From two forward-thinking, green companies, TerraCycle and Yak Pak, comes this virtually undestructable bag made from repurposed, discarded vinyl billboard material. Each bag is unique ; the one I received to review is white, blue, red and yellow with a nifty abstract “pixelated” design — my family and I tried to figure out what the piece of vinyl once represented on a giant billboard. (We have no clue.)
I love the Yak Pak tote because it’s water-resistant — ideal for the pool or beach. It’s also super easy to clean — my kids can spill their drinks, drippy ice cream and yogurt on it or in it, and I can just wipe the material off.
This open-topped tote bag (which comes with a lifetime guarantee) is roomy as all get out — about 15 by 13 by 9 inches. I’ve fit a beach towel, a hard-cover book, water bottle, snacks, toiletries and a wallet in there with room to spare. My children have brought their overnight gear in it for sleepovers, and my mother-in-law even borrowed it to pick vegetables from our neighbor’s garden (with permission). Its reinforced webbing straps are strong enough to tote a pile of school books, as well. My point: It’s a versatile bag, for sure.
With its heavier material, the Yak Pak tote can’t compare to other lightweight and compact bags that can compress into little apple-sized balls to toss into a carry-on for use at your destination. But the Yak Pak can fold flat to pack in a suitcase and not take up too much room. I like it for road trips, too, with the nice wide opening, it’s easy to find stuff inside.
The YakPak tote retails for just $15. Buy in bulk for holiday gifts — my guess is your child’s teacher will like this a heck of a lot more than a “#1 Teacher” mug. I couldn’t find the product at any brick and mortar stores near me via the online store finder, but it’s available from sites like World of Bags or Journeys.
And for more fun bags — made from drink pouches, cookie wrappers and Frito-Lay packaging — check out the Terracycle site. In fact, if your kid’s school is looking for a fundraiser, Terracycle pays for trash like discarded chips bags and yogurt cups.
