Overwhelmed reading the latest article about climate change, plastic pollution or any of the other numerous ways our planet is in trouble? It’s easy to throw your hands up and think that short of moving to a shack in the woods, wearing hemp clothing and eating only nuts and berries, there’s nothing we can do.

So here’s five easy changes you can make today that will help you sleep better tonight:

Photo Credit: Honeybee Wrap

1) Beeswax Wraps: Lose the plastic cling wrap and reach for a beeswax wrap the next time you need to cover food. Jack discovered these sustainable, non-toxic wraps from HoneyBee Wrap on her last trip to Byron Bay. She brought one back for me (sweet friend that she is) and I love it. Handmade from 100% organic cotton fabric, beeswax and various natural oils, the heat of your hands softens the beeswax so it moulds around the food you wish to store. It then cools and remains in shape to keep your food safe. They come in cute colours and are easy to clean. I’m about to order a few more for my kitchen.

     Photo Credit: Ever Eco

2) Stainless Steel Straws: We discovered these space-age, plastic-free sippers at a vegan restaurant in Bali (Bali is fighting its own plastic war- check out the work of these Balinese teens who are leading the charge against plastic pollution). We’re smoothie drinkers in our house so these straws get some use. We like the Ever Eco brand found at Flora & Fauna (although they are dishwasher-safe, be sure to buy a set that comes with a cleaning brush).

Photo Credit: Keep Cup

3) Reusable Coffee Cups: We love a good takeaway coffee but it struck us last year that the number of takeaway cups piling up in our office rubbish bin was not a good look for us, or the planet. Keep Cup is a Melbourne-based company that has taken off around the world and for good reason. Their colourful reusable coffee cups are easy to use and brighten your morning with their vibrant hues. Our favourite part? Our local barista no longer has to ask us for our morning order; we place our reusable cups on the counter and they get right to work.

Photo Credit: KleanKanteen

4) Reusable Water Bottles: Bottled water is costly to your wallet and the environment, but that doesn’t stop Australians from spending more than half a billion dollars a year on bottled water. Only 36% of plastic bottles are recycled which leaves way too many polluting our land and waters*. This is an easy fix; keep that reusable water bottle handy and fill it from the tap. We like bottles from Klean Kanteen for both their stainless steel designs and their philosophy of sustainability.

5) Reusable Shopping Bags: Our personal favourite, those single-use plastic bags from the shops are filling our landfills and waterways by the billions. It is currently believed that there are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean and counting*. We’re losing this battle right now, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Reusable shopping bags are an easy way to go plastic-free. Of course we love Jack+Jules reusable bag sets: convenient, washable and strong reusable shopping bags that will reduce the number of plastic bags in the environment.

There you go: five easy ways to save the planet. Now you can sleep like a baby.

*All plastic facts sourced from www.oceancrusaders.org.

Jack+Jules is headed to Market... the South Melbourne Market, that is!

We're thrilled to announce that Jack+Jules has its first pop-up store in South Melbourne Market's SO:ME Space. If you're unfamiliar with SO:ME Space, it's the Market's retail space for emerging and established designers. With an emphasis on design, sustainability and local fashion, it's the perfect opportunity for Jack+Jules to introduce itself to the vibrant, South Melbourne Market community! 

Please come visit from 20 April to 15 May (Wednesdays 8-4; Fridays 8-5; Saturdays 8-4 and Sundays 8-4). We're located in Stall 226 on the East Aisle, closest to the intersection of York and Cecil Streets. We're across from Bakerlite and around the corner from Claypots Evening Star. And if you're still not sure how to find us, here's a map just for you!

We can't wait to meet you!

We’ve all been there. You walk into the shops and (smack hand to forehead), remember that your reusable bags are back in the car. You might trek back through the parking lot… or you might just grab a plastic bag and mutter something about remembering next time.

Habits are hard to change, so to help anyone who has struggled with this, we’ve produced a handy, how-to-guide:

Step 1: Purchase a set of bags. Consider your shopping habits and the number of people for whom you shop. Several shops and 1-3 people? A 3-pack should suit. A large weekly shop and a family of four or more? You may want to consider the 6-pack. If you’re shopping for more than six people, then bless you… you have our admiration.

Step 2: Give your bags a home. Do you drive to the shops? Then leave them in your car, preferably where you can see them/reach them easily. Personally, we keep ours in the cup holder in the door next to the driver’s seat where they’re easy to grab. Are you a walker? Then leave them by the front door.

Step 3: Use them. Fill them up- they’re incredibly strong. Politely decline that plastic bag for the watermelon or the steak. Should anything leak, our bags will absorb small amounts of liquid and can be thrown straight into the washing machine. You may have to tell the baggers at the register to load them up- they may be used to wimpy, one-use disposable plastic bags.

