Zero Bag: The Eco Item I Don't Leave Home Without
It seems everyone is running around like headless chickens, trying to navigate life with NO PLASTIC BAGS. Since talk of New Zealand’s plastic bag ban last year, and further legislation coming into play this year, plastic bags have been the talk of the town. Who would have thought these little plastic critters would be so important to us that they headline the news and fill every second conversation?
How will we cope?!
Let me introduce you to my weapon of choice when it comes to battling plastic bags: The Zero Bag.
The Zero Bag is unlike those tacky canvas bags that you find at supermarkets (which are often lined with plastic and won’t last longer than 6 months without breaking!), or even the little foldable gift bags that look like they would be Zero Bag’s competitor- they’re totally not.
The Zero Bag is an invention I only discovered earlier this year, but it’s totally changed my plastic-bag-free-life.
Reasons why I love Zero Bag:
Flip it ~ Pop it ~ Use it ~ Stuff it: It‘s super user friendly
Can carry up to 50kgs: I’ll never be able to carry a bag THAT heavy! Therefore, I know whatever I put in it, it will hold without tearing
Small enough to fit in my small handbag
Washable
Doesn’t pick up my husband’s fishy smells when he uses it for his fishing gear- it goes back to smelling normal after one wash
Super light
Is not stored in an external pouch: It folds into it’s own built in pouch
Made from recycled plastic bottles
Created in fair working conditions
Owned by some rad New Zealanders
The logo isn’t tacky and the branding is small: The bag will be subtle with all outfits
The colours are simple and classy
More waterproof than cotton totes
SUPER affordable
What stood out to me most about Zero Bag, was their transparency and their commitment to doing things right. When I emailed Zero Bag to ask about their supply chain and general ethos, I was blown away by their transparency and values that aligned with my own.
Materials:
The original Zero Bag is made from upcycled skydiving parachutes! They use old parachute material because it’s so strong and durable, and they ensure the stitching is strong enough to match.
Zero Bag 2.0 (the bags I use) are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles (rPET). This excites me as it closes the loop and means a resource that is usually redundant, is used to save more plastic from being produced.
Ethical manufacturing:
Who makes the OG Zero Bag? Zero Bag’s friends in Canterbury make them in their back shed! The NZ team are respected as the talented and creative individuals they are, and turn old parachutes into bags right here in New Zealand
Unable to meet the demand and stick to New Zealand made, Zero Bag 2.0 is made in China. The factory where the bags are made was carefully chosen by the Zero Bag team, who visit them a few times a year and stay for a period of time that allows them to watch their work closely. The Zero Bag founders worked tirelessly to find a factory that fit their fair working standards, as New Zealand made and fair working conditions are at the core of Zero Bag’s values.
You know a company is legit when they say this, because they are transparent enough to send you several documents including certifications, most recent audits, pay specifics, and codes of compliance. That’s exactly what they did, and more.
Ways I use my Zero Bag:
Always have one in my handbag for ‘emergency carrying situations’
Camping trips (carrying food especially)
Grocery shopping
Farmers market shopping
Swapping clothes with friends
Carrying kombucha to family gatherings
Keeping Tim’s (husband) smelly fishing gear away from everything else!
Zero Bag get it. They understand you don’t want to fluff around with your canvas bags that are huge and bulky in your car. They know you’ll be embarrassed when you perform a balancing act, carrying your naked food out from the supermarket to your car, and you (literally) lose your bananas.
Zero Bag have solved a problem with a sustainable and long term solution: a bag that will last you forever and do all you want it to do.
Shop for your Zero Bag here.
As a rule, I only work with brands I love, use, and can whole heartedly back. I send the brand a large list of questions to answer first, and trial the product properly before saying yes to anything. This is a sponsored blog (I can't pay my electricity bill with free products), but 100% my own words, photos, and opinion.