Notable Edibles: Sustainability is in the Bag
THE SHEER NUMBER of single-use plastic bags used annually is staggering.
According to the Center of Biological Diversity, the world uses 5 trillion plastic bags each year, with Americans using an average of 365 plastic bags, per person, per year. Each one of those bags takes 1,000 years to partially disintegrate into microplastic. In a study by Rochester Institute of Technology, researchers found that nearly 10,000 metric tons—or 22 million pounds—of plastic debris enters the Great Lakes every year from the United States and Canada.
For Detroiters looking to do their part to cut down on plastic bag use, there are stylish and sturdy options available locally to help make the switch from plastic to eco-friendly carrying options.
Bags with a Purpose
If you’ve strolled through Eastern Market anytime since 2010, you may have noticed the stall of colorful and sophisticated shopping baskets from Love Travels. Imports. located at the corner of Market and Winder on summer Saturdays (the display is inside Shed 3 on summer Sundays as well.).
Headed by Yvette Jenkins, Love Travel Imports aims is to provide a variety of ethically well-made alternatives to single-use plastic bags while offering a working wage to many women, artisan groups in various developing areas of the globe.
“We want to be part of that solution. I’m looking to direct my energy into that—bags that have a purpose that can be part of the solution,” she says. Like the Mkeke Palm Shopper, made by five weaver groups in the community near Sagalla Hill, a small mountain range in Tsavo, Kenya.
365
lastic bags, per person per year
Each one of those bags takes 1,000 years to partially disintegrate into microplastic.
“The ladies weave these light strong baskets of a palm leaf, which are called magangachi in the local language. They split the palm leaf into thin strands and weave a flat long strip, which then is coiled up and sewn together to make the basket,” explains Jenkins. The strong palms and specific weave allow the basket to stand on its own while holding its shape—helpful when needing two hands to smell the melons or shuck some corn at a market.
“There is a level of awareness and effort to come up with a solution about single-use plastic bags,” she says. “Kenya was one of the first countries to eliminate the use of single-use plastic bags for household and commercial use. Detroit is coming on board with it.”
Small Steps, Big Difference
Woodward Corner Market, at 13 Mile Road and Woodward, is very much on board with doing its part to address the plastic problem.
Owned by Meijer, the store does not offer single-use plastic bags at checkout. Instead, the store offers two reusable options, both of which have been third-party verified to be used up to 125 times, says Natalie Rubino, store director of Woodward Corner Market.
For a dime a bag, customers can purchase thicker, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bags made from 80 percent post-consumer recycled content. The other option is a $1 bag made from 80 percent post-consumer recycled content and 20 percent pre-consumer recycled content. Both are 100 percent recyclable. Of course, bringing your own bags is always welcome.
Customers can fit more items in fewer bags when using Meijer’s reusable options, which hold significantly more weight than traditional single-use bags, she says.
“Meijer is committed to lessening our impact on the environment one step at a time. Small steps can make a significant difference,” she says.
Each store has recycling bins in the front vestibules for recycling plastic bags. While they don’t have specific statistics for the Royal Oak store, Rubino said that in 2023, Meijer collected more than 8.2 million pounds of plastic bags and film from Meijer operations. The company also started the reusable bag program at the Bridge Street Market in Grand Rapids.
‘A Real Simple Change’
Emily Linn, co-owner of Midtown local goods stores City Bird and Nest, tries to do her part by keeping multiple Baggu bags close to her person everywhere she goes. The big, bold and bright Baggu bags are perfect to keep in a car, purse, pocket, even inside other bags. Made from 100 percent recycled nylon yarn produced from pre-consumer waste, the vibrant bags can hold up to 50 pounds, are machine washable, and fold flat.
“They are very sturdy, so I use them for everything, not just food,” she says. She’ll takes them when clothes shopping or looking for the latest items for the stores.
In addition to Baggu bags, Nest and City Bird offer multiple, clever screen-printed tote bags that do an admirable job of carrying items.
“It’s a real simple change you can do to reduce waste,” Linn says.
Reduce, Reuse, Rebag It
Remembering to BYOB is probably the biggest challenge to reducing single-use plastic bags, says Tessa Benziger, founder/owner of Walking Lightly, a zero-waste home and body goods store in Ferndale.
Customers bring their own containers and fill up on products like eco-friendly laundry soaps, hand and body washes, and more. Her store has a basket of donated cloth bags (and jars) that shoppers can just grab, fill and go.
Benziger prefers cloth bags because they last longer and break down entirely, but she philosophizes that the most sustainable bags are the ones you already have.
“The goal is to integrate using your own bags, so it feels weird not using them,” she says. “The more you make them a part of your life, the easier it is to feel lost without them.”
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Detroit-enthusiast Gretchen Van-Monette has been writing about people, places and things happening in and around the city for many years. When not enjoying the revitalized Riverfront, or discovering a new spot to nosh at, she’s either biking, paddle boarding, or trying to identify the different birds visiting her backyard.
