I Never Go to the Grocery Store Without These Reusable Cotton Produce Bags

This is Highly Recommend, a column dedicated to what people in the food industry are obsessed with eating, drinking, and buying right now.

A reusable tote is always front and center in my bike basket on the way to the farmers market or in my cart at the grocery store. But just when I’m feeling great about saving a tree, I’ll be confronted by the ultimate produce quandary: How do I get a pound of mushrooms and a dozen limes to checkout without using those plastic bags that dangle like a roll of toilet paper? I started looking for a solution, and that’s when I found Grove Collaborative reusable cotton produce bags.

This pack comes with six bags in three sizes, so I can fit that big bunch of kale into the large one and items like lemons in the smaller ones. It keeps me organized as I go through the aisles. Some other reusable bags have finicky zippers, but the drawstring closure on Grove Co.’s bags keeps items secure and makes it easy to carry multiple bags at a time. Each bag also has a little tag announcing its tare weight so that I don’t get charged extra during checkout.

Once I’m home any veggies and fruits that need to be refrigerated are stored right in the bags. Unlike single-use plastic produce bags, the breathable cotton won’t accelerate ripening or turn your green beans to mush in two days. And when I’ve left a zucchini in the bag for a little too long, I can just pop the bag into the washing machine.

There are a lot of reusable produce bags on the market—and a lot of greenwashing. But Grove Collaborative seems like a company that’s aiming to do things right. According to the company, they’re currently 100% plastic-neutral, and they pledge to be plastic-free by 2025. While I’m not sure my household will be completely plastic-free in three years, these produce bags are bringing me one step closer.