Plastic Bag Free Day: 7 of Instagram’s favourite reusable bags that you’ll actually want to carry

Stay stylish and save single-use plastic bags from ending up in landfill.

Liz Connor
Saturday 03 July 2021 01:00 EDT
Young woman in grey dress with knitted rag bag string bag shopper in the kitchen, zero waste, slow life
Young woman in grey dress with knitted rag bag string bag shopper in the kitchen, zero waste, slow life

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Scientists estimate it can take around 1,000 years for the average plastic shopping bag to degrade, giving us a pretty powerful reason to carry our own tote bags to the supermarket.

As today marks Plastic Bag Free Day, a global initiative that aims to eliminate the use of single-use plastic bags in the world, there’s never been a better time to say goodbye to carrier bags, for good.

But you don’t need to lug around that ugly, washed out tote that’s been gathering dust at the bag of your kitchen cupboard. It’s never been more stylish to be sustainable, and we’ve found a handful of genuinely wearable reusable bags, inspired by Instagram’s coolest influencers.

1. Lisa Says Gah Bandana Tote (£38, lisasaysgah.com)

Insta-famous shop Lisa Says Gah is known for starting the cult trends that fashion-loving women want to follow.

This stylish tote bag features an iconic bandana pattern, which is a staple for the brand’s summer season. Plus, it’s colourful enough that you’ll never lose sight of it in your wardrobe.

2. Sunjellies Betty Basket (£19.50, sunjellies.com)

Sunjellies’ 1960s-inspired basket bags are the perfect retro accessory to take along to a farmer’s market, or simply for a trip to the local shop.

The Betty style comes in a variety of trend-ticking colours, including peach, mint green and bubblegum pink.

3. Baggu Reusable Shopper (£13, notanotherbill.com)

Baggu’s best-selling reusable bag has been a hit with influencers the world over, thanks to the variety of fun-loving patterns and styles they offer.

According to the sustainable brand, their tote holds two to three plastic grocery bags’ worth of stuff, and it can be folded down into a small, handbag-sized pouch between uses.

4. Kind Medium Reusable Tote (£10, kindbag.co)

Holding up to 20kg of weight, Kind’s tear-resistant reusable shopper is both pretty and practical.

Like Baggu, their totes come in an array of cheerful colours and patterns, so you can clash your tote with your outfit.

5. Kule Striped Oversized Tote (£135, kule.com)

If you’ve got a bigger budget to play with, you could join the waitlist to get your hands on Kule’s hotly coveted stripy tote.

The preppy New York brand became famous for making the ‘perfect’ striped T-shirt, but have since moved into accessories.

6. Hunkon Caisa Shopper, (£67.49, trouva.com)

Cool girl favourite Trouva has loads of fun reusable shopping bags to choose from.

The online marketplace supports hundreds of independent boutiques from across the UK and Europe Our favourite pick is this satin quilted number from Hunkon.

7. The Classic Net Bag (£7.99 for a two pack, amazon.com)

Unlike a lot of fashion trends, you don’t need loads of money to be eco-friendly and stylish.

Over the last year, It girls and influencers have been making the humble net bag fashionable, packing theirs with artfully arranged organic produce.

Your local supermarket is the best place to pick one up, or Amazon has a range of cheap and inexpensive net bags to shop too.

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