Purchased versus homemade
The cheaper option is always homemade, and you can always have the right size according to your requirements. If you want reusable bags that will last for a long time and need not be mended frequently, an overlocker produces the best results than a sewing machine. The downside is you should not sewing and have access to a sewing machine. If you know how to sew, you can make great gifts.
Second-hand fabrics
By using second-hand fabrics like table cloths, old net curtains, old bedding, and sheets, you can make reusable vegetable bags. Use a fabric that can undergo a hot wash and machine washable. You should know that every fabric is different. Net or mesh bags are see-through and lightweight, but not made of natural fibers and not suitable to keep fine powders and flour. Cotton cloth is natural but slightly heavy and not see-through as every store does not have the resources for taking off the weight of the bag on the scales, so the cost of heavy bags will be more.
Recycled PET plastic mesh bags
There are people who love plastic and buy reusable items made of plastic. PET is one such plastic that water bottles are made from. It is durable and hard-wearing. These bottles can be recycled into a mesh for making vegetable bags and can be reused again and again. These bags have a low carbon footprint than other bags available as they are made from a hundred percent recycled materials. The bags are great for storing vegetables and fruits, loose bread rolls and loose salad leaves (the leaves can wash in the bag).
Cotton produce bags
These bags are a great utility for those items that mesh bag unable to store – flours and powders. You can make a cotton bag with an old bedsheet as they can be easily repaired and composted easily at the end of their life. If you are planning to buy new cotton reusable bags, then check at the local bulk store as they always stock them. If you are not getting your perfect print or color, you can get it easily from online where there are numerous organic cotton bags. Although it is recommended to buy it from a physical store where you can check the quality as well as put some weight to check the durability of the bag. You can also search for a list of zero waste and plastic-free stores and can order it in bulk to get attractive discounts.
Bulk reusable food bags
These reusable bags ( https://www.organiccottonmart.com/collections ) are a new concept and specially designed to do bulk shopping rather than buying only vegetables and fruits. You can easily carry the bags from one place to another; however these bags are not the best one to store food.