short handled string bag containing fresh produce

The ultimate fashion accessory for the string vest enthusiast. Show off your nips and ‘neeps* at the same time.

For the rest of us, no doubt revulsed by the above mental imagery, (and adding another layer of clothing as an extra barrier of modesty against that assault on the imagination), a string bag is a great way to hold your naked (packaging free) produce and show it off in all its glory. Food should be naturist by nature, so let your vegetables loose and carry them home without smothering them in society’s expectations of what a vegetable should look like and what it can wear.

Free the neeps*!

*turnips and/or swedes

Made from 100% organic cotton, this string bag has short handles, making it easy to carry. (Especially if you have long arms or short legs. Or both for any apes out there.) Keep one in your pocket, your bag, or your car for convenience and so you’ll never have to buy another damn plastic bag again.

Now with three colours to choose from! The Spice and Pecan coloured bags are dyed using natural botanicals such as pomegranate, flame of the forest, and the madder plant, to create these brilliant colours. Please note that due to the properties of these natural vegetable dyes, the colours may very gently fade (they might end up with a worn-in look similar to stonewash jeans) after a few washes.

- Natural £6

- Spice £9

- Pecan £9

Short Handled String Bag

Name: Short Handled String Bag
Brand: Turtle Bags

£7.00

Colour

Quantity

Out of Stock

Plastic bags. The devil of disposable convenience and a turtle’s worst nightmare. Plastic bag use may be down by 83% in the UK since the introduction of the 5p bag tax, but we’ve still got 17% use to work on. 17% is still over a BILLION single use plastic bags, so we definitely need to improve on this! Short of a ban on disposable single use plastic bags, remembering to carry your own reusable bag and reminding others to do the same is the best action we can take to bring this figure down and eventually, out.
Promote the packaging free lifestyle to others! Lead by example and show to the world that your food doesn’t need plastic coverings/smotherings. The person behind you in the queue might think twice about all their plastic wrapped food as you smugly purchase your food with a holier than thou attitude that complements the holes in your bag. Transparency leads to better buying practices and what better way to do that than with a see-through bag.

Short handled, this bag is very easy to carry. Tote bags, one of the standard alternatives to plastic bags, commonly have long handles. They have to be carried on your shoulder, which they promptly fall off, leading to constant readjustment and much frustration. Short handles are an excellent remedy for this frustration, as you can carry it by your side, much like the now abhorred but convenient plastic bag.

Super strong, these bags may have holes in, but you will struggle to break them (unless you use scissors). ‘Which?’ (the consumers choice charity) have tested them and found they can hold up to 40 kg! Unlike plastic bags, tensile strength is unlikely to be reduced over time with these string bags, meaning they will last for years to come. If you do ever tire of your Turtle Bag, be reassured by the fact that it is 100% biodegradable, being made of natural organic cotton fibres. Chuck it on the compost to complete the cycle of use!
Organic cotton is generally quite expensive compared to normal pesticide-full cotton. So £7 ain’t bad considering the material, even if it does have loads of holes in it. That’s a design feature I tell you. The strength of the material means that you can use it to carry most items, (as long as they aren’t small enough to fall through the holes!) so it’s a one bag fits all type deal, unless you only buy items less than 2x2cm in size. I wouldn’t recommend using this bag to bulk buy lentils for instance.

Obviously, it is a reusable bag, so the more you use it, the more you get your money’s worth from it. With lots of supermarkets pledging to ditch the 5p disposable single use bags altogether in favour of the reusable 10p variety of plastic bag, it’s only 70 trips to the shop for this bag to earn its value. Considering how long it will last, I’d say that’s quite good bang (or should I say bag) for your buck.
What are they made from?

100% organic cotton

The packaging is a paper tube which is printed on recycled paper and is in turn recyclable.

Where do they come from?

Made in India.

Are they sustainable?

Organic cotton – cotton needs a ridiculous amount of water to grow. It is also very labour intensive because cotton attracts lots of pests. In terms of sustainability, cotton is not the most sustainable however, many of the alternatives, like hemp, aren’t grown on the same scale (hemp requires less pesticides and water). Cotton is much better if it is organic. Organic means no pesticides for one. If you spray pesticides all over your cotton, they are going to get into the water, which will be absorbed by the soil, resulting in pesticides in the water supply. Not to mention all the other toxins used in the production and manufacturing of non-organic cotton. Basically, buy organic cotton because the alternative is appalling.

Turtle Bags say – ‘organic production requires certification and this is carried out annually by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) who visit the site and also ensure that the social/ethical conditions of employment are provided for.’

How about ethical?

Turtle Bags tell me – ‘Our manufacturers of the string bags are forward thinking enterprises, they have been audited successfully by the Body Shop and are subject to external audits of social welfare through their SA8000 certification.’

Extra good stuff:

Turtle Bags founder Beth told me that her company ‘has been subject to an audit by WWF, a rigorous procedure (which you might expect from WWF). They have carried out a social and environmental impact of our work. We work with members of the WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation) and I have been a member of BAFTS (British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers) these last 10 years and have been a board member for a few of them.

Beth set up Turtle Bags in 2001, to bring attention to the problem of marine plastic pollution. She is also an ecologist, who lectures in conservation at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham. Between her business and teaching, she has done great work raising awareness of these issues.

How much better can Turtle Bags get? Wait, there’s more – the company has been working with the Marine Conservation Society since it started trading. Beth says ‘we have raised awareness of their work (in particular their adopt a turtle programme) and considerable funds for them through our three way partnership with Marks & Spencer. I travelled with funds from BBC Wildlife to Sri Lanka with the Marine Conservation Society to work with rural communities in Southern Sri Lanka to make bags, which has helped to raised funds for local conservation of Turtle Projects in Sri Lanka.’

Amazing stuff!

Conclusion –

I’m not stringing you along I swear, these bags are great for the environment and handy to have around!