- 2) Reusable Paper Bags. Most grocery and non-grocery shops use paper bags. ...
- 3) Jute bags. Jute bags are made using fibers from the jute plant. ...
- 4) Cotton bags. These bags are made of natural fibers such as organic cotton, recycled, and traditional cotton. ...
- 7) Bags made of non-woven materials. ...
- 8) Canvas Bags.
Ultimately, producing one plastic bag is more sustainable than producing one cotton bag. However, repeatedly using your cotton bag until it's very last day, is more sustainable than repeatedly buying plastic bags. Reuse, reuse, reuse is always the answer when it comes to sustainability.
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Options include recyclable bags, biodegradable bags, bags made from pre-consumer or post-consumer recycled material, and bags made from organic fibers. Popular choices include cotton canvas, jute, nonwoven polypropylene, and rPET, which is made from plastic bottles.
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Many have logos or graphics printed on them with dyes that are PVC-based (aka polyvinyl chloride, a synthetic plastic polymer), which isn't recyclable. You also can't put them in your backyard compost heap.
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Recycled plastic tote bags are very durable and will last a long time. Organic cotton is also a better choice for a tote bag because the cotton is grown without pesticides and fertilizers that damage soil and cause toxic runoff.
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As CNN reports, the carbon footprint of reusable totes actually outsizes their disposable counterparts many times over. In fact, according to an estimate from Denmark's Environmental Protection Agency [PDF], a cotton bag needs to be used at least 7100 times to offset the environmental impact of its production.
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