Greensmart helps turn water bottles into messenger bags!

One of my hugest pet peeves is the bottled water industry. I mean, really…do we need to put water into plastic bottles to sell for ridiculous amounts of money? Turning on the tap and filling up a reusable water bottle works just as well and is a whole heck of a lot cheaper. But, since I don’t see an end to the bottled water industry any time soon, it is nice to see companies like Greensmart trying to come up with a way to turn those leftover bottles into something useful. If you aren’t familiar with Greensmart, here is some information about them from their website:

Our mission is to offer bags that make you feel good. Any brand can make attractive bags and be indifferent to the resources it takes to make them. GreenSmart is different. GreenSmart cares. Using eco-friendly materials and socially responsible labor are two of the most significant ways we have to embed thoughtfulness into the design of a bag. 

 

Greensmart makes a number of different products including Macbook and laptop sleeves, messenger bags, backpacks, and even sleeves to carry your wine bottle or water bottle. Each of them comes in several different color choices and the styles are very modern and attractive.

These products are made with recyclable material which avoids the need for virgin plastics to make polyester.  The material that they are made from are free of toxins, use 25% less petroleum products and 25% less energy to produce than traditional bags.

For my review, I received the Baringo messenger bag in olive green shown above.  It has a roomy interior with padded laptop bay that fits a laptop computer up to 15.6″ wide. There are side pockets on both ends and an organization pocket under the flap. What makes this bag green? Here is a brief description of the Bottles to Bags process that Greensmart uses:

 

The fabric in this bag, both the exterior and interior, is derived from 100% post consumer recycled plastic bottles. The process begins with the collection of bottles, which then get ground up, washed to become fiber, spun into yarn and woven into fabrics. The overall process uses less energy than making polyester out of virgin chemicals.

So, my opinion?  This is a very attractive bag with lots of room inside and several small pocket areas for things like pencils, cell phones, and whatever else you may need to carry with you. The interior was plenty room to fit my laptop which is definitely not all that small. The strap is very easy to adjust and you can carry the bag high up under your arm or down low by your hip. I like the end pocket for holding a water bottle when you are on the go…a reusable one of course! The material is very sturdy and the seems are very sturdy and well made. It was very comfortable to carry around and very attractive as well. 

If I could make one change in the bag’s design I would add more closures to the compartments. There is one small zippered compartment on the exterior of the bag but all the others are open without any way to keep them closed. If I had the compartments filled with stuff and my kid drags it off the couch or I drop it all the stuff inside would end up on the floor.