Did you know that about half of annual plastic production is destined for a single-use product? It’s estimated that four trillion plastic bags are used worldwide a year! Yet, only 1% of plastic bags are returned for recycling. Even worse, most areas lack the capabilities to recycle single-use plastic bags even if they wanted to. Grocery stores are starting to encourage the use of reusable bags to pack your groceries, but still offer the single-use plastic bags in the produce section.
Skip the single-use plastic at the grocery store and make your own reusable produce bags instead. Here’s how.
Supplies
- Cotton Fabric
- Ribbon or String
- Safety Pin
- Sewing Machine and Thread
- Sewing Ruler
- Iron
A note on fabric
Use cotton or any breathable, natural fiber. You can use recycled fabric too. Use old t-shirts, pants, sheets, pillowcases, or anything you have that’s all cotton.
Cut
These bags are easy to customize. You need to start with two equal size rectangle or square pieces of fabric. Or, to save on sewing time, one long rectangle piece. Fold the fabric in half or place the two pieces of fabric right sides (the printed sides) together.
Sew
Along the fold, sew up the left and right side of the bag with a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Stop 2-inches from the top on each side.
Fold and iron a 1/4-inch hem around the sides and tops of the bag (both sides).
Fold down the top seam another 3/4-inch and iron–this will be the drawstring channel. Sew along the bottom edge of the drawstring channel with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Repeat on the other side.
Thread the Ribbon
Attach a large safety pin to the end of one of your ribbons.
Thread the ribbon through the channel on both sides of the bag. Tie knots at the ends of the ribbon.
Your bags are ready to go! Make extra bags and store them with your reusable grocery bags so you never forget to take them grocery shopping.
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