Coal Will Not Bring Appalachia Back to Life, But Tech and Government Jobs Could
04 October 2017
Popular
Closed coal mine in Boone County, West Virginia. WVPB/ Janet Kunicki
It was supposed to be all about jobs. When the president announced his intent to abandon the Clean Power Plan this spring and then withdraw from the Paris agreement this summer, one of the biggest reasons cited was to protect the coal jobs sustaining communities in places like Appalachia.
There's just one problem. Whatever the White House says, coal jobs are in a terminal decline and whatever cynics claim, it's not some cabal of heartless environmentalists to blame. It's the power industry itself, driven by advances in technology and simple market forces.
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed"></p><div id="edd1b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="JJ2M721553274963"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="878549545029959680" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Rise and Fall of Coal in America https://t.co/euBX9UAsAv @Climate_Rescue @ZeroCarbonWorld @EUClimateAction</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/878549545029959680">1498297508.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p style="">But the who or what's responsible matter less than the who's left behind as coal communities in Appalachia try to figure out another way forward as jobs disappear. Especially as politicians seem more than happy to invoke them in grandstanding statements without actually doing much for them on the ground.</p><p style="">So as the administration this week <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2017-10-02/rick-perry-s-coal-power-subsidy-proposal-is-nuts" target="_blank">announced a new plan</a> that seems designed to prop up failing coal CEOs and companies rather than actually care for the communities they claim to fight for, we ask a simple question the government really should be asking: Can Appalachia thrive without coal?</p><p style="">The answer, we believe, is "Yes."</p><p style=""><strong>A Changing Energy Landscape</strong></p><p style="">One of the most important factors in the decline of U.S. coal isn't regulation, but market forces. As <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> technologies like <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar">solar</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wind">wind</a> have become cost competitive with fossil fuels, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/13/coal-global-demand-falls-2016-second-year-in-row-fossil-fuel" target="_blank">demand for coal has waned</a> in the power sector. In 2006, coal provided 49 percent of U.S. electricity; just 10 years later, that number had fallen to 30 percent. Beyond collapsing demand, across the last several decades, automated technologies like rock crushers and shovel swings have replaced miners, leading to steady employment declines dating back to the early 1980s. In 1979, there were 250,000 coal miners in the U.S. In 2016, only 53,000 workers held the same position.<br></p><p style="">"There's almost zero reason to be completely optimistic," Ted Boettner, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy, <a href="http://time.com/coals-last-kick/" target="_blank">told Time earlier this year</a>. "It's a disservice to coal-mining communities to tell them they will have a mighty comeback."</p><p style=""><strong>Where Are We Talking About?</strong></p><p style="">The Appalachian region covers nearly 205,000 square miles and includes all of West Virginia and parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. It's home to more than 25 million Americans.<br></p><p style="">And it is a region in crisis. Appalachia is <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/8/3/16079772/opioid-epidemic-drug-overdoses" target="_blank">ground zero for the opioid epidemic</a> ravaging the U.S. Poverty is pervasive—South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, West Virginia and Mississippi all fall <a href="https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk" target="_blank">in the bottom 10 in per capita income</a> in the U.S. Those same states also <a href="https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_15_5YR_S1501" target="_blank">fall in the bottom 10</a> in terms of educational attainment—save for South Carolina, which ranks just outside the bottom 10 at number 39.</p><p style="">These issues coupled with an absence of good-paying jobs has led to an exodus of high-performing students and skilled tradesmen from the region. Those who can leave often do, and they don't come back—a phenomenon often referred to as "brain drain."</p><p style="">So, how do we combat these troubling trends? The answer cannot be found in the region's past and the dirty, dangerous coal that propelled its initial growth. Instead, reinvigorating one of America's most beautiful and misunderstood regions has everything to do with the future, specifically computers and public service.</p><p style=""><strong>'Silicon Holler'?</strong></p><p style="">In some circles, the conversation on how to reinvigorate Appalachia has largely centered on bringing technological innovation to the region.