Over the past three years, I have tested out seven different sets of reusable produce bags (I only included five below because the other two aren’t worth your time!), and this set is the best reusable produce bag set that I have tested and would recommend purchasing. Please continue reading to learn more about reusable produce bags, the different types and sizes that are available on the market and how I came to my conclusion for which ones I like the best.
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What are Reusable Produce Bags & Why Should You Use Them?
Reusable produce bags are just that: bags that you can reuse while selecting produce at the grocery store. Unlike the plastic bags from the store that are normally disposed of immediately, you can reuse these bags as many times as you would like. They can also be washed, so you do not have to worry about any spreading of pathogens when buying and storing different produce items.
The great thing about these bags is that they are marketed to be used for produce, but they can really be used to carry and transport anything that fits in them. And although you have to pay to buy them (unlike the plastic bags offered in the produce section at the grocery store), it is a one-time purchase and you can find some reasonably priced products.
Some people might ask, “Why use any bags for produce?” To those people, I challenge you to look at how clean the scales look at the checkout stand the next time you shop. Also, question how often those scales and the conveyor belts at the checkout stand are cleaned, as well as how much raw meat is placed on those conveyors and scales and the worry for cross-contamination.
Benefits of Using Reusable Produce Bags
- Less Waste – You are essentially limiting all waste from your produce shopping (minus the pre-packaged items you buy, such as bagged lettuce or fresh-cut mushrooms).
- Save Time – You don’t have to grab bags and sit there and try to open them for minutes to be able to put produce inside. (I know I can’t be the only person who’s had that problem!)
- Less Handling – By using the reusable produce bags, you are keeping less people from touching your produce items than if you were to use no bag at all (to try to reduce waste).
- No Extra Space Needed – This might be a stretch, but you already have your reusable grocery bags packed and ready to take to the store, so all you have to do is include the reusable produce bags in with those. (And if you’re not already using reusable grocery bags, it’s time to start.)
Different Types of Reusable Produce Bags
When I was selecting different reusable produce bags to try, there were four main differences that I noticed among the options:
- Reusable Produce Bag Material
- Mesh versus Muslin
- Reusable Produce Bag Drawstrings
- Reusable Produce Bag Weight
1. Reusable Produce Bag Material
The three different materials that I tested out were:
- Cotton
- Polyester
- Mixed (polyester, cotton and bamboo rayon)
All three materials are able to be washed in the washing machine. Most of the companies suggest line-drying their reusable produce bags, but I tried them all in the dryer to test their durability and all brands, except for one, were able to hold up in the dryer.
2. Mesh versus Muslin
Among the different materials, the bags come in the different options of mesh versus muslin. The muslin is a plain, lightweight cloth, while the mesh is the material with the small holes in it. There is nothing generic about the mesh because they come with holes in all different sizes. Online, they advertise the mesh as being beneficial because you can “see through” the bags to see what is in the bag and the number to scan for the piece of produce. I have to disagree with this because regardless of the size of the holes in the mesh, you still need to open the bag to see what the number is on the produce sticker label. For me, the benefit of using the full cloth is to keep the produce from touching other things that could potentially cause some sort of cross contamination. However, at the end of the day, it does not really matter. As long as the produce or whatever you are purchasing doesn’t slip through the mesh holes, the reusable produce bags are serving their purpose.
3. Reusable Produce Bag Drawstrings
There are two different types of drawstrings that were used among the six different reusable produce bags that I tried:
- Plain rope drawstrings
- Rope drawstrings with a plastic/metal piece to tighten
The difference between the two really only matters if you are someone that closes (ties) produce bags after placing fruits or vegetables inside.
4. Reusable Produce Bag Weight
The tare weight is included on the bags. The tare weight is the weight of the bag that should be subtracted from the total weight of the bag with the produce item included, so that you are only getting charged for the produce item and not for the actual bag. This is helpful for you if you are buying fruits or vegetables by weight. For example, at my local grocery store, I buy apples per pound while I buy mangoes per the number of mangoes purchased. For the apples, if you are weighing them per pound, then you could subtract the tare weight of the bag from the overall weight of the produce you are purchasing.
One issue that I noticed with the inclusion of the tare weight on the bags is that a lot of the weights are provided in ounces and/or grams. For other countries, that is fine. However, in the United States, all of the weights are calculated per pound.
