I have to admit to having a love affair with these and if only I had a dollar for how many times I have been asked where i got them when Im out shopping. I really hate admitting I that "i got them in California" . I feel a bit sheepish, a bit of a toseer and extremely unhelpful. I have spent countless hours and nights searching online for a wholesaler in India or China who makes such bags with fair trade labour from bamboo, hemp or organic cotton. I do that coz i cant find them anywhere for sale here in Oz.
These fine gauze bags meet all my requirements; they feel wonderful and soft to use, theyre washable and are the perfect answer to plastic single use fruit and veg bags that all the shops still offer, despite the big plastic bag ban. As they are made from fine fabric they store easily in the fridge without needing to remove the fruit or vege and also absorb excess moisture, keeping food fresher for longer. Additionally, they are multipurpose and can be used for grains and flours; parachute (chico) style bags and mesh bags just dont let you do all of this with one small bag.
They feel right, they fall right, they look right.
Today I finally found a manufacturer in India which looks like they make the right bags with the right fabric and they print them up as well. My queries to all of you are, firstly,
a) if you saw these in a shop or at a stall, would you be interested in buying some? and
b) how much would you be prepared to pay for these? US retail price of these bags are 3.75 each, so say an Aussie equivalent of around $3.50-4.00 each.
The average, unorganised shopper for a family of 4 would need about 15-20 of these to do the shopping with no headache. What say you?
10 comments:
Honestly? Love them. But I'd make my own rather than buy them, although I've not looked for a suitable fabric anywhere here...
Back again. I found Australian-grown organic muslin - would muslin be too open weave for the sort of thing you are describing?
Up to $5 each (I can't sew). But
I'm sure I've seen an ad for
a company in Australia that makes
these. Anybody know?
I'd potentially buy some. I've made some myself out of old netting curtains - but not enough and havn't gotten around to making any more. One day!
So I could easily be tempted to buy a few if I came across some at a market and was convinced of their fair trade credentials.
i love these but i probably wouldn't purchase them. i'd try to make them first. then again we so rarely buy produce from the supermarket (as opposed to the farmers market) that i may not get much use of them. not to say i don't still want some. ;)
~tara
I liked your bags when you first posted about them, I searched around for ages trying to source bags with no luck. Last week I bought some Onya weigh bags from Onya (http://www.onyabags.com.au/)
I got 8 drawstring bags for about $17.50 plus postage, about $2.15 each, (they're made in China, but designed in Australia though), they are made from tulle, so no good for things like flour or rice, but ok for fruit and veg. I had a good look at them to work out how they are made and have made a couple, I will probably make some more. (now I just have to source some fine organic cotton or muslin) You can also get Onya bags from Goodies and Grains at Central Market, I think $17.95 for 8.
But that doesn't answer your queries, I would probably buy one or two bags, but would prefer to make my own, price up to $5
Pip
Julie- yeah, for all those who sew its a moot issue. Muslin would be fine i reckon, i just like the even finer weave of gauze.
barbara- havent come across an aussie co that makes them in a fine weave, only the netting, and poly netting too. Im up for the recycled /recycled organic cotton.
LEF - thats what i mean! for all those that dont sew/no time/etc... yes, its the fair trade im struggling with in wholesale manufacturers. i can find wholesalers but prefer to buy fromthe source!
theorganicsister-hello and welcome! these bags are perfect for markets; its where i use them for lots of fruit and veg.. Great for bulk flour and grains too. Im thinking of all those plastic bags that could easily be saved from use if people who dont sew could just buy some of these...
Pip- i shopped for years by just loading up tonnes of fruit and veg into a basket and piling them up at the counter. The poor checkout chick and it took ages. It never dawned on me to get some alternative bags. Im mean doh! how thick is that? The onya bags are plastic no? parachute fabric? I have seen them at goodies and grains and yet net is not multipurpose. ive been online all day. getting stuck on the fair trade criteria. watch this space...
I just pile it all into my bag and and put it all back in at the counter. Bit of a pain at the supermarket, but I hardly shop there.
zoe- yeah. i hardly shop there either but when you're buying 60 brussel sprouts at the market in one go....
I'd buy 'em! I think they are beaut and look tactile, and fit for purpose. I'd go for a pack of 5 for $20 and would have snaffled a couple of packs had a seen thm at a store in the 'Growers Market' or somewhere like that...and I sew!!!
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