In May of this year, I shared with you the very exciting story of the Retote recycled shopping bag from Target and TerraCycle. The vision underlying this innovative product and cultural catalyst inspired me for many reasons. Now, as I’ve been in possession of the bag for some time and had a chance to use it, I’d like to report to you from the perspective of a consumer.
The nifty, red Retote bag is the fifth in my collection of alternative sacks for groceries. I continue my practice of refusing bags altogether during better than 90% of my visits to the supermarket and other retail establishments but find myself in need of a secure carrying environment from time to time. I like the Retote the best and not just because it is made from recycled bags. The Retote is very sturdy and sends a loud message: recycling works!
I had to wait more than 3 months to receive my voucher for the free bag in response to the promotion in Newsweek Magazine but the delay lost its bitterness as soon as I took possession of my Retote. It is sturdy and downright fun to use. Best of all, the red handles fit in my clenched fist very comfortably.
Can I, in all candor, tell you that the Retote is better than every other reusable cloth or plastic sack on the market? No but it makes the loudest statement. In fact, the tag on the inside explains the mission of the Retote very nicely.
It took a combination of ingenuity and technology to create the Retote bag. By collecting your used Target plastic bags, we can fuse them together to produce these innovative, reusable totes. Target and Terracycle are teaming up on ways everyone can renew, reinvent and recycle. That's Design For All!
The promotion for free Retote bags is long since passed but the bags themselves remain for sale at your local Target store. The style bag which I received sells for $6. I highly recommend it. The capacity of the bag is about 15% larger than other bags sold at such places as supermarkets and drug stores but somewhat smaller than the reusable bags at Whole Foods (which also make a nice statement). Still, the Retote is my favorite and I hope that you will join me in creating a new craze.
Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line
Corbett Kroehler
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