Life Cycle of Products with Amie Hansen of BRINGIT Bags

Hello and welcome to this episode of Conscious Design. I'm your host, Ian Peterman, and author of the book Conscious Design. And with me today, I have Amy Hansen, CMO of Bring It Bags. They make sustainable bag alternatives for shopping, which we all need. So welcome to the show.

Thank you very much. Great to be here.

Yeah, so I'd love to have you just briefly talk a little bit about how you got involved with the company and then background on the origins of, of how somebody deciding to solve all the plastic bags we have in grocery stores, even when we forget our bags.

Yes, yes, no, absolutely. Yeah, it's actually pretty exciting and it's something that I'm really passionate about. So really happy to be here to talk to you about it. I actually got involved with Bring It Bag About nine or ten months ago, I was brought on by the two co-founders, Deb and Karen, to be the chief marketing officer and to you know work side by side with them to help them launch this brand. And so I've been you know tirelessly trying to build brand awareness and build build our brand over that time period. We are. on a mission to eradicate plastic bags. So we are very passionate about the plastic pollution problem. And we know that it's a massive problem. And it's not just plastic bags, right? It's, it's everything. And it can be overwhelming. But we decided to pick a path. And we picked one thing. And we said, we can bring a solution here, right? We can't solve the whole thing overnight. But—

Right.

We had a really good idea. The founders had a really good idea. And so that's our mission, is to bring that idea to the masses and to influence humans and Americans in particular to start using reusable bags and hopefully start using Bring It reusable bags because they truly are the best reusable bags on the planet. The origin of Bring It Bags is a couple of years ago, Karen and Deb met and they came from really different backgrounds. Deb Singer spent a number of years working at Whole Foods, and she was actually a person at Whole Foods who got Whole Foods to stop using plastic bags in their stores. And she got really passionate about bags in particular and materials and plastic and went on to— she left Whole Foods and went on to consult and do a lot in the reusable bag space. And she was always looking for different solutions, and she obviously educated— got deeply educated on materials and learned about, you know, cotton. And, um, while it might seem better than plastic, right, it has its own problems, right? Because it has a pretty bad production footprint. It's very water intensive, and it depletes the nutrients from the land. And although it's a natural fiber, you really need an industrial composting facility to actually break it down, which is Typically not what happens, right? Cotton ends up in the landfill. So she was always looking for solutions, and she was actually at a trade show and she came upon this unique material and just thought, like, she realized that some bigger apparel brands were using this material for sustainable apparel lines, but no one was using it for bags. And that was the idea. So she partnered with our co-founder Karin, and they, they went after this idea of— actually, it started with plastic produce bags. So, you know, you go into the grocery store, you go to get your fruits and veggies, and there are those rolls of those little thin, thin film plastic bags. And so they were kind of having— they had a sharp point on, we have to get rid of these things. Like, these are terrible. They're, you know, used for like an average of 15 minutes and then discarded.

And— Yes.

You know, consumers just aren't thinking. It's just presented to— it's presented to you.

Well, it's the only— it's the only option. It's either that or no bag. And people, especially after COVID, you want your— right, you're like, no, it can't touch anything.

Anything. I know, right? So, um, and so, so they started— they started kind of focusing on how, you know, bringing a solution specifically on produce bags. But then when they designed the product, it led them to go a little bit broader and say, wait a minute, we're going to design this shopping system. And, you know, there are produce bags, there are bulk bags, and then there are just other like tote bags that really are like the exact replacement for the plastic bag. And the thing is, that's really interesting. And this has been a big education for me coming in is there's a lot of reusable bags out there. And, you know, you go through checkout, there are bags for $0.99.

Right.

You can buy them. Those are made from plastic. So, um, like non-woven polypropylene. It's basically plastic fibers that are pressed together into big sheets, and then they're made into cheap bags. So guess what happens to those bags? They end up in the landfill. They end up in the ocean.

Or your closet where you have 100 of them because you kept buying them.