The 5 Reusable Produce Bags that I Purchased & Reviewed
1. Organic Cotton Mart
- Fabric – 100% organic cotton
- Amount of Bags/Size/Tare Weight – 6 bags total: 2 bags – 8″x10″ (0.6oz/17g), 2 bags – 10″x12″ (0.8oz/23g), 2 bags – 12″x15″ (1.16oz/33g)
- Mesh vs. Muslin – All 6 bags were muslin
- Drawstrings – Cotton rope ties
- Pros – Good material, easy to wash
- Cons – They do not have the tare weight printed in pounds
2. Simple Ecology
- Fabric – Organic cotton
- Amount of Bags/Size/Tare Weight – 6 bags total: 2 bags – 8″x10″ (0.7oz/25g), 2 bags – 10″x12″ (1oz/34g), 2 bags – 12″x15″ (1.3oz/37g)
- Mesh vs. Muslin – All 6 bags were muslin
- Drawstrings – Cotton rope ties
- Pros – Good material, easy to wash
- Cons – They do not have the tare weight printed in pounds, they weigh a bit more than the first option although they are the same dimensions
3. Earthwise
- Fabric – Polyester
- Amount of Bags/Size/Tare Weight – 9 bags total: 2 bags – 12″x8″ (0.47oz), 5 bags – 12″x14″ (0.73oz), 2 bags – 12″x17″ (0.87oz)
- Mesh vs. Muslin – All 9 bags were mesh with very fine holes
- Drawstrings – Rope drawstrings with a plastic piece to tighten
- Pros – Easy to wash and barely need to be dried, the polyester material is advertised as being tested to ensure it is BPA free, you are getting more reusable produce bags for a cheaper price compared to the competition
- Cons – They do not have the tare weight printed in pounds or grams, the bags easily get tied together in the wash, the plastic pieces with the drawstring are really noisy in the washer and dryer
4. Earth Junky
- Fabric – 100% organic cotton
- Amount of Bags/Size/Tare Weight – 6 bags total: 2 bags – 8″x10″ (mesh is 0.05lbs/0.78oz/22g, muslin is 0.06lbs/0.88oz/25g), 2 bags – 10″x12″ (mesh is 0.07lbs/1.06oz/30g, muslin is 0.07lbs/1.2oz/34g), 2 bags – 12″x15″ (mesh is 0.09lbs/1.52oz/43g, muslin is 0.10lbs/1.55oz/44g), plus an additional “swaddle sheet”
- Mesh vs. Muslin – One bag of each size is mesh and one bag is muslin
- Drawstrings – Rope drawstrings with a plastic piece to tighten
- Pros – Good material, easy to wash, provides a variety between mesh and muslin, the bags have the tare weight options in pounds/ounces/grams, an additional swaddle sheet is provided (this is meant to help keep your greens from wilting – however, I never tested out this option)
- Cons – The plastic piece attached to drawstring is noisy in the washer and dryer, this product can often be unavailable to purchase on Amazon
5. All Cotton and Linen
- Fabric – 100% organic cotton
- Amount of Bags/Size/Tare Weight – 7 bags total: 2 bags – 14″x18″ (0.12lb/57g/2.01oz), 3 bags – 12″x15″ (0.08lb/40g/1.41oz), 2 bags – 12″x10″ (0.06lb/29g/1.02oz)
- Mesh vs. Muslin – All 7 bags were muslin
- Drawstrings – Cotton strings (very simple and easy to use)
- Pros – Silent drawstrings in the washer and dryer, easy to wash, all of the muslin bags have the tare weight printed in pounds (note: this company also sells mesh bags and those do not have the tare weight printed in pounds)
- Cons – They are all extremely large in size (the smallest bag of this grouping is almost as big as some of the biggest options sold by other companies)
Conclusion – What Are the Best Reusable Produce Bags?
Out of the five different options mentioned above, my favorite set was:
- All Cotton and Linen – Although they are bigger than the rest, they are the most practical for ease of use (opening/closing the bags), silent in the washer and not having to worry about the closing piece falling off, and they can always be used for other purposes besides handling produce.
These were also the only options that provide the tare weight in pounds, so they can easily be used at local grocery stores in the United States. The nice part about the reusable produce bags are that they come in sets, so you really only need to buy one set. Speaking from a 2-person household that buys 80% of groceries from the produce section at the grocery store, one set of produce bags is sufficient.
Frequently Asked Questions about Reusable Produce Bags
Since originally posting this article, I have gotten a lot of questions related to reusable produce bags and thought it would be best to address some of them here.
- Do grocery stores accommodate the use of reusable produce bags? Unfortunately, this differs based on the grocery chain. Some grocery stores have a built in system where they can subtract the tare weight of the bags, while others do not. I have a list of some of the major chains that do and do not accommodate reusable produce bags below.
- Do reusable produce bags keep produce fresh? They do not. Unless you are purchasing a special type of bag that is promising to keep your produce fresher for longer (which I would still question), I would not expect anything from your reusable produce bag besides serving the purpose of transporting your produce from the store to your house.
- Should I keep my produce in the reusable produce bags once I bring the produce home? For all of the produce I have tested personally, I would say that it does not really matter for any type of produce, except for leafy greens. I would remove leafy greens from the bags when putting them in the fridge. I have found that leafy greens seem to wilt a lot quicker when stored in the fridge in reusable produce bags, especially when compared to being stored in the fridge with plastic produce bags.
- Do reusable produce bags work? Yes! They are fantastic, easy to use, transport and wash and even after using them for years, they still make me feel good about myself each time that I am able to use one instead of wasting a plastic produce bag!
- Do I still use all of the reusable produce bags that I bought and tested? Yes! The only ones, out of the six I tested, that I do not like to use are the NZ Home bundle (#6 in the options above) because ever since the first wash, the material has an uncomfortable friction to it and I do not want that rubbing against my produce items. I have, however, used them for other things.
