Tote Bags- Is It Better Than Plastic Bags?

The tote is usually made of sturdy cloth with thick leather at its handles or bottom. The leathered versions often have a pebbled surface. Common fabrics include heavy canvas possibly dyed, or treated to resist moisture and mold. Jute is another traditional material is often used for this purpose. In recent decades, heavy nylon and other easy-care synthetics have become more common, although there is a chance that these may degrade with prolonged sun-exposure. Many of the inexpensive or free totes are usually made from recycled matter or from minimally-processed natural fibers. They may also be manufactured from byproducts of processes that refine organic materials.

The tote bag craze in the United States began in the 1940s. It started with the release of L.L. Bean's Boat Bag in 1944. Most people opted for using tote bags, because they were easier than carrying luggage. It was during the 1950s, that tote bags began to enter into the main culture. Women mainly utilized them as practical handheld bags because they didn't require much care. It was in the 1960s when the tote bag embraced personal style. Bonnie Cashin started her own line of tote bags called Cashin Carry Tote Bags which was a combination of style and functionality. In the 1990s, Kate Spade completely transformed the way American culture embraced tote bags- she began carrying them as fashion bags. Nowadays, fashion lovers and consumers can find tote bags in a variety of decorations and themes.

In time these tote bags have grown in stature and ubiquity. Their abundance has encouraged consumers to see them as a disposable item that they don't need to reuse. It defeats their very purpose. Not only do many stores offer inexpensive or even free tote bags at the register, they've also become a common marketing tool stamped with logos and used by nonprofits and businesses as promotional gifts.Recently, tote bags have been sold as a more eco-friendly replacement for disposable plastic bags given how they can be reused multiples times over. However, a study by the UK Environment Agency found that cotton canvas bags have to be reused at least 327 times before they can match the carbon expenditure of a single disposable plastic bag. Meanwhile, tote bags made from recycled polypropylene plastic require 26 reuses to match.

This can be seen by a 2014 study which found that owners of reusable bags forget them on approximately 40% of their grocery trips and use them only about 15 times each before being discarded. Moreover, about half of respondents typically chose to use plastic bags over reusable ones, despite owning reusable bags and recognizing their benefits. Due to its environmental benefits & reusability, bags made of products such as jute, cotton & canvas should be utilised.