Environmentally-minded consumers are always looking for a more eco-friendly way to do business. And, sometimes, the light bulb (an energy-saving version, of course) goes on.

For Christine Fiske, founder and CEO of Milton-based Bite, Inc., the idea to create reusable produce bags began with a simple trip to the store.

“I’d be getting produce and reach for a plastic bag. It seemed so counterintuitive when you are using reusable grocery bags,” Christine told South Shore Woman.

That feeling was reinforced when she was packing lunches for her two young kids. She was trying to be economical, and, in the back of her mind she was thinking about some research she had read about medical reasons to be concerned about plastics. As a result, those little sandwich bags just didn’t sit right anymore.

Now, a “mom-epreneur” on a mission, Christine has created a line of machine-washable, fashionable, and affordable reusable produce and snack bags. The products are sold in grocery stores, including the Fruit Center Marketplace and some Whole Foods locations, as well as in a variety of gift stores, or online at the Sustainable Bite website.

The company, just a year old, is already testing some new product lines as well, like a reusable napkin made out of organic cotton. “The hope is to get people to use them on a regular basis, and to not think of cloth napkins as a special occasion item,” Christine said. She’s also got some ideas about how to replace those plastic Tupperware containers, she said.

Christine, who started her career as a marketing and sales specialist for technology firms, designed the bags, had prototypes sewn, and then took them to New England manufacturers to be made. Owning this type of business has been a turning point--- with a bit of a learning curve—for Christine. “When you have a start-up, you have to do a little bit of everything,” she said. “And, if you are going to be successful, you have to be willing to stick your neck out, ask questions, and be willing to fail.”

Indeed, small missteps along the way can lead to huge success in the long run.

For Christine, it’s about building a business that has a favorable impact on the environment--- as well as for her family.

“You get to a point in life when you realize you are not invincible or immortal, and you say to yourself, ‘What do I want to leave behind, and what do I want to do for my children?’ For me, this is about doing something creative, as well as for the greater good. When I’m 70 years old, I can say I made a difference,” she said.

                                                                                               Christine Fiske, Founder & CEO, Bite, Inc. (Milton, MA)

By Stephanie Neil

Stephanie Neil is a journalist. Her business, technology, and human interest stories have appeared in a variety of print and online newspapers and magazines including eWeek, Managing Automation, The Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Huggies Baby Network, South Shore Woman, and The Boston Globe.  She lives on the South Shore with her two kids, two cats, and a dog. Contact info: stephanieneil@comcast.net  or 781-378-1652. Follow her on Twitter @StephanieNeil