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After using thousands ofreusable bagsin every shape and size, I’ve finally found the best reusablegrocerybags. And yes, I’m exaggerating when I say I’ve used thousands, but I have carried alotof tote bags. I made my first donation to my local public radio station 20 years ago just to get the bag, and I haven’t stopped collecting canvas carryalls since.
As much as I appreciate sturdy canvas totes, I have to admit they don’t make the best reusable grocery bags. They’re too bulky to keep in my purse or glove box, so I often forget to grab them when I leave for the store. Then I end up feeling deep shame when the checker asks if I need a bag. They’re also never the same after a single cyclein the washing machine. And they’renot as earth-friendlyas I once thought.
It’s cool, though, because I have a new way to carry my groceries: a roomy cloth sack that’s made from recycled plastic and folds flat. And yes, it has pockets. It’s the reusable grocery bag of my dreams.
When I first discovered this dreamy tote in the summer of 2021, I’d long given up on foldable grocery bags and their annoyingly short handles, so I wasn’t even intending to use it for groceries. I was preparing to send my pandemic baby to daycare for the first time and needed a bag that had exterior pockets but no logos or labels so I could affix a big red allergy-alert patch should anyone need quick access to his EpiPen. I ended up stealing theFull Circle Tote-allyfor myself.
It arrived folded into itself, a lightweight gray rectangle about the size of a piece of Texas toast. A fabric loop held a small black carabiner-style clasp that I could attach to the key ring I’d had sewn into my custom leather tote (a brilliant feature for anyone who often loses her keys inside her giant purse).
Before I even unfolded my new bag, I was in love with the fabric; it was shockingly soft and luxe for something made out of recycled plastic bottles. I liked it even more when I opened it. Roomier than any of my promotional totes, it was also perfectly slouchy. Instead of a seam along the bottom like most canvas bags, it featured a flat bottom that's forgiving enough to handle even a bulky 12-count box of my beloved Lemon La Croix. And unlike canvas, the synthetic material comes out of the washing machine looking good as new and air-dries quickly.
This practically perfect bag also comes with three reusable mesh produce bags thatare each labeled with their tare weight(.9 ounces/.06 pounds/25.5 grams) so you’ll never be overcharged for your apples or kale. (Except for the one that’s sold through Target, which strangely comes with only two produce bags.)
As for those checkers who used to ask me if I needed a bag? Now they often comment on my very cool shopping tote. Then I ask them to punch in the tare weight of my produce bags, which I’m sure is mildly annoying.
