Updated: 12/9/2011. Lots more colors and different products to choose from!
“I am not a plastic bag” in any form is the new IT bag. Anyone and everyone has their preferred e-bag, whether it is cotton, hemp or recycled polyethylene. Despite all of your good intentions, how many of you forget to take your bag with you when you go to the grocery store or to the gym? Perhaps you left it at home with the groceries you just brought in. Maybe it is too small for what you need to put in it, or you just plain forget. Well, the Flip & Tumble bag will save you from never having to use another plastic bag. How? Read on.
My Eco Confession
First, I have to confess.I have this beautiful bag from a grocery store that cost $.99. The first couple of times I wore my bag on my shoulder, I was a proud mama peacock. My bag screamed, “look at her. She cares about the environment.” I even heard it say while I was in the grocery check out line, “check her out. She is one hot green mama.” I kid you not.
I was an IT green girl. Just to be able to say those magic words, “no thank-you. I brought my own bag” was just heaven.
Over the weeks, I kept forgetting my beautiful bag since it was buried under something in my minivan. (What’s new?) Although I recycle my grocery bags, I had absolutely no excuse. I was continuing to contribute to the countless amount of petroleum oil being used to make plastic bags. Shame on me. So is there a bag out there that is so convenient to use that a greenie like me won’t forget to use it?
Hetal Jariwala and Eva Bauer, founders of the Flip & Tumble’s 24-7 bag, felt my pain, having been there themselves. They sought to create a convenient stylish bag that you would never forget to use. Okay, you are thinking, come on. What makes this bag different from all the other environmental bags?
Easy to Use
The founders should have named the bag, the “easy bag” if it was a catchy name. It is so simple to scrunch this bag into a small ball and then insert it in its attached pouch. (Kind of like making a ball out of your socks.) No more fumbling, pushing, or poking to get this bag into its pouch. Plus, there is no need to worry about zippers getting caught on the material.
Did you notice the words, “attached pouch” as I described the bag? If any of you are like me, I misplace everything, so having an attached pouch is a necessity for me. Realize, I am not talking about merely a string that holds the two parts together. The pouch is literally sown to the bag.
Convenience
This bag is the size of a tennis ball when it is in its attached pouch.You can stuff it in your purse, backpack, or car since it takes up so little room. You will never forget it because it can go everywhere with you. Got big pockets? Stuff a bag in one of your pockets! You’ll be one with your new bag.
Your Go Anywhere Bag
It is literally a “24-7” bag.
“We wanted to develop the perfect one bag that you could keep with you all the time. The ideal bag had to be compact and work for grocery shopping, but we also wanted it to work for other places, such as a nice restaurant, or a day at the museum,” stated the founders.
There is no name on it identifying as “not a plastic bag” or who the makers are. It is stylish and discreet, and comes in several different solid colors as well as printed versions.
The bag is made of rip torn nylon and measures 12 by 14 x 5” and has this terrific long 26.5” strap so you can comfortably wear it over your shoulder. In addition, the bag has the ability to handle 20 lbs of weight which is equivalent to 3 large soda bottles. The shoulder strap has a built in shoulder pad to help make heavier loads feel lighter.
Want a smaller sack? Check out the mini!
Environmental Issues
Why use nylon when it is a petroleum based product? Is this good for the environment, I wondered?
“For a good size bag to be able to compact into a small and light enough form to be carried everywhere you can’t make it out of cotton,” explained Eva.
The purpose of this bag is to make it convenient and easy to use, so in fact you will use it and not forget it. According to the Company, “over its lifetime, each 24-7 bag can easily spare the earth from over 1,000 disposable plastic bags.”
Every product has a life cycle. Instead of throwing the bag away, the Company encourages you to send it back to them to recycle it.
What are you waiting for?
It costs $10.00 per bag and shipping rates vary depending on the quantity and location.
Buy a few 24-7 bags for your family, friends, and coworkers. Oh, and don’t forget those teachers’ gifts. What a great gift. Great stocking stuffers too. Everyone would love a bag that marries style and convenience and at the same time saves the Earth.
Best yet, discounts are available for quantity purchases.
Join the Conversation:
- Do you own any of these bags? If so, have you seen that you are less likely to forget your bag?
- Do you forget your bags like me?
