Carebags offers a uniquely versatile, durable and amazingly strong approach to ‘reusable bags’. The Canadian born and bred venture began in the early 1990′s as two friends developed the product and a third friend, Diana Conway, pitched it to stores and vendors. As the founders became consumed with family responsibilities, the venture fell to the wayside. However, a few years ago, Conway got permission to revive the business and started up production again.
The company was built on the basis of strong belief in recycling and reusing. Conway is passionately adverse to the fact that plastic is all-pervasive in our modern society. It not only causes harm to the environment, but it is also not the best way to contain or store food. That’s why Carebags strikes a chord within her. The premise harkens back to the old-fashioned methods for food storage and handling.
Modern technology allows for a super long-lasting, stretchy makeup, and the bags are so strong, they can carry up to 10 lbs of rice or potatoes. The textile resists mold and mildew and is easily washable. Carebags are also supremely versatile.
Conway relates: “Essentially I wanted to produce a re-usable that has a multitude of uses. Carebags has that. People have written into us with so many alternate uses, from making nutmilk, to squeezing honey from a honeycomb, straining lumps out of homemade ice cream, growing sprouts, storing winter bulbs, containing travel smalls, holding snacks for kids and hikers, carrying camping food, and the list goes on and on.”
One of the uses Conway encourages is placing leafy produce in the bag, wetting it and then storing it in the refrigerator crisper to help preserve the life of the veggies – a trick our grandmothers would have employed perhaps by using cheesecloth.
With so many varied and unexpected uses, Carebags sounds like a panacea for any need, household and beyond. But perhaps the best point of its eco-friendly image is that Carebags is a local enterprise, produced in Vancouver, B.C. Conway is committed to local production.
“An eco product needs to have a small footprint. I question eco products that have been made at slave wages in a country 5000 miles away. Is this ecologically ethical, further how does this business model benefit the local community, there’s or ours?”
As Conway continues to work on new design variations and on getting Carebags into more mainstream retailers and grocery chains (they’re already available at over 100 locations across Canada), she proves that local, eco-friendly, quality products are not just a good idea, they’re a reality with this versatile, reusable ‘super-bag’.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been using CareBags for years and LOVE them! I still have some of the originals from the 1990′s plus have bought the newest line. Won’t go into a grocery store without them, and I feel so much better for not using plastic bags. The only problem is taking stuff in them over to friends — they don’t want to give them back to me!!!
Yes, I’ve heard that bags from the very startup of the business are still in use, over 17 years later! If that’s not ‘reusable’ I don’t know what is.
These are great bags. We got some while on holiday on Vancouver Island, and were so impressed that we bugged our local big box supermarket to get on board. Re-useables are such a good thing for our family. We’re not nags about being green with our kids, we just make it part of our lifestyle. These bags are great. I have a few sets going and find they are so perfect for travelling. Groceries, laundry, packing, sorting, sifting, re-cycling. Awesome!
Kali
I am so happy to see these bags resurface! I too, have had mine for years and have been searching for something as great as these to give to my friends for gifts (or even to hold their gifts). I have always tried to keep a little stash of them in my car, hand bag, back pack or what ever just to have them handy. They don’t take up any space and yet they hold so much and come in handy for so many things.
Way to go Carebags!
Rose
P.s. I am curious about what looks to be a little carry bag for them??
So pleased to have discovered them. They are awesome. So glad to have a great option to plastic, with so many other uses.
Meg
Well folks so much has changed at Carebags in the past year. We’ve totally revamped Carebags and created a little sister product called Got it!.
Check out the site: http://www.carebagsonline.com
They’re not just for produce & bulk foods, perfect for travel, lunches, snacks or even for carrying a 6 pack of beer. Our testimonials page will give you dozens of other ideas too.
Be fantastic – Use less plastic!
Diana