<br></p><p style="">Excellent coverage on The Daily Show (below) and <a href="http://www.hbo.com/vice/episodes/05/79-vice-79-dark-web-and-future-of-appalachia/index.html" target="_blank">HBO's Vice News</a> has centered on programs dedicated to retraining former coal miners to code. It's a natural fit: As with coding, mining requires strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, and comfort with technology (albeit a very different kind of technology). Plus, most coding jobs can be performed from almost anywhere, and Appalachia is already home to an enormous pool of talent—as Pikeville, Kentucky-based software development startup <a href="http://bitsourceky.com/" target="_blank">Bit Source</a> discovered when <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/05/06/477033781/from-coal-to-code-a-new-path-for-laid-off-miners-in-kentucky" target="_blank">it received nearly 1,000 applications</a> for just 10 available positions.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fclimatereality%2Fvideos%2F10155708537706800%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p style="">Each year, 600,000 well-paying jobs in the US technology sector go unfilled, and many are eventually sent overseas. But these jobs could be on-shored—<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/21/tech-industry-coding-kentucky-hillbillies" target="_blank">if more Americans had the right skills</a>.<br></p><p>In this area, funding for programs that provide training in just those skills has largely come through the <a href="https://www.arc.gov/" target="_blank">Appalachian Regional Commission</a> (ARC), "a federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life." ARC was founded in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson as part of his "war on poverty."</p><p style="">Last year, in the Obama Administration's final budget, Congress approved a budget of $146 million for the agency—"<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/why-the-appalachian-regional-commission-matters/519876/" target="_blank">its highest budget in decades, in order for it to focus on coal-impacted communities</a>." ARC's POWER initiative specifically targets Appalachian communities affected by job losses in coal mining. In addition to supporting technological education, it awards grants for projects that improve highway and sewer systems and community health care access.</p><p style="">ARC programs are expected to create or retain more than 23,670 jobs as well as train and educate more than 49,000 students and workers, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-budget-appalachia/trump-seeks-to-ax-appalachia-economic-programs-causing-worry-in-coal-country-idUSKBN16N2VF?il=0" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a>.</p><p style="">Unfortunately, earlier this year, the Trump Administration <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/here-are-the-independent-agencies-trump-wants-to-stop-funding/519786/" target="_blank">proposed phasing out ARC</a> as part of its "skinny budget."</p><p style="">"We're making sure the Appalachia workforce is prepared for jobs," ARC Communications Director Wendy Wasserman <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/why-the-appalachian-regional-commission-matters/519876/" target="_blank">told The Atlantic in March</a>. According to Wasserman, ARC already has invested more than $73 million in projects across the region that include "teaching coal miners how to code, helping develop agricultural activity on former coal land, and training folks who would have been tracked into coal into solar installation or construction."</p><p style=""><strong>Government for the People</strong></p><p style="">Vox's Matthew Yglesias <a href="https://www.vox.com/new-money/2016/12/9/13881712/move-government-to-midwest" target="_blank">made a very compelling argument</a> that "the federal government [should] take the lead in rebalancing America's allocation of population and resources by taking a good hard look at whether so much federal activity needs to be concentrated in Washington, DC, and its suburbs."<br></p><p style="">He was arguing that this redistribution should focus on the Midwest, in part, because the poorer areas of America like Appalachia lack "the basic infrastructure of prosperity." We'd argue that he should spend some time in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee; Charleston and Huntington, West Virginia; Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama; and Asheville, North Carolina, and their suburbs—all of which are well-positioned for growth and could welcome government agencies as comfortably as cities like Detroit, Cleveland or Milwaukee.</p><p style="">Yglesias pointed to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which employs nearly 3,000 people and is located in Gaithersburg, Maryland; the Woodlawn, Maryland-centered Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (4,000 employees); and the National Weather Service, and its 5,000 employees headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, among others, as examples of major government agencies that do not require "routine physical proximity to elected officials" and have already relocated to the DC suburbs.</p><p style="">Bringing these important, high-skilled jobs to Appalachia could do wonders for regional and state economies, and provide their employees with a lower cost of living. And if all those government jobs were brought to Appalachia, they'd have a trickle-down effect that would create even more jobs in the region—after all, those government employees will need doctors and dentists, carpenters, plumbers, masons and child care providers; and each of the professionals mentioned will frequent restaurants, movie theaters and grocery stores.</p><p>More jobs means more state tax revenue to fund educational and medical resources and infrastructure that would improve the overall quality of life for the entirety of Appalachia.