ChicoBag Sling rePETe™: Tiny But Tough Tote

I have several of those reusable plastic and woven fabric shopping bags at home. Although they definitely do the job (hold all of my purchases so I don't need a new plastic or paper bag), I rarely remember to bring them with me when I leave the house.

I was trying to figure out why I never used these bags and then I realized it's because they don't fold up easily so I can keep them in my purse or pocket when not in use. I must change my ways!

Enter the ChicoBag Sling rePETe™. Made almost completely from recycled plastic bottles, this fun bag folds into its own tiny drawstring pouch that's ultra lightweight and packable. I can carry it in a larger bag or pocket, attach it via its tiny recycled aluminum carabineer to a belt loop or bag strap, or just wear it around my shoulder unfolded. At two ounces, it's feather light.

The Sling rePETe™ comes in a variety of bright colors, and it's made out of an extremely thin fabric--it reminds me of parachute material, that's also very strong. I use it for groceries and as a catch-all bag when I'm out and about or heading to my cabin for a few days. Because the material is so strong, I can even carry items with pointed corners (such as books or shopping items that come in lots of packaging). So far, no tears--and I tend to carry a lot of books in my Sling.

The shoulder strap isn't padded but it's definitely wide enough to cover my whole shoulder rather than dig into one part of it. That helps quite a bit when carrying a full load. The shoulder strap allows me to displace some of that weight, making a heavy load much easier to carry. I prefer the "over the shoulder" style over carrying my bag in one hand as I would with a typical tote-style bag.

The bag is easy to wash and dries quickly thanks to its light material. I can throw it in the wash machine and then hang it to dry overnight.

I'm finding that I grab this bag every time I leave the house now, not only because it's so easy to bring along with me empty but because it's chic and fun. When I have a ton of loose items to bring out to my car (purse, keys, papers, magazine, mail, etc), I just throw it all in my Sling rePETe™ bag. Once empty, it becomes my grocery shopping bag.

Materials: "Fabric 100% Recycled PET, Carabiner 97% Recycled Aluminum, Cord 100% Recycled PET, Cordlock 100% Recycled Polyurethane." [FYI: "The term rePETe™ refers to recycled PET. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is the dominant material used in plastic drinking bottle production and can be recycled into a variety of useful materials." Source: www.chicobag.com.]

Bottom Line: An eco-conscious bag with many uses. I highly recommend it!--N.S. (May '10)

BUY ONLINE: $9.99, click to shop

Manufacturer's Site : www.chicobag.com

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