Not all "reusable bags" are equal!
Just read an article in the San Luis Obispo Tribune discussing the dangers of plastic bags. (which most of us have known for 15-20 years now! ) The article said that "The paper-or-plastic alternative often comes in the form of a washable, handled tote and has a life span upward of two years in some forms..." Yikes! NOT GOOD!
We have been providing reusable shoppping bags and produce bags (cotton, cotton-hemp & organic cotton) since 1989 and get calls all the time that people have had our bags for 15 years or more! If we all choose "cheap" bags, they will also end up in the landfill!Â
Some bags that are being offered now (as cheap bags) made from recycled plastic bottles are bad for the environment at each of the manufacturing steps:Â the petroleum based making of the plastic, then the making of the plastic into a plastic fabric and finally the bags ending up in a landfill...And, the manufacture of nylon is not much better for the environment...
Organic cotton is expensive, hemp is not grown in the US & is hard to get consistently, but whatever "solutions" we choose: they should be the best practice!
All this attention about what is good for the planet is welcomed, but we, as a committed environmental company, fear choosing alternative plans that are being "pushed" by the oil/plastics industries... plastic is not VIABLE as it costs too much to recycle and paper is a non-renewable resource.. We all need our trees to be living, breathing & providing oxygen for us all!
Thanks,
Marcelle
SteppingStones (EcoSac Shopping Bag System)
www.bags4you.com
(800) 926-1017Â