Canvas, nylon, polyester, or recycled plastic bags are not just eco-friendly, but they also can hold a lot more stuff than flimsy high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
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Reusable BagsTo have a comparable environmental footprint (which encompasses climate change as well as other environmental effects) to plastic bags, a cotton bag potentially has to be used thousands of times. Materials other than cotton, however, perform much better in sustainability metrics.
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.
The problem with cotton bagsThis means its environmental footprint is bigger than many people appreciate. According to the UNEP report, a cotton bag needs to be used 50 to 150 times to have less impact on the climate compared with one single-use plastic bag.
A report produced for the United Nations Environmental Programme in 2020 found a thick and durable polypropylene (PP) bag (they often have a woven feel) must be used for an estimated 10 to 20 times compared to one single use plastic bag, while a slimmer but still reusable polyethylene (PE) bag five to 10 times.