Yes, yes. And so, you know, it's about getting— helping people to be, you know, educate people around, you know, what the negatives are to single use, and convincing them, influencing them to take up, like, consistent use of reusable bags. But it's also about picking the right bag, right, and not switching to a plastic reusable bag, and quite honestly, not even a cotton bag, because this material that we have is far superior to both of those materials. And the difference is the production and the end of life, if you compare it to cotton. So zero— we have— we— the bags are made with fibers that are made from eucalyptus and beechwood trees. And these trees are naturally regenerative. They're sourced from FSC-certified forests. And so what that means is essentially the trees are felled, then they regrow on their own. So it's kind of like bamboo in a sense. And then the fibers are made. It's a zero-waste production process, which means all of the waste in the production is reused. Um, so compare that to like the waste when you're, when you're, you know, um, growing and then processing cotton.

Right.

And then at the end of life, the difference is You know, you can use these bags hundreds of times. You can put them in the washing machine, which is another really great benefit. Eventually, when they wear out or you just get tired of them, as we all kind of move on, right?

Yeah.

And I imagine that everyone can find a closet full of old bags. You don't have to bring them to an industrial composting facility. You can drop them in your home compost bin and they will completely go back to the earth. They're also marine biodegradable. So if they do end up in the ocean, they will disappear.

Amazing.

It is amazing. Yeah. So, you know, material, like material, learning about materials is fascinating. And, you know, it's really about thinking about the products you're buying, but also thinking about how, what their end of life is going to look like, right? That's becoming more and more important. And as we see the plastic pollution in our oceans and we see what's happening in our landfills, we kind of have to start shifting to thinking about our consumption in a holistic way.

Right.

And making more responsible choices upfront. So we're really excited about what we have. And the thing is, it's not just a material story. We designed our shopping system to really address key pain points. And so we know that from consumers, the number one pain point that prevents people from adopting reusable bags is that they can't remember to bring them to the store.

Yep, sounds right.

Which is why you probably have a closet full of bags, because if you are in the mindset of wanting to reusables, you know what happens. I do it myself, and I think about reusable bags all day, every day. So I know, right? I, I, I, I go— that's happened to me last week. I went to the store, it was a real quick trip. I get there, I cannot believe I didn't bring my bags. So, uh, it's very common. That is honestly from our research. People have— that's what the number one pain point is. So you want to use a reusable bag, so you end up buying one of those 99-cent options at checkout, and that's not good. Those aren't really great bags. They're not designed well.

They're— They don't last very long either.

Not really great. And then, you know, you can't fold them well. They stack up in your closet. You end up with this huge stack of unruly bags, and you probably throw them away. Eventually, and that's not what we want. So, right. Anyway, so that's kind of what we— that's what we do. That's what we're offering. And, you know, really what it is, it's a better bag.

Yeah, well, and I had this idea of circular economy as being more and more people are thinking about it. And so I think it's great you guys are thinking about the end of life. which is a lot of sustainable products that like, it's sustainable, sustainable. And they focus on the first half and then not like, well, but it does—

How does it end?

There's no product in the world that lasts forever. Everything will eventually break down, everything will go. Or like you said, you get tired of it, you'll want a new look or a new whatever, right? And that's, and there's that whole conversation about fashion and fast fashion versus slow fashion. But still, I mean, there's not really many clothes people are wearing that are 500 years old, so it doesn't— like, this whole idea of like, oh, it's gonna last forever, like, what's forever?

Yeah, and I think, you know, we, we were all trained to think about quality and think about it in terms of quality means things that last, right? That's sort of built into how we consume, and this is really Thinking differently, saying, okay, you know, I like to say about Bring It is it— our product is made to last years but not centuries.

Right.

And that's okay, right? Like, you know, I don't need to pass on my reusable bags to my children.

Right. Not everything needs to be an heirloom item.

Yeah, but what I don't want to do is pass on my garbage to them, right? And like pass on that and fill up their oceans and their landfills with this product. So it is, it's a mind shift, right? It's, it's a thinking, thinking differently. And it's not about less quality, you know, the, you know, and in particular, I can talk about Bring It, like the fiber that the bags are made from is extremely strong and durable. And if you feel it, it actually— people ask us, oh, is this silk? It has that, that, that feeling about it. It's very sturdy. But it, it's not synthetic and it breaks down, and that's perfect, right? Because I'm using the bag for its useful life and then I'm not leaving any trace behind.

Yeah, that is, that is very much a different shift because you're right, the whole idea of what is, what is a great product, or is very durable, or, you know, we think about long-lasting And quality is somehow synonymous, except for food. We get that with food. We're like, oh, you eat it and then it's fine. But as far as once you move on to like any kind of product, we have such a— well, if it doesn't last very long, then clearly it was a terrible product.

