Spring is in the air and that means one thing: it’s time to get organized! Springtime is the perfect time to throw open the windows, sweep out the closets and finally clear out that junk drawer that’s been jamming up your kitchen all winter. Maybe you’ve finally committed to matching all of your socks (a feat we are still trying to figure out…any tips to beat the sock gremlin at his game?). In order to get organized, you need a plan and some tools to help get you there.
Could reusable produce bags be a solution?
The Market Bags Method (or, how to stay organized while being sustainable)
You’ve heard of the Marie Kondo method, but what about…
…the Market Bags Method?
OK, fine. You’ve probably never heard of it because we just made it up.
We really do love organizing all of our things but there is no patented method to our madness. We’re all just making it up as we go along. One thing we are definitely not making up? Keeping the task of springtime organizing simple, hassle-free, and sustainable all the way. It doesn’t have to be complicated (or bad for the planet)!
There are lots of ways to stay organized and even more stuff to help us get there. But, a lot of that stuff - what you might get for pennies on the dollar on Amazon - is usually made of plastic and often not the greatest quality (we’re looking at you, plastic pencil cases).
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all your various bits and bobs, fear not! We usually are too this time of year. Before you run to Amazon to bulk-order cheap, plastic pencil cases that will start unravelling themselves in at the very thought of holding all your bunches of pens…pause, take a deep breath, and go hug your Market Bags. Here’s what to do.
How to use reusable produce bags to get organized
Start by identifying what you’d like to organize. This will depend on what you do in your daily life. For us, it’s a wild variety of odds and ends, including (but certainly not limited to)...
- Kid's toys
- Crayons
- Bag clips
- Pens and pencils
- Seasonal items (mitts, toques, etc.)
- Spare clothes for toddlers
- Socks
- Soap (yes, soap!)
Survey says…
We know we love using our bags to stay organized and tidy, but we’re kind of biased. In the interest of sanity-checking ourselves, we asked you - our amazing community - how you use your Market Bags to keep things ship-shape. The answers really surprised us and made us smile from ear to ear.
It turns out, you use your Market Bags to contain…
- Rocks
- Shells
- Weed goodies
- Kid's toys for travelling
- Dirty diapers (when there's no garbage around)
- Myofunctional therapy work supplies
- Eggs, right from the chickens
And they serve many functions beyond organizing. For instance, some of you suggested using your Market Bags to keep socks together in the wash (Brilliant! Beat that, sock gremlins!).
We must say though, that this response really took the biscuit: ”My children (they think it's hilarious to climb into the Jax Tote)” 🤣
OK, so now we know what we’re organizing. Next, it’s time to find the perfect bag. Yes, we said bag. Bags are a great solution when you just need a little organizing and a flexible solution (literally: our bags are soft, pliable, and squish into any number of rando spaces, including junk drawers).
What bags are best?
Bears, beets, Battlestar Galacti…oh, right, back to bags, Dwight! When it comes to using bags for organizing your life, some bags work better than others. Again, this depends on what you plan to organize.
Our upcycled print collection of drawstring bags is the perfect accessory to pull together socks, toys, diapers, and fresh eggs! The collection changes on a monthly basis. This spring, we’ve got some bright, fresh prints that will make even the most organizing-phobic person want to put like with like (kidding you, we are not: go check ‘em out).
For those that want a little more security in their bag organizing - say for pens, pencils, and things that roll or scatter, try our upcycled cotton zip pouches.
Got a bunch of extra soap bits? Our soap saver bag is the perfect match for those last dregs of solid dish soap* or bar-soap bits. Plus, it doubles as an effective, but gentle, scrubber.
*Solid dish soap is to dishes what a shampoo bar is to your hair. :)
And of course, while we would obviously suggest investing in a sturdy stroller to haul your children around in (preferably something secondhand!), our Jax Tote really is big enough to hang out in! But might we suggest instead that you use it for some fun fort-making with the littles?
While you get organized, we’ll be over here doing a happy dance about using reusable produce bags for non-food storage. To us, this is a hallmark of real sustainability: when we can reuse and repurpose one item for another function.
How do you use your reusable bags to stay organized?