Reusable Shopping Bags

Wall Street Journal has a good article about the reusable shopping bag. It tells us to consider the sources of these bags as many are made from China, the type of material the bag is made with, and the quantity of them you keep.

“Finding a truly green bag is challenging. Plastic totes may be more eco-friendly to manufacture than ones made from cotton or canvas, which can require large amounts of water and energy to produce and may contain harsh chemical dyes. Paper bags, meanwhile, require the destruction of millions of trees and are made in factories that contribute to air and water pollution.

Many of the cheap, reusable bags that retailers favor are produced in Chinese factories and made from nonwoven polypropylene, a form of plastic that requires about 28 times as much energy to produce as the plastic used in standard disposable bags and eight times as much as a paper sack, according to Mr. Sterling, of Natural Capitalism Solutions.”

The takeaways:

1) Look for bags with recycled content, like those from Walmart, Staples, and Target. Best seem to be Walmart’s $1bag has 85% recycled content, the cheaper one has less.

2) Use the bag! Carry it in your car, leave it in your front seat, or by the front door.

Make sure the bag is sturdy and that you will actually use it.

Related posts:

1. EcoSac GardenSac Reusable Produce Bags
2. Recycling Plastic Bags
3. Eco Friendly Dog Waste Bags
4. Eco Friendly Green Gift Wrap
5. act2 GreenSmart Eco friendly Green Bags

Posted on September 27th, 2008
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