Bad quality. Yeah. It's an interesting combination. Right. And it, and we sort of have to break that because it, it's not, it's not the same. Yeah, really, it's a shift of thinking. Well, that's actually a part of quality, right? Like, it's designed— and that's what I love about the, the idea about the design— it's designed with the end in mind.

Yeah, well, when I think also there's, there's kind of the, the idea of we've been turned away from designed obsolescence because it's been used in such a negative way of, you know, like, oh, computer companies intentionally do it so you have to buy a new one. So there's kind of this— there's also that additional—

That's interesting. Yeah, you're right.

To it that goes, well, if you design it to not work at a point, then clearly you're evil. And now, like, you're doing it maliciously only. That's the only reason you would design it to not last forever. So yeah, yeah, I think this is a really interesting thing you brought up with like this mindset and how we, how we think about quality. It's like a whole— like, this is a whole shift.

I know. And if you think about that as, you know, a consumer product, that's a— and that's what we struggle with, is how do we deliver this message in a way that is succinct so consumers, we can capture their, you know, 3 seconds of attention, right? Um, and how do you tell consumers— this is what I struggle with, right? Hey, Buy this product from me, but I'm also going to tell you about how it's eventually going to go away. You know, it's kind of a— and so we've struggled a little bit with that. You know, do we talk about the end of life? But I fundamentally believe that it's such a compelling part of the whole story and that it really is more about educating. One, it's educating on if you think you're using a reusable bag, Make sure that it's a good reusable bag, right? Like, think, think about, like, pay attention to the materials, and then thinking broader about your consumption. And don't just think about purchasing it and using it, but then add on that final piece of like, all right, like, what's gonna happen to this eventually? Where is it gonna go?

Yeah, we don't really think about that. We're very— and that's why we have Closets and toolboxes and garages and storage spaces full of things that we're like, well, we got it, we used it, now what?

You almost have this, like, you feel compelled not to throw things away and waste it, but like, right, something in 5 years, the chances that you're ever going to use it are pretty slim, right?

So yeah, there's, there's always that, you know, Whatever, one uncle or something goes, I held this for 20 years and now we're using it. And then that's like the story that propagates, like, well, you should hold on to it for 20 years because Uncle Joe managed to use it.

So my mother—

clearly it was worth it.

My mother was cleaning out her house a couple weeks ago. She came up to my house and she's like, oh, I found some old things of yours. And she gave me this bag and it was a bag full of Barbie dolls. And these— and I had gotten them from like her, my aunt, right? So these things were like 40-plus years old. So I'm looking at the bag, I'm like, these are gross. Like, they had just, you know, everything was just, you know, like, okay. And then I felt like, well, what am I gonna do with these? I can't just throw them away. I feel terrible.

Right, now you're like, I have to clean and refurbish them so that I—

But, you know, they're just hunks of plastic, right? So I feel like they're just sitting in my closet because I can't bring myself to throw them away. But so then I'm like, my son said to me, like, well, what's going to happen? Am I going to get that? Are you going to pass that on to me someday?

Like, it just ends up being a musty box that gets bigger each generation. Here, have all this old stuff.

Yeah. So, um, but yeah, I mean, look, you know, if you— the numbers, here's the thing, the numbers, I was actually shocked when I started to really research and learn about plastic bags. How many bags we use, how many bags the world uses. Billions of bags a year. Billions. It's— the numbers are incomprehensible.

The rolls in a grocery store, we'll just take the grocery store. I think those come in a 500-bag roll because they're so small. They're, they're just a produce bag. Yeah, fold up real thin. So they come in these giant— so there's like, if— and you know that one grocery store has probably 10, 20 rolls out at any given time. So yeah, I would see a billion as quickly, quickly being real.

Yeah, it— and it's— you just think about it, right? And here's the thing, like, an average— a bag has an average lifespan, a single-use plastic bag Of 12 minutes.

12.

12 minutes.

So short.

You throw your— you're at checkout when you get it, you throw your groceries in it, produce bags aside, and then you typically drive home.

Usually a 5-minute because you're— you don't shop too far.

Yep. And you either throw it away or you jam it in your, in your closet, in your cabinet because you're like, oh, I'll use this later. And maybe you do, maybe you don't.