Step 4: Return them. To their new home, that is. When you’ve unpacked your bags, stuff them back in their sack and place them back in their home. If you keep them in your car, hang them on your front doorknob to remind you to take them back to the car on your next trip out.

They say it takes 66 days to form a new habit. With these hints, we think it’s in the bag.

See you at the shops!

Did you see us “bagged” in the newspaper?

As a start-up business, publicity is extremely important so we were absolutely thrilled to be profiled for Fairfax Media’s Small Business section. The article ran on February 26, 2016 in newspapers throughout Australia and if you haven’t read the article, you can do so here.

But then we read the comments after the article. While there were a number of people who were supportive of us, there were a few people who were extremely negative. From price to our choice of nylon, we were “bagged” for decisions we had made. (See what we did there?)

We’ll be honest- we were initially a bit shocked by the negativity but it shouldn’t come as a surprise. We know you can’t make everyone happy, but we’re both extremely positive people who believe in supporting others, especially if they are risk-takers, dreamers and those who believe in living to the fullest (we’ve got a particular fondness for these sorts of people).

However, as some points made in the comments were valid, we thought we’d address them:

COST: Someone decided our product was too expensive. This shouldn’t be a surprise- what is expensive for one person is inexpensive for another. Different people have different ideas of value and what they would pay for quality. While one particular person has decided our product is too expensive for her, we have others telling us we could charge more.

We chose the prices we did based on the cost of producing the Market Bags and getting them to market. We felt it was important to create a good quality product that would last and doing that requires a certain quality of materials that cost more than something made cheaply.

MATERIALS: The majority of negative comments were directed toward our choice of materials, namely our use of nylon fabric. We initially chose nylon for its strength and durability; it’s no good creating a reusable bag that falls apart and ends up in a landfill within five years! (That’s not to say we aren’t open to plant-based fabrics- we are always looking to improve our products and have been researching suppliers prior to the article’s publication).

While nylon is a synthetic material, the length of time it takes to breakdown is much shorter than that of a plastic bag. Nylon fabric can take 30-40 years to break down. By contrast, disposable plastic bags take anywhere from 500-1000 years depending on plastic type and conditions.[i]

Furthermore, single-use plastic bags also create havoc on the environment. From clogging waterways to ingestion by animals, plastic bags are a menace to our earth. And of course there are the sheer numbers. Some figures estimate the typical first-world family using disposable plastic bags takes home approximately 1,500 per year![ii] That’s a lot of plastic bags to fill up landfills, float down waterways and collect in our oceans.

Ultimately, we believe that sustainability comes in many forms and all steps towards protecting our earth are worthwhile. We love seeing more and more people understand that their small actions can make an improvement. And as much as it threw us initially, we also love seeing people who are so passionate about their opinions! As the anthropologist Margaret Mead stated, 

"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has."

Please send any other feedback our way. If you have used our bags, feel free to email us about how you’re finding them and if you haven’t, give them a try! We look forward to hearing from you!

[i] Ocean Conservancy’s Pocket Guide to Marine Debris (sourced from the US National Park Service).

[ii] Natural Resources Defense Council

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who responded to our earlier questions about reusable bags! From your answers we learnt the following: 

• 65% of you use reusable bags (Well done!)
• 53% of all respondents sometimes forget their bags (you are so not alone here…);

Out of those that use reusable bags:

• 26% like bags that are easy to carry;
• 31% prefer bags that are easy to pack and many mentioned a preference for bags with a flat bottom;
• 19% are looking for bags that are sturdy and fit a LOT; and
• 4% mentioned they want bags that are easy to clean.

Of those of you that don’t use reusable bags, one of you mentioned laziness and one of you very honestly admitted that you only bring your own bags if you’ll be charged otherwise (we do admire your focus on the bottom line!).

Don’t be so hard on yourselves! Changing ingrained habits is never easy, but we think it's easier when done with colour and style.

A lot of what we read was similar to our own thoughts. We both have had a collection of reusable bags that we sometimes remembered to bring to shops. Some had square bottoms that made them easy to pack, but were bulky to carry. Some were falling apart after a few uses, especially after we threw them in the wash. Really, we just wanted an easy alternative that looked good, worked well and that we could feel good about.

We think our Market Bags fit the bill- easy to carry in packs of 3- or 6-, easy to clean, and sturdy enough to carry up to 10 kg/22 lbs each. They have a pleated bottom which means they widen at the bottom but easily roll back up into their drawstring bags.

So thank you- your responses clarified our own thoughts as we move closer to our launch, which is right around the corner (can you feel the excitement over here?)

See you soon!

PS- We’re only days away, so subscribe with your email address below to win a free set of Jack+Jules market bags!