An amazing reusable mesh produce bag - The Fregie Sack:
The Fregie Sack is a unique bag that fills a gap in the fruit and vegetable sector as an alternative to using those nasty little plastic bags on a roll which aren't much good for anything else. Or paper bags which although they can be recycled, the energy use required for manufacture as well as the carbon dioxide produced during degradation don't make these a "green" alternative. The Fregie Sacks are made from polyester netting in a range of colours, and are finished with a biodegradeable cotton drawstring to keep those small pieces contained and end your days of fishing around at the bottom of your shopping bag.
At TwoGirls we use Australian materials where we can, local Australian businesses and source our sewers from our local area.
Fabric: We understand that polyester is not a biodegradeable fabric but were unable to find a natural fibre with the lightweight, see-through properties of the tulle. We needed a fabric that didn't add cost to the produce and enabled efficient supermarket processing because the staff can see what's inside. The latest research on plastic bag alternatives has actually shown that reusable bags have a much lower environmental impact than all single use bags including paper and biodegradable plastic. For more details on this research click on the BAG FACTS link to the right.
Sustainable Credentials: While using a petroleum based fabric may seem at odds with its “green” purpose of reducing plastic bag use, we believe it’s more about the nature of the use. The Fregie Sack is designed to use every time you shop for fruit and vegetables; for most of us this is weekly or if you’re like me and tend to buy as you need it, it’s more like twice a week. So far my Fregies have been going since 2006 which means I’ve had at least 182 uses out of them. I use 5-8 of them every time I do a shop. That's 910 - 1456 less disposable bags that have gone into landfill and that’s not including the times they’ve been used for snack bags, toiletry bags, car trip toy bags etc.
Sizes: With two sizes now available, there's a Fregie to suit everyone. The dimensions of the large bags are 30cm x 40cm which allows for easy transfer of larger produce in and out of the bags. Minis (20cm x 25cm) are great for small items such as green beans, mushrooms, dried fruit and nuts or when you only need a couple of items. Individual bags may vary slightly in width as we use all our fabric to reduce any waste.
Care: Although relatively stiff to start with, after a few uses or washes the netting becomes extremely soft and will compact easily so whether you fill your bag or only have a few items it doesn't take up extra space. It's easy to shove a few in whichever shopping bag you take to have on hand. When they get a bit grubby just toss them in the wash and they're good as new and softer too. Fregies can be washed without the dyes running on a cold wash (if you wash on hot, please test them first). Produce can be washed and drained in the bag and any stains from old forgotten vegies or the occasional squashed one easily washes out.
Lifespan: The Fregie Sack has a lifespan of 3-4 years and with appropriate usage would probably last for much longer - ours have already been used for three years with little sign of wear. They can easily hold 3-4 kg of produce without damage. Any small holes or tears that may result from accidents with sharp objects are easily repaired and your Fregie can keep on going. The only other casualty we've had after our four years of use (including being appropriated for rough kiddy play) has been a drawstring snapping which is easily re-threaded and good as new. We recommend keeping those for garden use such as making compost tea or protecting fruit like my strawberries from the slugs and snails seperate from those used for your food.
