Business Opportunities Weblog

September 11, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

Antigo Daily Journal:

What started as a homespun way to stash recyclables has developed into a clever invention—with great potential—for Trace and Penny Zima of Antigo.

Bag-A-Lot is a portable, multi-purpose flexible bag holder that is lightweight and eliminates the need for bulky containers.

The development of Bag-A-Lot dates back almost 10 years, after a particularly onerous time trying to tug a garbage bag filled with aluminum recyclables out of a garbage can. The bag was too heavy to lift, and when it was finally detached from the can it often was torn or only half full.

“I got frustrated,” Zima said.

So her husband, Trace, cut the bottom out of a five gallon bucket, and hung plastic garbage bags from the rim. That worked, but the payday came when Penny Zima decided to create an embroider-hoop type rim, easy to open and close with two circular snaps and eliminating the need to fish the bag through the bucket.

“It was a light bulb moment,” she said. “With Bag-A-Lot it is simple. All I do with any size garbage bag, 13 gallon to 55 gallon, is securely clip the mouth of the bag into the locking ring and that is it.”

The couple originally used Bag-A-Lot for recycling but discovered that when they added a handle, it became great for yard work or roadside cleanup.

Photo by Antigo Daily Journal.

In Inventions | 3 Comments
Tags: Eco-friendly, Startup