I didn’t need another bag. Then I really started thinking things through and realized that if I was ever going to take my infant daughter outside of the home I would need a dedicated bag filled with her stuff, and that instead of just any old bag lying around, I would benefit by one designed with a baby in mind. I didn’t think about ergonomics, environmentalism or green purchase power, I just bought the first one that wasn’t too ugly. But when looking for a diaper bag for my pregnant friend I began searching for one with some ecological merit. And boy, did I hit the jackpot!

Earthpak makes bags for all ages and needs in Muenster, Texas, from recycled soda bottles. The proprietary material is made in an environmentally conscious way: soda bottles are ground into pellets, then processed into a yarn that is then woven into a very durable fabric. Even better, earth friendly dyes are used.The bags are super strong, very comfortable, and really nice looking, to boot.

The Enviro-Bebe line has diaper bags for whatever parenting style you have – from the Bebe-Euro (made from six two-liter bottles) if you pack your baby lite, to the substantial Bebe-Pak (a whopping fourteen bottles reused), from duffle to single shoulder to backpack styles. Generous pockets for whatever your beastie can’t do without, plus an accessible bottle holder make the bags convenient, without making you nervous that your child isn’t going to get into college because you don’t have whatever it is that supposed to fit in that specialty pocket. All Enviro-Bebe paks come with a cushy, generously sized changing pad that is, like the rest of the paks, completely waterproof and machine washable. The pads fold out easily and are treated with an anti-microbial, which isn’t such a bad thing when you’re dealing with baby poop.

The one drawback might be that the bags are stain-resistant using Teflon, the manufacture of which is undoubtedly bad for the people working in and near the Teflon plant. Scott Figueiredo, president of Earthpak, is looking for alternatives, but feels satisfied that the bags themselves, as well as the process by which the coating is applied, are completely safe. So as long as you don’t cook with your bag, or otherwise heat it to 464 degrees, you should be OK.

In short, you’ve got a recycled product manufactured fairly in the US of A, and an eco-minded company with a great motto: “A world without regard for its future is NO world at all!"

What's not to love? Besides baby poop?

Cost: $36 - $70
Where to Buy it: Online at www.earthpak.com and various book and specialty stores