A lot has been written about the environmental aspects of reusable bags. While sustainability is an important factor when plastic is clogging our oceans and land-fills, there are other key factors to consider, as we move towards a recyclable bag option.
Well, there is a wide assortment of styles, designs, sizes, prints, colors, looks, features etc., but herein, we will focus on the materials used in making the reusable bags.
Material types are quite a few with different levels of ecological and economical benefit. The common underpinning is that reusable shopping or tote bags come with both function and design, are great in terms of affordability and availability.
What is reusability?
In plain and simple terms, a reusable bag is something that we can use many times, not just once or twice or even a few times. In addition to how many times the bag can be used, or reusability, what is of utmost significance is the aftermath of usage (disposability).
When it comes to eco-friendliness, it is imperative to consider the environmental and societal impact of not just bags, but any product. Hence, both usability and disposability are major considerations in assessing what type of reusable bag material is better. The confusion surrounding what exactly constitutes a reusable bag is waning as we are starting to understand, adopt and use them.
Why is reusability key? Why does usability matter so much? Almost everyone needs bags – a sort-of must-have thing. Imagine life with no bags. Households need bags. Businesses need bags. Service organizations need bags. Everyone does. And not just a single bag, but multiples of them.
Given the grim statistics of single use plastics use, and non-biodegradable products, reusable or green bags is a common-sense option. Whichever side of the spectrum you are on, there is undeniable evidence that single use products accelerate our environmental degradation, which we have no choice but address and contain. While any recyclable products are better than single use ones, naturally biodegradable ones are the best, as eventually, multi-use bags also need to be disposed.
On analyzing the type of materials used in making reusable bags, we find that the most common materials for reusable bags are natural fibers – cotton, jute, hemp, paper, recyclable form of plastic like non-woven polypropylene (NWPP), synthetic polymers like nylon and PET-based polyester. PET stands for Polyethylene Terepthalate, the same kind of material that plastic bottles are made of. We are also seeing an increased use of recycled PET materials, derived from recycled bottles and containers.
Let’s delve into each kind of material. What is important to understand here is that each one of these is reusable, but is not on the same scale of eco-friendliness.
COTTON:
Cotton is the most, number one, used vegetable fiber. Canvas material that is often used for bags are made of cotton.
Pluses:
- Natural, biodegradable
- Renewable and sustainable
- Durable
- Good texture
- Easy to clean
- Best printable surface
- Versatile, varied utilities
Minuses:
- Has relatively higher carbon footprint among the natural fibers
- Needs lot of water, pesticides and effort to grow
- Have to limit washes to increase usability
- More expensive than other eco-friendly choices
Bottomline: good usability, moderate in terms of eco-friendliness
JUTE (also known as hessian or burlap):
Jute is a natural, vegetable plant fiber like cotton, also very frequently used all over the world. It is known as Golden Fiber due to its versatility and strength. More information about jute products can be found here.
Pluses:
- Highly renewable
- 100% biodegradable, 100% sustainable, most optimal in terms of environmental-friendliness
- Durable and strong
- Organic, needs no pesticides to grow, and is completely rain-fed
- Can be easily blended with other eco-fibers like cotton, hemp
- Very affordable
- Flexible styles, varied utilities
- One of the most natural, earthy products
Minuses:
- Grainy texture, but can be blended with cotton to make it smoother
- Best way to clean: wipe it clean with a light detergent. Or handwash in cold water and air dry.
Bottomline: Jute is truly eco-friendly, ranks very high on sustainability, environmental benefits and a great zero-waste choice.
HEMP
Hemp is a natural fiber, very strong with long fibers.
Pluses:
- Drought tolerant, can be grown with moderate amount of pesticides unlike cotton
- Extremely strong
- Very durable
- Can be easily blended to obtain a smooth texture
- Biodegradable, sustainable and renewable
Minuses:
- Expensive
- Takes considerable amount of water to grow
- Texture needs to be refined to make it friendly to print
Bottomline: Owing to its tensility, strength, hemp is good in terms of usability and eco-friendliness.
PAPER
Let’s not forget paper. Still a lot of reusable bags are being made from paper. Paper comes from trees.
Pluses:
- Trees are renewable, hence paper is considered renewable
- To some extent sustainable
- Common and easily available
- Inexpensive
- Recyclable
Minuses:
- Paper bags tear, not strong and durable
- A lot of trees need to be planted so that we do not lose forest cover
- Very restrictive usage
- Higher carbon footprint in the process of making paper
- Not popular for personalizations
Bottomline: paper bags usage-wise not very versatile, not durable, and not very highly ranked in terms of carbon footprint.
Next, let’s look at polymer-based, plastic and plastic-derived materials.
NON WOVEN POLYPROPYLENE (NWPP)
NWPP is a kind of plastic, of the high density type.
Pluses:
- Recyclable #5 which means, you cannot put it in your home recyclable bin but return it to your nearest recyclable center
- Strong
- Can be made from recycled materials, not just virgin plastic
- Although not frequently done, but can be woven
- Printable, including matte/gloss finishes
- Very affordable
- Flexible styles, varied utilities
Minuses:
- Still a plastic, not biodegradable or compostable
- Not renewable
- Best way to clean: just wipe it with a spray cleaner
Bottomline, although recyclable, consumers still have to dispose it responsibly as stipulated by #5.
NYLON
Nylon is a synthetic material made of polymers.
Pluses:
- Smooth texture
- Strong and very durable
- Lightweight and compact
- Varied utilities, styles, colors
Minuses:
- Derived from non-renewable sources like petroleum
- Not sustainable
- High carbon footprint, does not break down
Bottomline: not ranked high in terms of eco-friendliness, but good reusability.
POLYESTER
Polyester is a synthetic material made of polymers like that of plastic bottles.
Pluses:
- Versatile
- Easy to clean
- Lightweight and compact
- Varied utility, styles
Minuses:
- Derived from non-renewable petroleum, not sustainable
- Not renewable
- Very high carbon footprint
- Still a plastic, does not break down. There are treatment plants that deconstruct the polymers for reuse.
Bottomline: good usability, but cumbersome disposability.
RECYCLED PET
This is post-recycled plastic, made from recycled bottles and cans. Good for reducing some of the enormous plastic already out there.
Pluses:
- Strong
- Can be blended with cotton, polyester, hemp, jute etc. to create a better bag
- Versatile, varied utilities
- Lightweight, compact
Minuses:
- Still a plastic
- Very high carbon imprint, recycling is an expensive, laborious process
- Best way to clean: hand wipe it.
Bottomline: moderate usability, not very earth-friendly
In conclusion, in the transition towards more reusable bags, each one of us can make a big difference.
Green (Reusability and biodegradability) + Quality + Affordability + Availability = Winning option.
About Madi Décor
Madi Décor is a USA based exclusive wholesaler of jute, and also of cotton, NWPP reusable bags. Its’ eco-friendly, reusable products – bags, totes, wine bags, bottle bags, pet accessory bags, event products, and packaging material – come with great styles, functions, designs, prints. Madi Decor offers plain and also personalized products at best wholesale prices in the USA.
For inquiries contact Madi Décor at www.madidecor.com or email at info@madidecor.com