What's the best material for your reusable bag?

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August 22, 2019 4 min read 33 Comments

While it’s true that manufacturing and shipping reusable bags have an impact on the environment, any reusable bag is more environmentally friendly than the alternative: single-use plastic bags. High-quality bags are generally better for the environment in more ways than one.

So, how do you pick the best reusable bag for your needs? Read about your material options in this guide to help with your decision. You may also want to look at how to wash reusable bags as well. Sometimes, the best reusable grocery bags are those that you don’t have to spend extra time cleaning!

COTTON bags come in many variations. Organic cotton is grown without pesticides and is typically certified using global standards. Recycled cotton consists of reclaimed organic and traditional cotton scrap (that would typically end up in a landfill), which is reclaimed or spun into new yarn. Traditional Cotton production involves a raw, natural fiber, but requires more chemicals than any other crop. Cotton is often regarded as the material which yields the best reusable grocery bags because of its many advantages:

Advantages

Biodegradable/Natural plant fiber
Renewable resource
Strong and durable
Soft, smooth and pleasant to the touch
Widely available in the USA and abroad
Can be machine washed, with like colors, in cold water. We recommend air drying to reduce shrinkage and to preserve the longevity of any printing.

Disadvantages

Not moisture resistant unless chemically treated
High water consumption crop
Traditional (non-organic) cotton accounts for 16% of the world’s pesticides
Heavy, bulky and expensive to ship
As with anything made from 100% cotton, bags can shrink and wrinkle with machine washing (to limit this, wash in cold water and air dry).

HEMP grows well without pesticides or fertilizers and is drought tolerant. Each acre yields three to six tons of dry fiber. Hemp fibers are one of Earth’s longest, strongest and most durable fibers and are several times stronger than cotton.

Advantages

Extremely strong, durable, and rot resistant
Can grow in poor soils with little water
Refined hemp is soft, smooth and pleasant to touch
Most hemp reusable bags can be machine washed and dried
Hemp gets stronger over time and ‘breaks in’ nicely when used frequently
Hemp can be blended with other materials to make highly desirable, high end fabrics with texture similar to linen (hemp is typically blended with cotton or recycled PET)

Disadvantages

Currently cannot be produced in US (hemp products in the western world are imported)
Can be expensive
Can be grainy, though most is refined. Refined hemp uses a fair amount of water

JUTE is a natural plant fiber, often referred to as hessian or burlap.

Advantages

Natural renewable resource
Jute is biodegradable and compostable
Cultivated
Durable
Grows in high rainfall areas and require little to no pesticides or irrigation
Can be blended with other fabrics (like nonwoven polypropylene)

Disadvantages

Not very resistant to moisture unless chemically treated or laminated
Grainy texture
Printing limited to thick lines and bold objects (no fine details)

POLYPROPYLENE is a form of plastic—a flexible resin polymer. Nonwoven polypropylene bags are regarded as the best reusable grocery bags by some, due to their low cost and relative durability. The primary market measurement for nonwoven polypropylene bags is GSM (grams per square meter). GSM measures the weight and density of the material. The higher the GSM, the stronger the material. The fabric density is directly correlated to the quality and durability of the bag. GSM is indicated on almost all of our nonwoven polypropylene reusable bags. If it is not specified, please contact us for more information. Polypropylene can also be woven, though it’s not as common a material. We offer several woven polypropylene bags, though most are produced overseas at large quantities only.

Advantages

Recyclable #5
Very strong
Can be made from recycled materials
Chemical resistant
May be woven, making it less porous and easier to wipe clean
Wide variety of material color options

Disadvantages

Type of plastic
Not biodegradable or compostable
Product of the petrochemical industry
Non-renewable resource
Not readily available in the USA
Not recommended for machine washing (hand wash or spray clean only)
Texture of the bag and thickness of inks used require fairly thick lines and larger font sizes

NYLON is a type of synthetic polymer originally made to replace silk in fabrics.

Advantages

Nylon is strong and durable
Lightweight material
Compacts easily – can be folded, stuffed in a pouch, and carried in a pocket, pocketbook, backpack or car cup holder
Easily dyed which creates interesting material color options
Water-resistant

Disadvantages

A petroleum-based product
Slow to break down
Heavy use can cause screenprinting inks to break down

POLYESTER is a polymer typically made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the same material found in drink bottles. Polyester can be recycled through reheating, thereby converting back into polymer fibers for further reuse.

Advantages

Versatile material
Polyester is resistant to water and mold-mildew
Resistant to crinkling
Compacts easily – can be folded, stuffed in a pouch, and carried in a pocket, pocketbook, backpack or car cup holder

Disadvantages

A form of plastic
Slow to break down
Heavy use can cause screenprinting inks to break down

RECYCLED PET is a durable, eco-friendly fabric made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles and containers. Using recycled PET reduces waste and conserves oil and non-renewable resources. Reusable bags made from recycled PET create a market for post-consumer recycled materials. Some of our best-selling reusable bags are the ones that are made from recycled materials!

Advantages

Strong and durable
Requires 2/3 less energy to manufacture products made out of PET
Can be blended with other fabric, like hemp or polyester, to make a nice material for reusable bags

Disadvantages

A form of plastic
The process of transporting, sorting and recycling post-consumer waste expends energy and can create pollution (Remember: reduce, reuse, recycle — in that order)
Not recommended for machine washing (handwash only)

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