But they used to— I was a kid, my parents would save them and they would return them because the store had a place to put all your plastic bags. But then those went away.

I still have those. Um, but the thing is too, like, those single-use bags are really difficult to recycle. Um, they clog up the machines, they blow away, like You know, there's some statistic like only 9% of plastic— the pla— only 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled. Wow.

Not very much.

So pretty much all the plastic ever produced is still— it still exists.

Still plastic somewhere.

It's still somewhere, right? Probably floating in the ocean, which is just terrible. Um, but you know, here's the other thing about plastic and plastic bags, right? It's produced from Petroleum, right? So if you think about that, and then you think, you know, think about end of life, think about the resources it's requiring to produce, and it makes sense.

When you think of petroleum as a resource, it takes hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years to produce. So as far as like a research— like, it's— those oil pockets are old. Very, very old.

Very old.

So it's like, as far as a resource goes, no one would set out to go create that. Like, if that were a crop, no one would go for it because it would take too long. So it's just not a great resource.

It's not a good, like, math equation, right?

No, if you do the math, it's bad.

Yeah. And, you know, and so, you know, this— the thing about it is, is like, we're, you know, we're a small team. We have 2 female co-founders. We have our CFO, Luciana, and then there's myself as the CMO. So we're a small group of women. We're all super passionate about solving a problem, right? Like, we're not just trying to sell product. We're actually trying to solve a problem. And, you know, we're doing it because we're thinking about our kids and we're thinking about what are we leaving for them.

Mm-hmm.

we can do this, you know, we've— this is, this is an amazing innovation, this fiber, right? It's really, really interesting how it's made and the whole, and the whole story behind the manufacturing process through the end of life. And we hope that it can inspire people to, you know, decide to go down this journey and using the bags as, as their muse.

Yeah.

Because it all obviously applies to everything, many more things than just bags, right? Um, but right, start with bags.

Well, everybody needs a different— I feel like everyone needs a different entry point. Hey, it's Ian here. So glad you're enjoying this episode of Conscious Design. If you want the full scoop on conscious design, what it is, how we do it, how you can do it, then check out our book. We wrote it so creative entrepreneurs like you can code social and environmental responsibility right into your brand's DNA. You can download the first chapter for free. Link is in the description. Enjoy the rest of the episode. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share. All right, so I, like, I've interviewed a company called Last Object, and they do— their whole focus is bathroom products, eliminating single-use bathroom products. Because there's some people that that's, that's where their entry point is going to be, where they go, I can do that, that makes sense, like, that's, that's what I'm looking for. But this is another one, and I feel like we just need as many As many as possible. And then eventually, eventually people just go, well, yeah, this all makes sense. Cool. Let's get— let's replace all of it. And then we'll be there.

So much of it is honestly, it's habit, right? And like, I just did a piece. I wrote a blog on the origin of plastic bags, right? Like who invented it? Why does it exist? And then when you read about it, you realize how much our behavior has been impacted by marketing, by companies, by profit. And so, you know, a Swedish engineer invented the plastic bag back in the 1960s, but he actually invented it thinking that, oh, this is better than— this is better than using paper bags because that cuts down trees. But he actually made the plastic bag with the intention and thinking that it wasn't single use. that it was something that could be used multiple times. And then he patented it, and then other companies started making it, and it was cheap. And so, uh, it got pushed and marketed as single-use, and then grocery stores adopted it. And here we are in 2022, and the time you and I have been talking, the— we've used 30 million of them. Right. Wow, that's crazy.

That's crazy to think that it wasn't designed as single-use because it's so programmed into us at this point. They're like, oh, if you use it, throw it away.

I know, right? It's, it's, it's like the— in the name of convenience, we've, we've lost the ability to like think for ourselves and think like— it's just a— it's a habit, right? And just like, you know, you're talking about the bathroom products, oh, that's habit, right? Like There's so many cool brands that are coming out with, you know, toothpaste that's tablets that come in a glass jar. So you eliminate the plastic tube of toothpaste.

I hadn't heard of that. That sounds amazing.

That's really cool. It's like a little tablet, you just drop it in your mouth and it's toothpaste. And then all you have is a glass jar left over. Plastic-free dental floss.

Amazing.

Like really cool ideas, right? We have these ideas.

