Design Find: Beneterre

Somehow, reusable bags have become more than environmentally friendly tools for lugging home milk, bread and eggs. They’ve become a fashion statement. I admit that I find myself admiring particularly interesting fabrics or patterns when I’m cruising down the dairy aisle at the grocery store, so I was really delighted to discover Beneterre, a Colorado-based company that designs and produces beautiful reusable bags and totes.

The bag I have is called "The Cocoon." It folds into itself and seals with velcro, so it’s the size of a small paperback book. Unfolded, it holds a good amount of stuff and stands on its own, and it’s machine washable. Other models include a mesh produce bag, a cotton string bag called "The Clam" and "The Splash" (seen here), which the company claims will hold three times as much as a plastic grocery bag.

Bene Bags, as they’re called, are available at a handful of Front Range boutiques–no mountain locations just yet. For a full list of stores, visit the company’s website.