Organically Grown Company (OGC) Introduces Plastic-Free Net Bags
By Rudy Sanchez
Published March 26th, 2026
Organic farming is better for the environment. Unlike conventional farming, organic producers don’t use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or genetically modified seeds. The result is less soil degradation, water pollution, and eutrophication from runoff laden with nitrogen. Furthermore, organic farming produces lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional farming.
Unfortunately, organic produce is often packed in inorganic materials. In particular, items such as citrus, avocados, onions, and Brussels sprouts are sold in plastic net bags. While that might not mean much to consumers choosing organic produce solely for nutritional and health reasons, it still negates some of the efforts farmers make to avoid synthetic, harmful chemicals and the respect they have for the environment. What’s more, should they be improperly disposed of, they can harm wildlife.
To make matters worse,they’re not exactly recyclable. Like traditional plastic bags, they can get caught in recycling machinery. Your best bet is to drop off at your grocery store, assuming it collects soft plastics.
Organically Grown Company (OGC) is the US’s largest wholesale distributor of organic produce. Under its Ladybugbrand, it has been piloting a new, plastic-free mesh bag. Made from beechwood fibers, even the labels on these new plastic-free bags are paper, not plastic.
“Mesh bags aren’t something new to the produce industry. They’re probably one of the most common packaging items that you’ll see in any produce department,” says Joey Staub, product innovation manager at OGC. “That concept has been around for a really long time. But there’s recognition of the impact of plastic production, its end-of-life, and microplastics in the environment. As an organization that’s really focused on people and the planet, we’ve long had a desire to remove as much plastic from our product lineup as possible.”
According to Joey, work on a plastic-free mesh bag started around 2016. The final version uses fibers made from beechwood, but OGC began by exploring an alternative organic, renewable material.
“2016 was also the same time that the hemp industry in the Pacific Northwest was really growing,” Staub says. “People were seeking different ways to manufacture more sustainable packaging from hemp. Unfortunately, at the time, that didn’t really go anywhere. But then, in the spring of 24, we identified beechwood and began testing it to see if it would be a viable option for us.”
Joey isn’t sure why hemp didn’t work out, but speculates that the infrastructure and technology to process hemp into a textile were cost-prohibitive at the time.
The beechwood fiber material has been certified by DIN CERTCO as compostable. Still, OGC is careful not to make compostable claims, because, Staub says, every state has different standards and regulations. Also, every compost environment is unique, so OGC doesn’t want to create confusion. OGC notes that the paper tag is recyclable, FSCcertified, and can be clipped and tossed in the recycling bin.
What is certain, however, is that OGC’s mesh bags won’t introduce microplastics into the environment, because there’s no plastic in them.
It’s still early days for OGC’s plastic-free bags, as last year was considered a pilot for the mesh bags. As such, no Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) has been conducted to date, but the company is considering doing so in the future.
How has the response been so far?
“We’re working with a select group of retailers right now, largely based in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, as a part of our pilot program, and we’ve gotten a really good response,” Joey says. “At this point, we’re really focused on scaling the program so we can offer it to a wider customer base. The focus for 2026 is on increasing volume and availability, as well as expanding the product line. Right now, we’re offering eight items in this bag, and we’re hoping to expand that to 15-18 different commodities.”
Growing food without toxic chemicals is a great start, but using plastic packaging can offset some of those benefits. So it’s exciting to see a company like Organically Grown Company, which is devoted to organic produce, seek ways to improve its packaging. Its new package-free mesh bags look and perform like conventional plastic versions, without harming us and the environment through microplastics. The plastic-free beechwood fiber net bags are still relatively new, but given the response so far, there’s plenty of reason for optimism that they’ll become the new norm.