Last Updated on July 5, 2024

This done-for-you shopping guide makes reusable shopping bags less frustrating and confusing with the absolutely best reusable grocery bags! I suggest the BagPodz reusable bag set for convenient, sustainable shopping.

Taking reusable shopping bags to the grocery store is one of the most basic ways to reduce waste and live more sustainably. However, it’s also a pain to line your arms with a bunch of reusable bags and walk around the store with them. The solution? A BagPodz set that keeps your bags in one, small space to pull out as needed. They really are the best reusable grocery shopping bags!

This post was sponsored by BagPodz. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Please see my full disclosure for more information. 

the best reusable shopping bags

Welcome back to another eco-friendly Tuesday! Last time on eco-friendly Tuesdays, we chatted with Chef Charlie Ayers, the first head chef at Google, about fighting food waste.

We’ve talked about reusable water bottles, we’ve talked about napkins, and we’ve even talked about handkerchiefs. Almost every key reusable item has gotten a dedicated post except for reusable totes. So, today we’re talking about the best reusable grocery bags — BagPodz.

Disposable shopping bags cause insane amounts of damage to the environment. From landfill waste, blocked storm drains, and trapping wildlife, plastic shopping bags have been credited for many environmental problems.

Even stores with recycling programs for their plastic bags have been linked to a number of controversies. So what is a zero waster to do when reusable bags are a pain, and convenient bags are damaging?

I’ve found the best reusable shopping bags that solve both of those problems and now that I have, I’m never going back.

bagpodz – the best reusable grocery shopping bags

For Christmas, my mom bought me BagPodz, saying they were the best reusable shopping bags on the market. I called and thanked her for the thoughtful gift, but I felt like I had way too many reusable bags to begin with. And almost all of them also claimed to be the best reusable grocery shopping bags around. 

Being a minimalist and already having an entire drawer dedicated to too many reusable bags, it felt like a silly present. She told me to try them. So, I did — and holy guacamole — Life. Changing. 

My zero waste journey started out with just some checkout stand reusable bags I picked up at Trader Joe’s along the way.

And, while they worked, they weren’t very sturdy. Definitely not for long term heavy duty use. 

I decided it was time to buy myself an adult set. I bought a set of canvas bags on Amazon and I hated them. Every time I used them I would be so angry.

They weren’t sewn well, and they cost way too much money. They were falling apart, but I was determined to live with them because — reuse! 

If this sounds like a familiar story, I’m here to tell you it’s ok! Sometimes you do things with the best of intentions, and sometimes they just don’t work out. 

Thankfully, my mom saved the day. Enter BagPodz, the solution I didn’t know existed.

the best reusable grocery bags

You may have heard me chatting about them on a podcast with Matt Prindle earlier this year. After that podcast, we got in touch! I’m telling you — everywhere I go, people ask me where they can get them. I love talking about products I love! Especially ones that have revolutionized zero waste. 

They started making these bags after the bag ban passed in Austin. People were complaining that it was difficult to remember to bring their reusable bags to the store. Common complaints included: mismatched, bulky, never bringing enough, and difficult-to-fold bags. 

The geniuses at BagPodz found an easy way to address everyone’s concerns with this little pod system.

You can unzip the side of the pod to pull the bags out at check out. After you get home, use the carabiner to clip it onto a hook or door handle. You can let the drawstring out, then shove all of the bags back into the pod. This system truly makes them the most convenient, best reusable grocery bags that I’ve ever found on the market.

It’s this perfect little compact tool that I keep in the car. BagPodz and Snapware revolutionized zero waste for Justin. They were lightbulb moments for him. He even said, “Zero waste makes so much more sense to me now.” Now, he’s more than happy to tote these into the store. 

I am all for any product that can help people remember to actually bring their bags and reduce frustration along the way. They truly are the best reusable bags.

tips to remember your reusable grocery bags

1. My number one tip for anyone who forgets to bring their bags is to turn around! If you get to the store and you don’t have your bags, TURN. AROUND. Seriously. When you go back once to get the bags, I can almost guarantee you won’t forget again. 

