The average Australian throwing away over $2,000 worth of food per household each year.
The Swag enables Australians to lead healthier lives, reduce the cost of fresh produce to the household budget by extending the life of produce, saves time as longer shelf life means fewer trips to the shop and combat both food waste in addition to plastic pollution.
The Swag produce bag is uniquely designed
The Swag is the pioneer, non-toxic, sustainable, machine-washable, and compostable food storage and produce bag, proven to keep fruit and veggies fresh for 2 weeks.
The Swag’s three-layer fabric combination, uses non-toxic, unbleached and unseeded cotton.
The unique design allows for moisture to be pulled through the outer layers to enhance hydration, while the inner layers promote breathing and reduce ethylene build-up, so fruit and veggies keep fresh, crisp, and nutrient-dense – for longer.
Sydney mum of two, and the powerhouse behind the Brand, Peita Pini, was sick and tired of throwing away rotting fruit and veggies after only a few days since purchasing.
Determined to find a solution that empowered Australians to lead healthier lives, reduce the cost of fresh produce to the household budget, and combat both food wastage and plastic pollution, Pini spent years developing this product that solved all of these pain points.
“When I had children, I was more conscious of the extent of fresh food waste in my own home.”
“I started to notice condensation building up inside the plastic bag or container I was storing my veggies in. I realised I was storing my food in toxic materials, and watching them sweat.”
“Fresh produce is living and breathing, and all living things need air and water to survive.”
“So, I set out to fix the problem.”
“I knew nothing of online retail, manufacturing, textiles or the patent and trademarking process. Years of trial and error in my kitchen resulted in creating a design that really worked.”
The SEDEX certified business in its 5th year, had until recently relied on the majority of five star customer reviews claiming that The Swag keeps produce fresh and crisp for weeks.
Pini teamed up with Applied Horticulture Research, to test the efficacy of The Swag’s design.
The Swag produce bag has been tested and proven
The Applied Horticulture study managed to compare the storage life and quality of produce in The Swag, to storing in plastic, paper and no packaging, in a domestic refrigerator.
Results concluded that The Swag keeps fruit and vegetables fresh for over 2 weeks and in some cases with some products, it was up to four weeks even though in one trial it extended the storage life of fruit and vegetables for up to 38% longer than when stored in plastic.
The National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study by Applied Horticulture Research on The Swag Storage Testing in 2021 experimented with Broccolini, parsley and blueberries that were kept in The Swag as they remained fresh and marketable for more than 2 weeks.
In some cases, storage life increased up to four weeks.
Studies found The Swag increased storage life of blueberries by 38% compared to ordinary punnets only, and increased storage life of broccolini by 25% compared to plastic
Studies found that The Swag increased storage life of vegetables like broccoli for up to four weeks which represents a 25% longer lifespan than the vegetables stored in plastic.
Replacing the need for single-use plastic in the home, The Swag is furthermore offering a range of alternatives which are ethically produced and sustainable products, including reusable tea bags, food wraps, bread bags, garment bags, wine chill bags, and more.
The Swag’s business model is purpose-driven on multiple levels.
In its first year, The Swag donated 100% of its profits to Destiny Rescue, a non-profit organisation dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating children from human trafficking.
Today, The Swag donates 5% of all profits to the organisation.
After receiving Oprah’s endorsement in O Magazine, as one of “Oprah’s Favourite Sustainable Products”, The Swag expanded into the USA in 2017 and is now looking to expand into the European market, with an ambitious mission to be in one billion households by 2030.
“By 2030, I want to see Swag Australia empower over 1 billion people around the world to live waste and plastic-free, with a net profit that contributes to over ten thousand children being freed from slavery and provided with long term rehabilitation,” says Pini.
