Chico Bags: Canvas is so Yesterday

When I met Andy Keller at World Fest in 2006, he was attracting people to his booth by having them guess how many plastic shopping bags a person uses in one year. As a visual cue, he had piled that number of plastic bags in one huge mound in the middle of the walkway. The answer, it turned out, was somewhere between 300 and 700. As vague and inconclusive as that sounds, it was enough to lure me to his booth where I found one of the coolest, most convenient solutions to the plastic bag crisis. The Chico Bag, named for the city from which Andy hails and for it’s teeny-weeny size, goes from 3” X 4” to 18” X 18” in five seconds flat and re-stuffs into it’s integrated pouch just as fast. It’s made of very durable nylon and comes in eleven colors, ranging from earthy to flashy

Chico Bags fit where most canvas bags wouldn’t and they even have a clip so you can stick them on your keychain or wear them on your belt loop if you want that “green” look (‘cause I heard that’s the in thing now).  Right now, I have two in my glove compartment, two in my briefcase, one in my bedroom stuffed full of dirty clothes, and a bunch more hanging on a hook in my laundry room waiting to be given out as much-appreciated gifts. According to the Chico Bag website, the bags are manufactured in a Chinese factory that employs fair trade and fair labor standards. Lately, I’ve been seeing them pop up at the check-out stands of co-ops across the country. Here’s hoping the major chains catch on soon, too. And as a bonus, if you order four online, the fifth bag is free! (Available at www.chicobag.com, $5)