And people forget, like, we did exist pre-plastic. So there was— there is a world where we used bags that were not plastic and where we used toothbrushes that were not plastic and hairbrushes. Like, we were able to do things.

We were able to survive. I know, right? Like, like, it didn't— when my parents were younger, there was no plastic. Their toys were made of metal.

Yeah, the wooden toys.

Everything was metal.

Metal and wood.

Wood, right? So, you know, um, but again, I— we talk about this all the time. It is about influencing consumers out and getting them to make a conscious choice to step outside of just what they've— I don't— I guess it's just ease, it's convenience, it's in front of their face, and they're just used to it. But We've got to like think about, hey, this isn't actually the only way, or this isn't the way that it's always been, and there's a better way.

Yeah. Well, I feel like a lot of what you're doing is that you mentioned a couple of times the education part of, okay, how— and also getting inside our heads and figuring out what's— why do we not use even the 99-cent reusable? Like, why is it so hard for us to just Shift. So I feel like that's— and that seems to be like the biggest barrier for any sustainable product company I've ever talked to or worked with. It's all just been, yeah, it's all here, we have it, technology exists, product— like, it's not like you guys didn't invent some insane— you don't require anti-gravity to create this, right? And it's not like this giant leap where you're like, wow, now we, now we have anti-gravity. We're like, no, no, we just use this fiber that has existed for thousands of years and we've made a product and it's out there and it's getting people to eat it and understand. And then I think your point, the habit part, like it is so— habits are hard. They're really good or really bad. Like either way, they stick.

In this case, like with the plastic, single-use plastic bags, since I'm so focused on this now, the habit is twofold. It's a personal habit. Remember to bring your bag to the store. That's one thing that we have to train ourselves to do. But if you don't have your bag, when you get to checkout, just say no. Because the problem—

Right, you can do that.

Facing is the cashier at stores.

They—

I've done this all the time. I say I don't have bags, or I'm buying one thing and I don't need a bag, or I have my own bag. And I say I don't need a bag. It's like I've shot them. They don't know what to do. They're like, what do you mean? Right? Like, right?

Yeah.

Keep trying to put the product in the bag. And I'm like, hey, I don't want the bag. And they think I'm crazy. Right? And so I've definitely had that.

I've gone in and carried like 6 things out at once. And they're like, are you sure you can handle it? It doesn't weigh that much. It's okay.

Yeah, it's, it's, it's, and again, that's the habit. It's like, It's okay to carry something. You don't have to put it in a bag. Or like, you know what's also okay is if you just put the stuff back in your trolley.

Yep, like it's there.

You don't need a bag because the thing is too, and this is, this is the design of our shopping system, is, you know, single-use plastic bags are totally non-functional. They're not even that big, right?

Like Even for those baskets, you can get a basket.

Yeah. They're horrible to carry. They don't offer anything. And then all these other reusable bags, which are, you know, cotton totes or these like, you know, woven polypropylene.

Yeah.

The reason you're forgetting them is because you don't really wanna use them. They're ugly. They're clunky. They can't carry— there's no pockets.

No, they start to peel on the inside and it gets gross. And you're like, why do I want my vegetables touching that? That doesn't work.

And you can't wash them. That's the thing. Like, you can—

No, they fall apart. I think we tried once. It did not work out.

The non-wove, the polypropylenes fall apart. Those crinkly plastic ones, you can't throw those in the wash. And even if you try, guess what's happening? Microplastics. Microplastics coming right out of your washing machine, right? And then the cotton, you know, when you wash those cotton bags, it like shrinks up and it gets all small and hard. But, you know, we have like our tote bag has 6 huge pockets. So you put your phone, your keys, your wallet, all your stuff that you're buying. And you can really think of it as more of an everyday bag. And that's kind of what we're thinking is you want to use this bag. It's not the thing you jam in your closet. This is a bag you want to use. So it's more front of, front of mind, right? And you can also like store all the other bags in the pockets. So you go to the store, you grab your one bag, and the whole system's in there.

Right. Well, I love that you guys started with the whole produce bag part, because that part is kind of ridiculous. Like, that's an even less— because usually you take that bag and you put it in another bag, and you're like, another plastic bag, right?

I know.

Yes, it's just awful.

Or like, I do grocery delivery sometimes, and I actually stopped because I can't control Like, I'll do one, one item in one bag, like just one, one.