- What other commodities do I use reusable produce bags for? The main product I use these for besides fresh produce is when buying fresh bread rolls that are sold individually at grocery stores. I buy them and transport them in my reusable produce bags, but then I always put them in some sort of airtight container when I get home so that the bread will stay fresher longer. If not, the fresh bread will go stale within less than 24 hours.
- What other types of reusable containers do I use besides reusable produce bags? I am 100% a fan of using reusable produce bags and grocery bags while shopping for food. However, in my house, we also use Stasher bags (you can read my review on those HERE) when packing lunches and for trips, as well as reusable plastic containers, and use reusable glassware when storing food at home.
Grocery Stores that Accommodate Reusable Produce Bags
I reached out to some of the grocery stores that I have been frequently asked about to see whether they accommodate for reusable produce bags and have included their responses below. Please keep in mind that I have not visited all of these grocery stores personally and have either received this communication via an email with their corporate offices or by calling in to the stores directly.
Sprouts Market
Sprouts Market does accommodate reusable produce bags, as well as any other types of reusable containers. When you bring in your own containers/bags, you simply need to bring them to a cashier to have them weigh your container prior to filling it (I’m not sure how it works when the tare weight is already listed on the container). They also sell cotton reusable produce bags and glass containers to offer their customers for in-store purchase.
Whole Foods
Whole Foods is similar to Sprouts Market and they do accommodate the use of reusable produce bags. However, something that was interesting about their response is that they mentioned that they have an automatic tare of .02 pounds for all produce items that are weighed. If your bag weighs more than that (which is highly likely if you are using cotton or nylon bags), you can get it weighed at the front counter, they will add a tare weight to it and the cashier will deduct the tare weight at check-out.
Safeway/Albertsons
This was the hardest grocery store to get through to, and since I live directly across the street from a Safeway, I was particularly interested in the response. In store, I was told that reusable produce bags weigh the same as the plastic ones (not true) and to not worry about it. I did, however, call in to their customer service and was told that they have no services in place to provide the deduction of the tare weight. So if you are shopping at Safeway or Albertsons, you will either need to remove your items from the reusable produce bags when you go to weigh them or eat the extra cost of the bag.
To put things into perspective regarding the extra cost of the bag, the plastic produce bags weigh between 0.01-0.02 pounds. I just reached for a random reusable produce bag out of my drawer and its weight is labeled as 0.1 pounds. If you were to buy two pounds of apples using the average plastic produce bag, which weighs up to 0.02 pounds, it would either automatically be included in the tare weight (depending on the grocery store) and would cost you between $3.98 and $4.01. However, if you used the reusable produce bag at 0.1 pounds, where the tare weight would not be included, it would cost you between $4.29 and 4.38. That is a significant difference for a one-time purchase, but imagine that cost adding up throughout the year. If you bought just two pounds of apples each week at $1.99/pound, that could result in spending an extra $70.80/year if you used a reusable produce bag where the tare weight was not subtracted from the overall weight of the apples.
Raley’s/Bel Air/Nob Hill
This grocery trifecta has been very diligent about getting their customers to focus more on the produce department and eating healthy in recent years, so I was really surprised to hear that they do not currently accommodate for the use of reusable produce bags. They did, however, mention that they will be sending the idea to their team for immediate review to see what they can do. In the meantime, you will either need to weigh the produce items without your reusable produce bags or eat the extra cost.
Publix
Publix does offer the option to use your own reusable produce bags, without causing any inconvenience to you. I called in and spoke with a Store Manager, who I must say, gave me the best customer service out of all the grocery store chains I contacted. He confirmed that as long as the reusable produce bag or container falls under the 0.01-0.2 pound categories, the cashier can manually enter the tare weight (which is normally listed on the bag) and deduct it from the overall weight.
H-E-B
HEB does not have a system in place for reusable produce bags. The option I was given from them was to remove the produce from the bags and set them on their weigh station to create a label with the weight, stick that label on the reusable produce bag and then the cashier will scan the weight label you created at check-out, without re-weighing the product with the bag.
I am sharing this information to encourage you to use reusable produce bags and to encourage your local grocery store to get onboard as well. Reusable produce bags are a win-win for everyone and even though not all grocery stores are using them yet, I am convinced that reusable produce bags will be the next reusable grocery bags that are encouraged, and even sold, in store.
Please leave a comment below if you have any further comments/suggestions to add on the topic!
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Dear Produce Nerd,
Thanks for what you do. We are starting to produce leafy greens on our family farm to accompany our Bundles of Grass Fed beef and Pasture Raised Poultry and eggs. We want to a reusable container and intend to carry our production into greenhouses this winter. Do you have a type of bag to recommend for this purpose? We strive to establish a recurring subscription relationship with 150 families so it is a very reciprocal arrangement and retrieving back our containers is a manageable possibility. God be with you, Scott Foster, Providence Farms, LLC (812)564-1432
Sorry I am just seeing this now, but I would recommend reaching out to other CSAs to see what kind of containers they are using because the pick up/drop off method is fairly common among the smaller CSAs.
Very Helpful and Informative post.