Bagito
Bagito is truly the story of a brand that puts impact first. When founder Mitch Barlas was working as a school administrator in the Bronx, New York, he noticed that students were not receiving any type of environmental education. Knowing that environmental literacy is extremely important to the next generation, he set out to fix this by founding a non-profit K-12 environmental education program, Power2Sustain.
With a mission comes the need for funds, and that's exactly where reusable bags came in! Mitch realized how much single-use plastic is still used in the grocery shopping process, and started there. With a used sewing machine and a lot of ideas, he began creating reusable solutions to everyday plastic waste.
What originally started out as an idea, non-profit funding quickly grew into a company that helps people live more sustainably in their everyday lives. Bagito is committed to creating high-quality reusable shopping bags and other reusable products made out of organic, non-GMO fabric and products made out of 100% recycled plastics. Bagito bags are designed to be used on the go to help you reduce your reliance on wasteful, single-use bags.
With a mission comes the need for funds, and that's exactly where reusable bags came in! Mitch realized how much single-use plastic is still used in the grocery shopping process, and started there. With a used sewing machine and a lot of ideas, he began creating reusable solutions to everyday plastic waste.
What originally started out as an idea, non-profit funding quickly grew into a company that helps people live more sustainably in their everyday lives. Bagito is committed to creating high-quality reusable shopping bags and other reusable products made out of organic, non-GMO fabric and products made out of 100% recycled plastics. Bagito bags are designed to be used on the go to help you reduce your reliance on wasteful, single-use bags.
Supporting Environmental Literacy
Bagito uses their business to support a great cause — environmental education! 15-20% of Bagito's annual profits go towards supporting their sister non-profit, Power2Sustain. Power2Sustain is an organization that teaches and empowers students to value and sustain their natural world. By providing lessons, activities, and programs free of charge, Power2Sustain incorporates environmental learning into everyday subjects, teaching students to value the planet alongside math, social sciences, music, and more. They also help schools implement Green Teams, Zero Waste lunches, Recycling enhancements, ride sharing programs and more!
But, we can't forget about their products as well! Each Bagito original grocery bag that's made from rPET (recycled plastic!) removes 25 lbs of plastic waste from landfills. Plus, their cotton bags are made with Non-GMO organic cotton, protecting the planet as well as the farm workers who grow the cotton.
Having outgrown their original used sewing machine, Bagito works with family-owned and operated production facilities. One, in Fujian Province, China, is a family-run business that works hard to provide living wages and maintain environmentally sound practices. The other, in Kolkata, India, uses fair trade working standards and upholds sustainable practices. Bagito values transparency and trust, maintaining close relationships with their suppliers and manufacturers so their customers can feel good supporting the work that goes into each product.
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