NOT ALL REUSABLE SHOPPING BAGS ARE CREATED EQUAL
WHY WE USE COTTON SHOPPING BAGS AT PUBLIC MYTH:
Adopting a plastic-free lifestyle is confusing… we get it. It doesn’t take much Googling to discover conflicting information and opinions about various re-usable shopping bag options. Is it better to buy synthetic reusable shopping bags that have been created out of recycled plastics and other synthetic fibers? Is it better to choose natural plant-based fibers like hemp or cotton as in cotton shopping bags? It’s not a black or white argument, but here at Public myth we prefer to look to the heart of the situation and the desired LONG-TERM outcome of our plastic-free commitments. We refuse to stop asking this deal-breaking question…
” WILL THE REUSABLE BAG DECOMPOSE INTO SOIL IN REASONABLE TIME, OR WILL IT NEVER DECOMPOSE, ONLY TO POLLUTE LANDFILLS & OCEANS LIKE SINGLE-USE BAGS? “
BEWARE: PLASTIC BAGS DISGUISED AS COTTON BAGS
For us it was a quick, no-brainer decision to choose durable, 100% cotton retail bags for our local showroom shoppers. We aren’t satisfied with plastic-coated cloth retail bags used by athleisure retail giants. Likewise, we aren’t satisfied with misleading cloth bags that feel cottony in texture but are actually polyester fibers in disguise. Not only are our shopping bags biodegradable, (like our new Organic Cotton Collection,). They are a sturdy, quality-woven canvas design that can be used for your university books, heavy household items, and small grocery shops. They are washable and ready to withstand thousands of uses (our staff use them daily as lunch bags!)
BEWARE: MISLEADING REPORTS ON REUSABLE BAGS
Recently, environmentalists and the media have been shining a light on production of cloth bags vs. plastic. Comparing carbon footprint, life cycles and reusability of various bags. While we agree that all sustainability factors are important to consider when making plastic-free consumer swaps, we still refuse to skip over biodegradability. It’s not helpful to pretend that single-use plastic bags can be reused hundreds of times. It’s also not helpful to pretend that a quality cotton bag can’t be used thousands of times. Yes it takes less energy to produce a single-use plastic bag compared to a heavy canvas natural fiber bag. But, we can use this new information to help us do better. We can do our part to ensure we maximize the usage of our reusable bags — let’s all wash, care for, mend, preserve and re-purpose our reusable cloth bags as if our planet’s life depends on it.
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