And I was like, I don't need my food organized by plastic bag. It's okay.

Like, um, I got this— I, I actually had to stop doing the delivery because they, they— everything, all the produce shows up in plastic bags. And I said, well, I can't, I can't do this. I can't, I can't accept this. But I got a delivery and there was You know, my bananas were inside a plastic bag. And this is not necessary.

No, they're bananas.

Bananas don't need to be in a bag.

They're not even wet. You can't even make the argument that they would be wet to like— because I can see that, like, okay, well, this one's, you know, whatever, this got just sprinkled on. Like, you could make— like, that you could make a logical argument for, like, it'll make the bottom of the bag Wet and fall apart, but bananas don't really.

No, they're not spritz, right? So it's just habit. It's habit. And, you know, it's frustrating because we're trying to convince consumers on an individual level to adopt a new habit, right, and choose a better bag and a better option. But you've got to like— and just, I'll single out grocery stores because it's not just grocery stores. It's other department stores as well, but like they just keep pushing them, right? Thousands and millions of bags that they're just pumping out. And it's so frustrating because it's like, why can't you just— you know it's bad. Why can't you stop doing it? You know? Um, and you know, I lived in Europe for a long time, and guess what? You need to bring your own bag. And if you don't, you need to figure it out. And you know what happens is you very quickly You very quickly figure out not to forget your bags.

Right. Yeah, there's no bags, then only— it only takes one trip where you're like, well, yep, I can't actually buy this because I can't carry it.

Yeah, and it's— and that, that's a forcing— it was a, it was a beautiful forcing, forcing mechanism because I lived in Holland and, you know, we bike everywhere. So we go to the grocery store, we get all these things, there's no bag. Like, okay, I actually have to go home now because I can't get home on my bike. And then I never forgot my bag again. So, right, it's not, it's not like it's this thing that's out of the question. You go into a store there and they do not give you plastic bags.

Not an option.

It's not an option. So we're trying to get the consumer, you know, come at it from the consumer's angle of, you know, giving them a product that it's not about, it's not just about the sustainability, right? It's not like, hey, use this product because it's sustainable. It's, you know, use this product because it's a better product. You know, it's right.

That's something I've talked to people too about is that sustainability should almost be an afterthought. Because it from, from like a marketing perspective, it's way easier to sell somebody on this is a better widget because it makes your life better or whatever. Then it's a green product that happens to do things. So flipping— and I feel like we spent so much time just trying to sell people on it's green, it's sustainable, it's nice, look at all the, you know, we're saving trees or animals or whatever else we're saving with it. People are like, yeah, but is it better? And then we're getting skipped the part where they go, oh yeah, it's better for you too. It's a good product. As just general use. It's actually a better product. And that's started to come around because you guys are doing that and other companies I'm seeing are like, oh, we should— the feature-based selling is what everybody's expecting and comparing to. So it's really hard to compare products if you don't compare the function and what does it do?

What is it? What is in it for the actual consumer experience? 100%. And we talk about this a lot and We really are focused on trying to show people what are the features of our bags, right? Because there are big brands out there right now that are doing this and they're doing it well. And they have a really great sustainable story, but that's not what they're leading with. It's a big part of their story, but they're leading with good product.

Right.

Because that's really the winning strategy. And again, this, from, from my perspective, for shopping bags, this again comes down to habit, because we've all been trained that your options are the single-use plastic.

Those are the 2 options you're gonna get.

Neither of those are really like a great experience, right?

Not really, no. They all rip.

And I don't think that we expect anything more because that's what we're just so used to. But when you start to think about it and you're like, oh, that's really a terrible bag. Could I do something better?

Even from a design perspective, all of those bags are terrible. None of them— if you were like to sit down and be like, I'm going to design a bag for groceries, no one would come up with the plastic bag or the paper bag. Be like, that's bad. That's— no consumer is going to be happy or spend money on it, which is why it's all free from the grocery store because No consumer would be like, I'll spend money on that. Let me just buy a plastic bag. That'll be great.

Exactly. They weren't designed for shopping, right? And that's, that's what we— we designed our bags specifically for shopping, right? Um, and that, you know, that's the other thing is people think, oh, these bags are free. And you know, they're not, right? Because the group, they're passing that right on to, on, onto us. And it just You don't see it because it's, it's a very tiny amount spread out over a lot. But the price we're paying is high.

