onestringbag [Q&A]

Q&A

what is it?

onestringbag is a net/mesh bag that comes in 2 sizes. Medium and Large. It is intended to not only help the grocery shopper reduce plastic bag usage but help people learn about sustainable practice.

The aim is to make product more sustainable and environmentally friendly. These things are not always possible right away, but onestringbag is dedicated to continually evolve towards this outcome.

how long do they last?

The original prototypes, which I made to help me avoid using plastic bags when I do my grocery shopping, are still going after 3 years. They are very soft (all the starching is gone) and some have a few holes after sharp objects ripped at them – but even the bags with small holes are still usable.

what do I do with it?

When you are choosing your fruit or veggies, use a onestringbag to collect them and give them to the nice person to weigh for you. If you don't want lots of onestringbags, get a few or just one – and each time you buy something empty what you've bought into your larger shopping bag or backpack so you can use the same onestringbag again.

how much stuff can I put in it?

This depends on the produce. I usually find the small ones do for me and sometimes I use the large for buying loose oranges. A large bag fits about 8 oranges.

are they strong?

Yes they are very strong and have stood up well to being used for selecting and weighing fruit and veg weekly for 3 years. The nylon netting is a very strong weave - small holes do not seems to spread easily if at all. The edges are raw (unsealed) but do not fray. Though the netting it is no match to a knife or sharp objects. So they do require some love and care. Let’s now treasure and respect our possessions to help make them last longer.

why do they cost that much?

Please refer to the price list for the actual prices.

They cost this much because they are produced by myself in my home here in Melbourne.

Even if I were to go to large volume production, I would want anyone making them to be paid a decent amount for the work they do. If demand increases beyond my ability to meet it, I will first look to friends if they would like to help.

Further down the track I will be investigating fairwear (www.fairwear.org.au) and nosweatshop (www.nosweatshoplabel.com) for larger volume production.

i forget to take bags shopping

Old habits die hard, but that's okay. Once you will notice that you've forgotten that is the first step. Don't be so hard on yourself, or so soft that you never remember. Find ways that will help you remember more easily.

As onestringbags soften they crumple down to very little in the bottom of your shopping bag. They weight very little at approximately 5 grams per bag.

To help remember to take them with you put the rest of your onestringbags into one of the larger ones and then put this in your grocery bag.
If you find it hard to remember your grocery bags - perhaps consider what grocery bags you use. I have found the very funky and attractive ecosilk bags incredibly light weight, soft, strong and they fold up to a very small size.

Q&A