The South Otago High School Young Enterprise group started investigating the possibility of selling reusable mesh bags for produce at the start of the year as part of the Young Enterprise course requirement.
Group co-chief executive Alice Murray said the idea came from her mother, as she had her own reusable produce bags.
People often asked her where she bought them.
The pupils, who called their company ''Net Effect'', investigated several companies that had variations of the types of bags they wanted.
Alice said the experience was ''challenging but good''.
Co-chief executive Briar Mills said it was important to be mindful of the amount of waste people were creating.
She said it had been a learning experience and ''really interesting''.
''It's not very often you get to run your own business.''
Net Effect had originally ordered 200 of the bags to
be sold in packs of four, but interest in them had been so positive that they had since ordered another 200.
''We've had a really positive response from the community.''
The mesh bags came in a carry bag sewn together by the nine members of the company.
The pupils were supported by their teacher John Douglas and Shand Thomson Accountants.
The mesh bags were available to order from the company's Facebook page, ''Net Effect Reusable Mesh Produce Bags''.