It's just not itemized on the receipt. Like, that's, that's it. It's just not. It's in what they consider overhead cost, which no one sees what goes into that number, but it definitely impacts what the, what their markup is on everything.

Sure, because they get these big vats of bags, they're cutting a check to someone to buy that supply.

Exactly.

And we're the ones paying for it because it's just— how many times do you walk down the street, whether you're in a city or wherever, and you just see plastic bags blowing or caught in the trees? Or it's really disheartening. They're everywhere. So it's like a never-ending— you're getting it and it's never going away.

Yes, the gift that never goes away, unfortunately.

That you're gonna live with for the rest of your life.

Yeah, exactly.

But, you know, I think in— so I, you know, we like to talk about things in an optimistic tone, right? Because it's so heavy when you talk about, you know, the environment and you talk about all the terrible things and it feels overwhelming and consumers tend to just shut it down. Because it's depressing, right? So—

Well, nobody wants— well, there are people, but most people don't want to sit in front of the news most of the time because it's mostly depressing. It's like, if that's the focus, then people, like you said, yeah, they go, ah, no.

It's like defeating, right? So yeah, I mean, we like to talk about, look, we have a great product and it actually solves a problem.

Right.

Right. And that's what's exciting is like, okay, this is one thing. Now we just have to adopt it so that we can get the advantage of it. Right. And, and it's one step at a time. Right. I think everyone, you know, there's a lot about sustainability as a journey, making choices, because it's like every product and you're used to something and then you're like, okay, I'm going to choose a different toothpaste, I'm going to choose a different bag. And it's one thing at a time. But if we Eventually we all do that, right? Right. It makes a difference.

Um, it does.

Yeah, so it does.

Well, yeah, I'm, I'm happy you guys are doing this. This is great. Those little bags need to go away. So maybe, I don't know if it's in your, your future plans, but maybe you guys can help banish them. Maybe we can make some laws happen to get rid of them.

You're talking about the produce bags?

Oh yeah. Oh yeah, those things.

I'm gonna show you. Yeah, well, I said, right, our mission— here's, here it is, right? Here's the solution. Just use this, right? And here's the other thing I didn't even tell you about this from a design perspective. You know, when you put your produce in a plastic bag, it doesn't breathe, obviously. And It— when, when produce is, you know, maturing, it emits ethylene gas, which is what makes it rot. And so you're trapping that inside the plastic bag, and so you're making all of your stuff rot. That's not good. Yeah, and so that's the thing with all of our produce bags. This is a very breathable— obviously this is mesh, but even the other more solid material, it's very breathable. So You actually— the benefit of these bags, it's not that you just shop in them and then come home. You actually store your produce in these bags because they're breathable, but they also retain moisture. So you can even spritz them with water before you put them in the refrigerator, especially for like leafy greens and things like that.

Right.

And it will keep them fresher longer.

That's even better.

Yeah, it's a double benefit, which is not something that I ever even really thought about. So, um, right. Again, it's like, okay, this is a way better product.

Well, this is what happens when you, uh, design a solution rather than just slapping a plastic bag on it and call it, call it a day. Uh, yeah. Well, I really appreciate, and this has been really great learning about this and being able to chat with you about it. And I'm even more impressed with the bags now that you've, you've shared even more about it. Uh, before we wrap up, I wanted to just— if there's anything else you wanted to share, how to get a hold of you guys, buy the bag.

Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, thank you very much for having me. This has been a great conversation. I always love to talk about our bags and, um, you know, the plight of eliminating plastic bags. So I appreciate it. And you can check us out at bringitbags.com, and you can follow us on Instagram at Bring It Bags. You can get all of our bags there and, you know, learn some more information. We have a blog and we have some, you know, just information about bags and our material that you can explore on our website.

Amazing. Well, and we'll make sure there are links in the description for everyone listening and watching. And yeah, I really appreciate you taking some time out of your day to share this and Good luck with the mission. I hope you guys wipe out the grocery bags. That would be— that would be great.

We need everyone to help us though, right? We can't do it alone.

Yes.

Um, I hope that— I hope that everyone listening learned something today and you found it beneficial. And, um, let's, uh, get on the mission for a better bag.

Amazing. Well, thank you so much.

Okay, thank you so much. Have a great day.