It was during 2014 that the journey towards OMOM began. I had grown tired of bringing home small plastic bags from the store that at best were reused once and at worst were thrown directly into recycling. I wanted to do something that replaced the single-use bag, for myself.
The solution became a few small bags in tulle that I sewed. The feeling that filled me at the first attempt was a great satisfaction. I carry a bag that can be washed and used over and over again! So simple! And the response was wonderful. Every time (!) we shopped someone came up and curiously wondered what those smart little bags we put the fruit in were. Even the staff at the checkouts smiled at us, asked what it was and thought it was a brilliant idea.
Soon I sewed fruit bags for friends and acquaintances and I began to understand that this was a habit more people wanted to adopt. After a few months I had gathered enough courage and at the beginning of 2015 I started the brand and company OMOM. The fruit bags were sold every other day from the start!
Eventually, the search for a sustainable producer began as I myself had difficulty keeping up with making bags at the same pace as they were sold. After nearly a year, I found my partner in India - a small family business run by a couple with the same focus on organic materials as I have. With production fully certified by GOTS, I felt the trust needed to start production. They are incredibly skilled, and I am truly happy about our collaboration which has now lasted 7 years.
When I started out searching the internet for “reusable bags,” no results came up. It's really fun that the word is now used by many and that I have been part of the journey from the start. Another fun memory is from when I began selling at markets around the country. I often had to explain what the small mesh bags were, and many times customers thought I was selling the vegetables I displayed! Today, the fruit bags have become a common product that everyone understands, and that is fantastic.
Slowly but surely, OMOM's products have become more and more. I base new product designs on my own needs and there will be more to come. Our tote bag has become very popular since the plastic tax was introduced. Many people have started using reusable bags to avoid paying for plastic bags, and being pushed towards more sustainable choices is a good thing in my opinion, regardless of what drives one's changed habits. Old habits are hard to break, and getting into a new routine when going shopping can be difficult at first, but you soon get used to it.
Tote bags with double handles became OMOM's second product
OMOM's core idea is that living sustainably should be simple, safe, and stylish.
Being a customer with us should be like handing over all those difficult questions about what is best in every situation and just trusting that we have already reviewed the entire chain. Choosing sustainable should also not mean having to compromise on aesthetics.
Tote bags need to be used many times for it to be considered an environmental gain, which is why our motto is:
- to manufacture them as sustainably as possible with the requirement that sustainability is real both in the product and for those who make them.
- that they are non-toxic - from the moment the material is grown until the finished product ends up in the customer's hand.
- that they are durable bags that last a long time and are also thoughtfully designed so that they are actually used.
The most sustainable product is the one that is used and can withstand use.
Moreover - using a reusable bag is more than just replacing a single-use bag. It's about adopting a mindset of reuse, getting into the habit of bringing your own, planning for when you go out, bringing that bottle of water and the tote bag. And I believe that OMOM's more thoughtfully designed grocery bag and small fruit bags can help with that. With OMOM's reusable bags, we save thousands of single-use bags together every year!
