Sharon Rowe started ECOBAGS in 1989 as a teenager, well before the green wave rushed forth. The brand has since adopted the mission statement to “produce quality bags at great prices so that reusable becomes a way of life.” “I saw a need,” Rowe says of starting ECOBAGS. “I was tired of seeing plastic bags stuck in trees and stuck in the river, and decided I wasn’t going to contribute to that waste stream any longer. It was difficult to find a bag that would do the job, so I started making my own. It’s about cleaning up the planet one bag at a time.” The line began with a “classic string bag,” an expandable cotton/mesh bag. Since then, ECOBAGS has created canvas bags, produce bags, lunch bags, travel bags and more. The product line can be found nationwide in various food co-ops, produce stores, and retail locations as well as online.