BY CAROLE ROSNER
Brown-bagging a meal for your kids or yourself requires all sorts of supplies—waxed paper, plastic wrap, tin foil, paper napkins and plastic baggies. More often than not, these kitchen staples are used once and thrown away—not very smart for the environment or your budget.
Friends and business partners (l-r) Leslie Sarracino and Heather Jacobs Photo: Carole Rosner
A few years ago, friends Heather Jacobs and Leslie Sarracino got to talking about all the trash associated with their kids’ homemade school lunches. With two kids apiece, Heather and Leslie realized they were wasting about a dozen plastic bags each day.
These crafty, resourceful and business-savvy Studio City moms knew there had to be a better way for their families and their planet.
“Because every bag matters” is not just a tag line for Graze™ Organic, it’s a reason for being. Heather and Leslie state that using organic and eco-friendly materials in every step of the manufacturing and packaging of their products has been the driving force behind all their decisions and choices.
The bags areprinted with fun graphics for easy identification—there’s a bag for a sandwich, a vegetable, a fruit, a snack and one labeled “surprise.” Photo: Courtesy Graze Organic
Simple, modern and very “green,” Graze Organic reusable sandwich and snack bags entered the marketplace this past July. These certified 100%-organic cotton bags are hand-silk-screened with water-based inks and stay shut with Velco-type closures. With their emphasis on all-natural materials, Graze Organic bags don’t have plastic inner liners. However, use common sense here—very messy things should be wrapped before putting them in a cotton bag. Heather recommends biodegradable waxed paper.
Although the artwork on each bag is designed to help early learners with word recognition, the bags appeal to all ages. (Even my teen daughter was excited about using them). They’re printed with fun graphics for easy identification—there’s a bag for a sandwich, a vegetable, a fruit, a snack and one labeled “surprise.”
100% organic napkins
In addition to food storage bags, Graze Organic also offers a line of very cute 100%-organic cotton napkins. All these products are machine-washable and don’t require any special handling.
All products are machine washable
These “no trash, no waste” products are currently sold online at www.grazeorganic.com as well as Green and Greener in Valley Village and Big Sugar Bake Shop in Studio City. Due to their popularity, expect to see them sold nationally very soon. Prices: Bags — Set of 3 ($24), Set of 5 ($38). Napkins — Set of 4 ($24).
Carole Rosner is a native Valley Girl who has lived in Studio City for the past 11 years. She is a strong supporter of her local public schools and an active volunteer in her neighborhood. Some of her favorite things to do in Studio City are to celebrate 4th of July at CBS Radford, walk along Ventura Blvd. and browse through the racks at Crossroads Trading Company.
About Karen Young
