It’s irresponsible to be environmentally unaware and uneducated in 2024. Our planet’s health has never been worse and it’s entirely our fault. We’ve laid waste on various eco-systems, we’re burning way too much fossil fuels and we’re not even remotely responsible when it comes to waste – generally speaking. All of this has led to major climate changes and other significant problems, however, with a collective effort, we can still help and salvage what’s left and pave the way for future generations and better days ahead.
Finding A Healthy Alternative
One of the in which we can do that is to lower our plastic usage. Single-use plastics are arguably the greatest pollutant on our planet. We’re witnessing more and more companies, especially those selling water, moving on from single-use plastics and moving on to far more eco-friendly materials like aluminium, for instance. However, even if all plastic bottles are replaced with aluminium cans –we still have a major player in the game when it comes to single-use plastic pollution.
You’ve probably guessed it – we’re talking about plastic bags. The amount of these sacks used daily is off the charts. Billions upon billions of plastic sacks are used and improperly disposed of on a daily basis. That’s more than alarming and if something doesn’t change any time soon, we’re going to be swimming in the sea of plastic waste sooner, rather than later.
Luckily, there is an easy way out of this situation and in this case – it’s the reusable bags. There are all kinds of reusable bags, but today, we’re interested in one in particular – mesh bags. Since mesh bags are becoming more and more popular, we thought we’d do a quick little research on whether they’re eco-friendly, should you use them and what are the advantages if you do decide to use them. What have we learned? Let’s find out.
What Are Mesh Bags?
Mesh, string or net bags – they’re all the same thing, regardless of how you choose to name them. Mesh bags are reusable, open-netted sacks that are used for all kinds of different things. They’re made from strands or yarns and woven in a way to form a net. The material from which the strands are made differs from one bag to another, but in most cases, it’s made from some sort of durable, recyclable material, for instance, cotton. Most often, they’re used as multi-use shopping sacks or as packaging for various products.
Are Mesh Bags Eco-Friendly?
In a way – every mesh bag is eco-friendly on some level, but it’s clear that depending on the material from which the bag is made, some are more ‘green’ than the others. In most cases, yes – they are eco-friendly. And with production and manufacturing advancements, they’re becoming increasingly ‘greener’ by the day.
The materials from which the bags are made are becoming more sustainable by the day, new ones are being ‘discovered’, new manufacturing methods applied – all in the effort of reducing ecological waste in every conceivable way possible.
Add all of that into an equation with simply not using single-use plastic bags anymore – you can see how environmentally friendly these things are. So, once again – yes, mesh bags are eco-friendly, in more than one way.
What Are Mesh Bags Being Used For?
Well, they’re used for pretty much anything. If it can fit inside a mesh bag and you can carry it or store it in one – feel free to use it. The application of this product is quite broad and there is more than one type of mesh bag. Some mesh bags, like the ones you put fruit in, are small and tightly knit. The other ones, like firewood mesh bags, are bigger, stronger and not-as-tightly knit. For more information visit https://mesh-bags.com/
Of course, the most common use of these is with groceries. You’re either using this product as a grocery sack or you’re buying some groceries, like fruits and veggies, that are packed in one.
Finally, here’s a quick pro-tip you probably haven’t heard of. If your hair gets really frizzy when blow-drying, use this product as a hair net and keep your hairstyle frizz-free. That’s another neat application of this cool, planet-saving product.
What Are The Benefits Of Mesh Bags?
Up to this point, we’ve just been saying how great these things are without actually giving you a real-world example. However, don’t worry, we just haven’t gotten to it yet. On that note, here are a few examples.
1. They’re Eco-Friendly
First and foremost, the main benefit of this product is the fact that it’s eco-friendly. By using this one, instead of a regular, thin, plastic bag – you’re single-handedly helping the environment by not polluting it. Not only that, most mesh bags are made from a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly material than a regular plastic bag is. The majority of manufacturers use sustainable, biodegradable materials to produce these sacks, so even in the event of this one not being properly disposed of, the Earth can still handle it. However, that shouldn’t stop you from recycling.
2. They’re Cheaper
You might be thinking what are we on about? Regular plastic bags are no more than few cents and these ones can cost upwards of a dollar – even five in some cases. Well, that is absolutely true. However, we’re still right. It is safe to assume you’re doing daily shopping and you get a plastic bag 80% of the time – that’s about 300 days a year, give or take. When you multiply the price of a single plastic bag, let’s say that’s 5 cents, by the number of days – you get a lot more than one mesh sack would set you back. In addition to all of that, these grocery-carrying-nets last a lot longer than a year. Simple math.
3. They Keep The Food Fresh
In some cases, you just put your food in the fridge without pulling it out of the bag. Now, if we’re talking plastic – that means your food can’t breathe. And when your fruit can’t breathe, it dies a lot faster. Not to mention all the plastic toxins your food is going to absorb if you leave it in there for a while. On the other hand, the net structure of mesh bags allows for foods to breathe and stay fresh for a lot longer.
As you can tell, it’s easy to get on board with this trend of carrying your own mesh sack. It’s even stylish enough that you could rock it as a purse. All in all, we’ve determined that they’re eco-friendly, affordable and good for your food, which is always great to hear.