</p><p style="">And importantly—and contrary to unfortunate, unfair, and plainly false stereotypes—the workforce to fill these high-skilled roles long into the future is ready and waiting in the high schools of the region's mountains and hollers.</p><p style=""><strong>Hope in the Hollers</strong></p><p style="">Steven Palmer, an English educator in eastern Kentucky, explained as much during an uplifting 2016 TEDx Talk (below), noting that Appalachia's most valuable resource isn't coal, it's the "young, creative, critical-thinking minds that sit within its classrooms."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="541c7df4bf9fde919cd6012abd43a1b1"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tb9SAMDQVeg?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span></p><p style="">"We cannot continue the narrative that Appalachia is a problem without a solution," Palmer lamented. "We need to believe in our students' ability to disrupt the status quo of their homes. This can cause the largest young person-led economic revitalization in American history."<br></p><p style="">Palmer is right, of course. And it's a status quo that can be disrupted—by young people able to find good employment in their region, and by coal miners retrained to work in a twenty-first century economy, not a nineteenth-century one.</p><p style="">And it's a disruption that could save thousands of lives. Covering the opioid epidemic crippling communities across West Virginia, <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/nneykb/the-hard-times-struggles-and-hopes-of-appalachian-addicts-ang" target="_blank">Vice writer Juliet Escoria noted</a> that the cycle of abuse and relapse eventually has less to do with the appeal of the high itself and is instead "about figuring out how to live life without [it]."</p><p style="">"Relapses don't happen because someone offers you free drugs on a silver platter. They happen when the dumb s**t in life piles up, when you can't find a job or figure out how to feed yourself like a normal human being," <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/nneykb/the-hard-times-struggles-and-hopes-of-appalachian-addicts-ang" target="_blank">Escoria wrote</a>. "They happen because your brain won't stop telling you that you're a piece of s**t."</p><p style="">With that in mind, imagine an Appalachia where people could find well-paying jobs at all skill levels. An Appalachia were citizens knew they were contributing to their country the way they used to—only instead of providing raw materials like coal to keep the lights on, they're facilitating government services to help others and creating the websites, applications, tools and software solutions powering our plugged-in world.</p><p>So rather than dangle an unlikely return to former glories in front of the residents of these mountains, disrespecting the dignity and history of a proud people who helped build this country, let's be realistic and do everything we can to start a new chapter.</p><p style="">And for any DC-dweller or Bay Area local worried about what a life outside of the concrete jungle looks like, here's your new morning commute view:</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image" style=""><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xMTQ3NzYwNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NzIyMDk2OX0.doDGxCrlfRabOPyIekfA9CURqaJXVZ-uL8Vy0oSmvFk/img.jpg?width=980" id="a13a7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="11ccbec8f63c09e59368ad08785138a2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></p><p style="">Not bad, huh?</p><p style=""><em><span></span>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/coal-will-not-bring-appalachia-back-life-tech-and-government-jobs-could" target="_blank">The Climate Reality Project</a>.</em></p>
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Gasland was about people lighting their water on fire. Gasland Part II is about the oil and gas industry lighting our democracy on fire.
And like a scene from our film, last week we saw another example of the toxic influence they have on our democracy when our President doubled down on natural gas in his climate speech.
We applaud the President for taking on climate change, but he’s got the message wrong. Fracked gas is not the solution, it's part of the problem.
Next Monday, we’ll have a chance to get the right message out, but we can’t do it without you. We need your help to get the right message to everyone, from people living in your community all the way up to the President.
So here's the plan:
1. Host a watch party. Invite friends and neighbors over to watch the film, so they will be educated on the issue and as passionate as we are about stopping fracking.
2. Join me on a national strategy call. Right after the movie I am holding a national Q & A and discussion to talk about how we can make sure the right message gets out. To participate, call 559-726-1200 and enter code: 776632.
3. Make a donation. Your dollars will be used to fight the frackers in New York, Illinois, Texas, California, and everywhere in between. Literally, that is what the donations are used for: to fund staff and projects that educate and inform people about the dangers of fracking.
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of hearing my President read natural gas talking points, and seeing the fossil fuel industry have more influence on my government than I do as a citizen.
I won’t sit by and watch our democracy burn. On Monday, July 8 at 9 p.m. EST on HBO, I’m going to get the right message out and I hope you’ll join me.
