in a small size (Baby Baggu) and a large size. The Big Baggu is big enough for me to lug several packages down the post office. It’s 18″ wide by 21″ tall (not including handles) versus the standard size of 15″ x 15.75″.
Big Baggu and Standard Baggu
Baggu also makes other handy items, like canvas tote bags, weekenders, and backpacks. Their canvas shopper tote bags are sturdy and well made. Only problem is that it’s long on me and rubs against my jeans, so I get color transfer on the bag, which I try to clean off with soap and water.
Canvas Shopper – $36
I’m also a fan of their 3D Zip, which is useful for traveling, or for separating things in your purse or tote bag. I use one for my gym gear.
3D Zip (set of 3) – $32
All the things that I fit into the large 3D tote for the gym.
The Baggu even comes in a leather version, which I’ve been coveting for years. I don’t really need one, but I want one. What a great bag to use as a purse when traveling. It wouldn’t take much room in your luggage to pack since it’s soft and shapeless. Yet it’s classy and goes with everything.
Leather Baggu – $160
Since using Baggu, I’ve cut way, way down on plastic bags (On occasion, I’ll still take a plastic bag from a restaurant when there’s a possibility of food spillage). In fact, I actually have a shortage of flimsy bags to use as trashcan liners. (I still feel bad about using plastic though, and wonder if there’s something better I can use.)
For Earth Day, Baggu is running a special this weekend through Sunday night. Get 20% off all Baby, Standard, and Big Baggus with the code EARTHDAY. (You can also find Baggu at lots of other retailers, including Shopbop and Nordstrom.)
The Baggu store in Oakland, CA
First Image: Baggu’s Instagram
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