Are Reusable Totes Actually More Sustainable?

When you were growing up, your home may have had a cabinet filled with plastic bags waiting to be reused. Nowadays, many folks have replaced them with reusable grocery bags and totes.

‍

Most municipal recyclers don’t accept plastic films for recycling because they can damage recycling equipment and contaminate bales. This has led to many single-use plastic bans, making reusable grocery bags and totes popular alternatives.

‍

Whether we purchase items from brands, retailers, or supermarkets, we often come home with a bunch of reusable totes. Choosing to use these totes instead of single-use plastic bags may seem like a more sustainable option. But is it really?

‍

Are reusable totes a more sustainable option?

‍

In 2018, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on cotton tote bags.

‍

The study determined that, compared to a single-use plastic bag from a supermarket, which is reused once as a trash bag and then incinerated, a cotton bag needs to be used at least 7,100 times to offset its environmental impact.

‍

For an organic cotton tote bag, the LCA indicated that it needs to be used 20,000 times to offset its overall production impact, requiring daily use for 54 years! This calculation takes into account the resources required to grow and dispose of cotton.

‍

Cotton, being a water-intensive crop, consumes approximately 10,000 liters (2,642 gallons) of water to produce 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of cotton.

‍

At the end of their lives, cotton bags cannot be thrown away in a compost bin but must be deposited in a municipal compost facility that accepts recycling. If they end up in these facilities, printed logos, often PVC-based and non-recyclable, must be cut and removed.

‍

Even recycling these bags is as energy-intensive as producing new ones.

‍

Which is the best alternative for a single-use plastic bag?

‍

Our best advice is to use the bags you have as much as you can and avoid getting new reusable totes unless you absolutely need them. 

‍

There will be times when you need to buy something and have forgotten to bring your reusable bags. The best option is to go without a bag if you can. If you need a bag, choose a paper bag and reuse it as much as possible before recycling. Most cities will accept paper bags for recycling. If paper isn’t an option, choose a plastic bag and reuse it multiple times before recycling it, ideally at a grocery store dropoff that accepts plastic film. 

‍

To remind yourself to carry reusable bags everywhere, keep a few near your front door. You can also keep a few in your backpack, purse, or car.

‍

If you have an excess of reusable bags, you can mail them to ChicoBag for reuse through its Pay It Forward Program.