2. Clip them on your keys. After I unload my groceries, I clip the bags onto my keys to remember to take them back out to my car. 

3. Eventually you get in the habit of creating a little checklist before you leave the house. I always ask myself phone, wallet, keys, water, bag — something to that effect so I’m always prepared! 

I hate plastic bags and hope people will remember not only to bring reusable bags but also reusable produce bags! You can cut out so much waste just by remembering to bring reusable bags and a reusable water bottle. 

Plus, now I have an empty drawer where my reusable bags used to be. When you live in an 800 sq. ft. house, every ounce of space becomes precious. This makes this set the best reusable bags on the market for that reason alone!

faqs about the rest reusable bags

what are bagpodz reusable tote bags made of?

BagPodz bags are made from super tough and durable rip stop nylon that can hold up to 50lbs each! That’s enough to cover a whole trip to the grocery store and then some. While the materials they’re made out of aren’t technically sustainable, they are long-lasting, ensuring you won’t need to replace them like the other options I’ve tried.

The worst part of being on a zero waste journey is realizing that at this point in time, you’re unlikely to find any product that checks all the boxes — sustainable materials, ethically produced, high quality, durable, recyclable/compostable/biodegradable, etc. With these, I’ve decided that their convenience, re-usability, and durability for long-lasting use is what makes them the best reusable grocery shopping bags.

And, when they do finally wear out, nylon is at least recyclable, which will keep them out of the landfill once their time has run out.

are reusable bags sanitary?

Reusable grocery bags are a smart choice but get a bad rap because the food carried in them may leave behind germs like E. coli or Salmonella. If the bags are not properly washed and dried before they are used again, these germs remain and can make you sick.

I suggest dedicating one bag to produce and one bag to meats (if you eat it). And of course, keep them clean and sanitize between uses to keep yourself healthy.

how do you best dispose of old reusable bags?

That depends on the material your bags are made out of! Cotton or canvas bags can often be sent to textile recycling plants. However, many are made of plastic or other synthetic materials and need to be recycled by plants that can accommodate those materials.

Usually, reusable bags end up in landfills, though. And while putting one bag that has been used hundreds of times in the landfill is better than putting 5-20 bags every week in the landfill, that’s still discouraging. Prioritizing materials that can be repaired, then composted or recycled, is key to choosing the best reusable grocery bags for you.

how many times do you need to use a reusable bag to make a difference?

It probably goes without saying, but you definitely need to use your reusable bags (and use them a lot) to make a true difference. On its own, one single plastic bag has little environmental impact. It’s when you’re using multiple, every single week, and then throwing them away that it becomes a problem.

Because of this, buying one reusable bag and never using it creates very little impact as well. However, one bag can make a difference if it’s used over and over and over, keeping hundreds of bags out of the landfill.

Now, imagine if you can remove plastic bags from your life entirely because you’re using your reusable bags exclusively. That’s when you make a true environmental impact.

what do you look for when deciding on the best reusable grocery bags?

We’ve kind of touched on this already, but when looking at reusable bags, I’m looking for something that is CONVENIENT above all else. Trying to cart around 20 mismatched bags that may or may not be falling apart, and trying to keep my life organized is a big no for me. If something is enraging to use, the chances of you actually using it drop a ton.

Second is durability. Nothing is truly sustainable if you have to replace it every few months. That goes for sustainably sourced materials as well. I want my reusable bags to be strong enough to be filled completely without stretching or tearing at the seams.

Third, I look for the sustainability of it all. I like the BagPodz set because it checks my first 2 boxes, and while it isn’t ideal for the third box, at least the materials are recyclable. However, when looking at organic cotton or even bamboo reusable bags, I’m often disappointed by the first two boxes, which makes me not want to use them at all. It’s always a balancing act!

What’s your bag routine? How do you remember your reusable bags?