Catastrophegirl says Ziploc has made its bags thinner, smaller and generally less useful in an apparent attempt to cut down on materials costs. She’s concerned that the flimsier bags may not be able to handle her sandwiches as well as the old ones. She writes:

I went to make portion sizes out of a large cut of meat tonight and finished off a box of Ziploc sandwich sized bags that I purchased in a bulk package [Sam’s Club.] It’s been a few months since I bought the package. When I opened the new one the difference was immediately noticeable.

The new bags are smaller, thinner, less sturdy. There’s no attempt on the packaging to sell it as eco-friendly due to using less plastic [which I think I saw another baggie manufacturer advertise recently.] Mostly it was just a nasty surprise. The measurement of the bags IS listed on the outside of the main packaging as well as the 4 individual boxes inside but since the rest of the packaging is completely identical, including the item codes and suggested uses, I didn’t even think to look at the time of purchase. [Bad Consumer!]

Generally I have preferred Ziploc because their sandwich bags, while not freezer rated, are thicker than other brands/store brands I have tried and hold up well for a couple of months in the freezer. I’ll use up the 500 that I have but I’ll be watching to see how well they protect my food and keep it in mind when I decide what to buy next time.

If you’ve used the redesigned Ziplocs, let us know what you think in the comments.

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