International Plastic Bag Free Day Is July 3 — Here Are Our Favorite Reusable Bags

Plastic contributes to a large portion of our planet's waste. Not only is it incredibly pollutive to produce, but it also takes years to fully break down, before it disintegrates into microplastics.

That's precisely why next month marks Plastic Free July, and International Plastic Bag Free Day falls on July 3 — to encourage people to shy away from the high-impact material. And if you're looking for the best reusable bags to celebrate the July 3 holiday, you've come to the right place.

We love Baggu because of its cute designs and sustainability initiatives. The company uses recycled materials such as nylon and canvas, and minimal design, to waste as little material as possible. They're built to last, and at the end of their life, you can drop them off at Baggu's offices to have them recycled and replaced.

In Fall 2020, the company also phased out leather to become fully vegan, and it pays close attention to all departments to ensure employees are treated fairly.

If you're big fans of ice cream like we are, we strongly suggest opting for Packit's Freezable Grocery Shopping Bag. You can fold it up and keep it cool when it isn't in use, and when it is, it keeps all of your fresh groceries nice and cool.

With full insulation, it's bound to keep your food tasting fresh AF, and you can buy it at Target, so you basically have no excuse.

While shopping for produce, you'll definitely want Walmart's Mesh Net Turtle Bag. It's soft, so no matter how much you stuff into it, your fruits and veggies won't get smushed.

And with oxygen coming in through the holes in the mesh, we promise your produce won't get dried up and gross — it'll look exactly the same at home as when you were in the store.

Stasher is a Certified B Corp that makes silicone food storage bags that perfectly emulate the classic Ziploc. They come in a variety of colors, sizes, and patterns, they're freezer-, oven-, boiling water-, and microwave-safe, and they in all different colors, sizes, and patterns.

The brand also has a recycling program, for which they'll send you a free shipping label. No wonder it's the most popular reusable Ziploc bag out there.

W&P Design has a sustainable kitchen line, Porter, which added reusable food storage bags to its line in 2021. Made from a single piece of silicone, it saves materials. It's also super sturdy and high quality with no adhesives, and it comes in a variety of shapes and colors.

They can be kind of expensive, but honestly, it's worth it, especially if you're an avid cook trying to figure out what to do with your leftovers.

For dry snacks, cereal, or sandwiches, Juniperseed Mercantile’s Snack + Sandwich Cotton Bags are made from GOTS certified organic, unbleached cotton. They fold over to close, and they're machine-washable. If they wear out or rip, they're fully compostable, and they come in a wide variety of sizes, depending on what you're looking for.

Reusable trash bags are few and far between, but Planet Wise's reusable trash bag is washable and waterproof. It's built to fill a small waste basket — likely in the bathroom or living room — as they only come in a 5-gallon size. The seams are hidden and they're sealed so you don't need to worry about leakage. They're also anti-microbial and come in several colors, so you're keeping things cute and clean.

Australian startup, TOMbag, makes sturdy garbage bags from recycled water bottles. Depending on what size you get they'll cost you between $28 and $42 each, but you'll be able to fill them up, and toss your waste in curbside trash, and use them again for years to come. The company also ships internationally, so if you aren't in the land down under, you can still get some for yourself.