- Would you wear this bag out at night or day in lieu of your purse?
- Men, would you use this bag?
Photos by permission of Flip and Tumble
Brave New Leaf says
What an awesome bag this is! The picture of the way it collapses into the pouch should have been the lead off for the article because once I saw that, I was sold! I can’t tell you how many times I end up buying something on impulse and have to accept a 3rd party shopping bag because I’ve left my tote at home. This will fit in my purse and I can pull it out whenever. I’m definitely picking one up once they are back in stock. Thanks for the tip!
http://www.bravenewleaf.com/en.....oject.html
Green Talk says
Hi Brave New Leaf,
I am glad you like the bag. I think it is really convenient. I happen to have the pictures of how you put the bag back together. Unfortunately, the pictures are 4 separate pictures. I tried for 2 hours to figure out to make them horizontal in both Photoshop and WordPress. If anyone knows how to do this (take a couple of pictures and make one picture), can you please contact me via my contact form. For now I will just put them on the side of the article.
Readers, Brave New Leaf is a new blog about a newbie becoming green. She explores some good questions as she finds her way.
I hope Brave New Leaf comes back and shares some her journey with us and helps to question what really is green since so many different people have such different standards. Also, let us know what you think of the bag when you get one.
Thanks for posting! anna
Bag Monster says
Reusable bags? What’s wrong with plastic bags and the monsters they create when they accumulate?? Bag Monsters aren’t so bad, you know… I’m a family monster with millions of little Bag Monster spawn to worry about. Some of them live under kitchen sinks, but most of them live in the bay and ocean. Go to my blog, BagMonster.com to learn more about how we’re being oppressed world wide. All these bag bans are supposedly because we make an expensive mess, cause “environmental damage,” and because a few of us were eaten by marine animals… Don’t they know better than to eat Bag Monsters?
Green Talk says
Hi Bag Monster (a/k/a Andy Keller, founder of Chico Bags, a similar bag to Flip and Tumble’s bag) Check out Bag monster’s website to see what Bag monster is up to, The videos are pretty funny, (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related)
It is tough to be a bag monster in this climate,
Bag monster, how did you find time to leave a comment? I guess you haven’t been run out of town yet! anna
Bag Monster says
Anna, after being evicted from San Francisco, I’ve finally settled in to my new home in Berkeley. I enjoyed a refreshing swim through the oil slick in the bay, and I saw lots of my bag monster cousins in the water on my way to Berkeley. I don’t think I should get too comfortable anyplace in the Bay Area, seems like I might get evicted from everywhere… unless my friends from the progressive bag alliance and the American Chemistry Council can save my family from getting run out of more cities! San Francisco set a precedent that threatens my Bag Monster Family all over the world. One bad apple (San Francisco) spoils the barrel and now major cities like New York, Chicago, and London are considering similar policies that target my family. It’s hard being a Bag Monster. *sigh*
RecycleCindy says
I too have “forgotten” my bag in the car and realized it when I was in the store. Now after I unload it, I put it on top of my purse. Then the next trip out to the car, I put it on top my center console. Now that’s it’s in plain view, I normally don’t forget it when I get out to go to the market. But don’t worry even if you remember it 50% of the time, that’s 50% less plastic bags used.
Stephanie says
Oh wow I didn’t even know that petroleum oil was used to make plastic bags. I guess now that I think about it that is kind obvious huh. This bag looks so cool too and I bet it comes in a number of colors. And the best thing about it is that I can keep like 5 or 6 bags right in my purse and ready to go because one bag is never enough!
Used Transmissions says
wow, this is a great idea. I wish I had seen this before christmas. great stocking stuffer!
Maria Sheard says
These are the best bags ever. Just throw it in your purse and you will always have a bag! It will be your way to help the environment.
Used Engines says
It’s great these bags are handy and we can bring anywhere and i can guess that if i have this bag in my pocket i can shop any time and i have not be worry about my shopping that how i brings those gods to my home 🙂
scenes says
Wow, nice bag design and mini size ))
Rolando says
Fabulous! This is a very nice reusable bag. It’s very convenient and environment friendly. Two thumbs up for this very beautiful creation. I like the colors and you can’t tell if it’s recycled. Great!
IT Services UK says
I think that the world went mad with green stuff, I hope that it won’t be a future bubble.