The $8 thrift store sweater I turned into reusable produce bags

Honestly I used to grab those thin plastic produce bags at the grocery store without thinking. About six months ago I found a thick wool sweater at a thrift shop in Austin for $8 and decided to try something different. I cut it up, sewed the edges, and made five little drawstring bags for fruits and veggies. Now I weigh my apples and peppers directly in those cloth bags and skip the plastic entirely. The cashiers actually dig it because they can see through the loose weave. I also stopped buying those mesh bag sets online since this cost way less. Has anyone else repurposed old clothes into zero waste kitchen gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

kimw576h ago

Wait, is that wool sweater actually see-through enough to scan? I bet it breathes better than the plastic bags too, which is huge for things like mushrooms or herbs that get slimy fast. Oh man, I did pretty much the same thing last year with an old linen dress shirt I found at Goodwill. I cut it into squares and sewed up these little pouches with a ribbon tie, and now I use them for bulk bin stuff like oats and rice. The best part is they rinse clean in like two seconds and I just hang them dry with my dish towels. I also love that I can toss them in the wash when they start looking grimy, no special care needed.

xena5824h ago

Love that idea! Linen is primo for that stuff, way better than plastic.