Visit EcoWatch’s FRACKING pages for more related news on this topic.
——–
Xsandra / Getty Images
Looking for ways to cut down on single-use plastic while grocery shopping? You may already have eco-friendly shopping bags, but bringing your own reusable produce bags is another easy swap.
According to the UN Environment Program, up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used globally each year, and because of the material they're made from, most municipal recycling centers don't accept them (more on this below).
The most sustainable option is to skip the bag altogether. You can also make your own reusable produce bags out of old T-shirts. But if you'd rather purchase them new, here are our recommendations for the best reusable produce bags on the market today.
<p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p>
<h2>Why make the switch to reusable produce bags?<br/></h2><p>According to the <a href="https://www.unep.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UN</a>, humans produce 300 million tons of plastic waste each year, and about 60% of the plastic produced since the early 1950s has ended up in a landfill or the natural environment.</p><p>Plastic grocery bags and produce bags are made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Technically, this type of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-recycling-myth-2647706452.html" target="_self">plastic can be recycled</a>. However, in practice, plastic bags easily clog recycling machinery, so <a href="https://millerrecycling.com/ldpe-out-of-landfills" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">most municipal recycling centers</a> do not accept this type of material.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-07/documents/smm_2015_tables_and_figures_07252018_fnl_508_0.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study by the EPA</a> showed that only about 6% of the LDPE generated in 2015 was recycled. Other types of plastic, by comparison, were recycled at 18% and 10% rates.</p>Although some <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/vancouvers-grocery-store-plastic-bags-2638807121.html" target="_self">grocery stores</a> offer plastic bag recycling, the easiest way to get around this is to refuse plastic bags in the first place. Many cities have instituted <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/new-york-plastic-bag-ban-begins-2645319695.html" target="_self">plastic bag bans</a>, but more often than not, it's up to individuals to choose to make the switch to reusable grocery bags in their day-to-day lives.<p><br/></p><p><em><em><strong><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/about-ecowatch-2641507575.html?rebelltitem=47#rebelltitem47" target="_self">Melissa Smith</a> </strong>is an avid writer, scuba diver, backpacker, and all-around outdoor enthusiast. She graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in journalism and sustainable studies. Before joining EcoWatch, Melissa worked as the managing editor of Scuba Diving magazine and the communications manager of The Ocean Agency, a non-profit that's featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary Chasing Coral.</em></em></p><em><em></em></em>
Best Reusable Produce Bag Set: Eco Joy Cotton Reusable Produce Bags
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxOTAxNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzODE2MDIyNH0.qyiKrnX8T4CRp8Y5Kn_cW1oaSF7vDci2gmKEXxJfQmE/img.jpg?width=980" id="8db60" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d39a705e9f90fc1369a1806bc6d4e016" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Eco Joy
<p>If you're making the switch to more sustainable shopping bags and want a variety of products to use, the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Sandwich-Biodegradable-Eco-Drawstring/dp/B003PK4W3I/ref=sr_1_36?crid=3TDUCB8ZOM7WI&dchild=1&keywords=produce+bags+grocery+reusable&qid=1613484643&sprefix=produce+bags%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-36" target="_blank">Eco Joy Cotton Reusable Produce Bags</a> set is a great place to start. The set comes with three mesh drawstring bags, three muslin drawstring bags, a large mesh tote and a zippered sandwich-size pouch.</p><p>Each product is made with organic, non-GMO cotton that's ethically sourced in accordance with Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) standards. The cotton comes from India and Turkey, and the bags are hand-assembled in Canada by the owner of Eco Joy, so you can feel good about supporting a small business while reducing your environmental impact.</p><p><strong>Customer rating:</strong> 4.7 out of 5 stars with over 300 Amazon reviews</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>Zero-waste; Handmade in Canada; WRAP compliant; Machine washable</p>
$13
Best Mesh Bags: Organic Cotton Mart Reusable Cotton Mesh Produce Bags
