In 2018, we made the switch to 100% reusable produce bags Made in USA. We made the switch to add more value to our simple product with a big mission. 

Sustainability was the main driver of our decision. In this article we’ll go over how being USA made ties in with the 3 components of sustainability including:

–Environment

–Equity

–Economy 

(hey look, 3 Es, kind of like 3b!)

Made in USA is better for the environment 

The science is clear that products made in the US have a much lower environmental impact. Most consumer goods are made in Asia, which means they need to be shipped halfway across the world before they end up in your home! Each mile that item travels is burning fossil fuel and spewing out greenhouse gasses. Do you ever stop to think about the trucks, shipping boats, airplanes, trains and cars your products need to go in to reach you? It’s amazingly bad for the planet! 

By using our USA made bags, you’re already saving carbon just by choosing our brand over one made in Asia. Since we make our products in the US, we never have to ship anything via boat or plane, only trucks. In fact, most of the production materials come from less than 400 miles from our headquarters!

Pollution

Further, it’s not just the reduced shipping that makes our Made in USA reusable produce bags more green. Here’s the dirty secret why those goods made overseas are cheaper than those made in the US: they’re using dirty power. Many factories overseas draw from coal power plants that produce large amounts of hazardous chemicals that pollute the air, water, and soil. A 2014 published in the Journal of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that the U.S. has effectively “outsourced” much of its air pollution to China. In China, more than 33% of sulfur dioxide emissions and 25% of carbon monoxide come from the production of exported goods. That’s not something we wanted to support.

Equity

The other dirty secret for why products made overseas are less sustainable is worker treatment. In fact one of the key reasons other bags are so cheap is because their workers are treated unfairly. Overseas workers are paid notoriously low wages and even are sometime subject to forced labor. 

Our bags are made using ethically sourced materials from US factories that all pay a living wage to their workers. This means you can feel great about the bags that you use every time you shop for produce!

Economy 

Being economically sustainable means creating jobs that support local economies. When you buy products made overseas, your dollars are spread extremely thin across the global economy. Why not put your dollars to work right in the US economy where you live?

Here at 3b reusable produce bags, we source all our materials, labor, and ownership as close to home as possible. Our headquarters are in the Denver area and so is our sewing assembly line. Other components come from within Colorado, some from the Midwest, and the East Coast. That’s it! Every dollar you spend on 3b bags is probably connected to your local community in some way. That’s why you can feel great about using the only produce bags made in the USA!