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxOTE0OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTQyNDQ5MX0.E6MFCOXZ-3EvKDK0MIv34EJO3oE6WMWxiFZBR5aNU_w/img.jpg?width=980" id="ba5c7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="91a9dd3d18f7b4a41fae606ff4d1204b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Organic Cotton Mart
<p>Some shoppers prefer to use mesh bags when shopping for fruits and veggies. We recommend checking out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Best-Reusable-Produce-Organic-Cotton/dp/B07CK2TJKL/ref=sr_1_16?crid=10A7NM0LQ0B7E&dchild=1&keywords=mesh+produce+bags&qid=1613483897&s=home-garden&sprefix=mesh+pro%2Cgarden%2C162&sr=1-16" target="_blank">Organic Cotton Mart's Reusable Cotton Mesh Produce Bags</a> if you're in this camp, as they're made with Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified cotton.</p> <p>Mesh reusable produce bags can make the checkout process easier than muslin bags since you can see what's inside them without having to open them up. Plus, the tare weight (i.e., the weight of the empty bag that should be subtracted from the total weight of your produce to make sure you don't pay extra for using your bag) is printed right on the label of Organic Cotton Mart's bags, making everything that much more convenient.</p> <p><strong>Customer rating:</strong> 4.6 out of 5 stars with nearly 1,000 Amazon reviews</p><strong>Why buy:</strong> GOTS certified; Machine washable; Biodegradable
$16
Best Muslin Bags: Simple Ecology Reusable Produce Bags
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxOTE1OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjY3NDE3N30.f2sAcYTGhqq4ytlNGSyzZexPwqH2SpqpTwsX2fvph10/img.jpg?width=980" id="f90b3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e95c082f9b831bf11004e12b73ae8263" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Simple Ecology
<p>On the other hand, if you just want to purchase muslin bags, we like <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Ecology-Reusable-Organic-Shopping/dp/B004UJ0U0C" target="_blank">Simple Ecology's Reusable Produce Bags</a>, which are also made with GOTS-certified organic cotton. Simple Ecology also has a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6AUMBG/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01N6AUMBG&pd_rd_w=MA3ZS&pf_rd_p=cbc856ed-1371-4f23-b89d-d3fb30edf66d&pd_rd_wg=hVunQ&pf_rd_r=G6RTQ1Z5DKEY325MAJZ9&pd_rd_r=5d298b3a-1be7-4ebd-a9e1-d5d672a40497&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMzc4RVAxWjNLOTdCJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTc0NTAwMzBDMjFYOVJPTUpWSCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjYyOTM4M0s4Vk81SVBPS1NFSyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbF90aGVtYXRpYyZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=" target="_blank">starter kit</a> that comes with several reusable grocery bags if you're looking for more variety.</p> <p>The benefit of using muslin reusable produce bags is that, unlike mesh, there are no holes for small items to slip through. This means that in addition to larger produce, you can use them to purchase bulk foods like lentils, beans and rice — or even powders like flour or spices — without worrying about anything leaking. They're also best for keeping leafy greens fresh.</p> <p><strong>Customer rating:</strong> 4.7 out of 5 stars with nearly 1,500 Amazon reviews</p><strong>Why buy:</strong> GOTS certified; Machine washable; Biodegradable; Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified packaging when purchased from manufacturer
$16
Best String Bags: ECOBAGS Market Collection Reusable Bag Set
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxOTE2Ny9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTkzMDc5Mn0.v_aTdf8TPuA39wgpmS2Dgb_88t2jfcbXDJkC9wf5CrE/img.png?width=980" id="c42d2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ada50990c5c2520886afd23fcca522a4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="752" data-height="628" />ECOBAGS
<p>Whether you're buying bread, fresh flowers, produce or all of the above, the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/ECOBAGS-Market-Collection-Reusable-Natural/dp/B08KFGPGN5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ECOBAGS Market Collection Reusable Bag Set</a> is ideal for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/farmers-markets-coronavirus-safety-2645581711.html" target="_self">farmers market</a> shopping or large grocery hauls. The netted bags are durable, flexible, and pack down small so they're easy to keep in your car or purse.</p> <p>ECOBAGS is a woman-owned certified B Corp, which means it uses sound social and environmental practices. These bags come in packs of three or five and have a few different handle lengths and color options, but they're all made with GOTS-certified organic cotton.</p> <p><strong>Customer rating: </strong>Not applicable</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> GOTS certified; Machine washable; Biodegradable; Certified B Corp; SA8000 certified for the protection of basic human rights of workers</p>
$36
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