So about those cotton tote bags. Own one? Many of you do — cuz I gave ‘em to ya! Tell me this: Is your cotton tote bag 1) organic and 2) made in the US?
Because according newest companies selling tote bags made in the US, getting organic cotton isn’t cheap. Want both US-made AND organic? Then get ready to pay $40+, they say. Want a bag for under $20? Then you gotta pick between US-made OR organic, not both, according to them.
The bag companies I’ve been hearing from, however, are making more design-and-longetivity oriented stylish bags, not just the basic tote.
Take Savior Bags (meaning “save your bags”; above left), for example. This company makes what they call the “most durable natural product” possible — a roomy cotton tote (with what feel like synthetic handles and metal rings) designed to hold its bucket shape without collapsing. Cost: $19.95. According to the owners, an organic version would cost $45 — a price point they don’t think the US market will bear.
Pretty Green (right) says the same thing. This local, Sherman Oaks-based husband-and-wife team company created cute, durable bags with water resistant lining and cushioned handles, made locally and fairly right in L.A. Cost $15, with 1% of sales going to Water Partners International. The owners say that an organic cotton version would cost $40 a bag — but still plan to have an organic bag out by this summer.
Mind you — we’re not even talking about US grown and milled cotton. We’re simply talking about US sewn / assembled. Pretty Green says its lining is made with US-grown cotton, but doesn’t think its outside fabric is. I’m not certain of the details of Savior Bags’ cotton, but my guess is that the stuff wasn’t grown and milled in the US.
I want to point out, though, that you CAN get a no frills, organic cotton tote made in the US for just $9.99 at Amoeba Music. It’s a nice, sturdy bag, though perhaps a bit plain jane. Part of the reason why the bags I’m talking ’bout here are more expensive is because Savior Bags are designed for maximum durability, while Pretty Green bags are more stylish than the regular grocery tote.
Still, I wonder why these tote bag companies think $20’s the max the US market can handle for stylish totes, when American Apparel’s selling conventional cotton tote bags at $34 a pop.
I’m not saying any of these companies are “bad” or are greenwashing. I’m just trying to sort out some of these ideas. Let’s keep in mind that Anya Hindmarch’s “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” totes — which were neither organic nor fair trade — sold like hotcakes at $10 a pop.
And it’s not as if non-US-made, non-organic totes are much cheaper. Take EarthTotes (right), for example. Started by two SoCal moms, this company’s totes are made with conventional cotton AND made in China — albeit by a company that is part of the International Labor Organization. Cost for “The Jumbo Tote” that’s about the same size as, but not as sturdy as, the Savior Bags: $14.
Lots of eco-initiatives and orgs still have no qualms just buying the cheapest tote bags possible for distribution (especially if it’s for free distribution). Most of the free totes given away at L.A.-area eco-events are synthetic, petroleum based crap. Even the City of L.A.’s Zero Waste Plan people opted for conventional cotton bags made in China.
And of course, I get lots more tote bag emails from companies touting their new “eco-friendly” tote bags. I’ll ask how their bags are eco, and they’ll reply they’re eco cuz they’re reusable. Nevermind the pound of chemical pesticides that goes into growing the cotton for every conventional cotton tote bag and the many labor and trade issues that arise both from taking advantage of cheap international labor to NOT supporting our more local economies. Those concerns are not so important, they say. At least we’re moving in the right direction. We’re reusable and that means we’re eco, they say.
Some will go so far as to say that to get Americans to reuse, we need to make reusable bags as cheaply as possible (I often get the same argument from reusable cotton napkin makers). It’s the typical the ends justifies the means argument.
Is a tote made with US-grown organic cotton that’s milled in the US, sewn by local US workers and printed locally wit non-toxic, eco-friendly dyes delivered to me by bicycle too much to ask for? :P
So here’s a survey for you. Assuming you MUST buy a tote bag, which bag are you most likely to buy — taking style, cost, materials and place of production into consideration?
Lastly, I also want to point out that your organic cotton bag NOT made in the US could still very well be ethically made. Some of you may have organic cotton totes made under fair labor conditions — probably in in India, Pakistan, China, or another country where employing people under fair labor conditions is still cheaper than paying US minimum wage…..
[crossposted on BlogHer]
May 12th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Don’t forget about Happy Monkey Planet bags. Made in the USA and organic. Pretty basic totes but really cute! And a portion of the profits go to charity.
http://happymonkeyplanet.com/
May 12th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
The black bag the City gave out for Zero Waste on Earth Day (on Wilshire) was made in U.S. by EnviroTote from 100% recycled plastic containers.
http://www.enviro-tote.com/
May 12th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I’m totally guilty of owning not one, but two Anya Hindmarch “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” totes… yes I know they are neither fair trade, nor organic but they do make a statement and I get stopped every time I use them. I also have a number of organic/US made/sweatshop free/fair trade bags as well.
My personal favorite is actually my Luna Mom’s Club bag, organic cotton and made in the good old US of A!
May 12th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
I would selfishly encourage you to buy a ReJAVAnate bag - made from recycled burlap from coffee roasters, hand made in the US by individuals with developmental disabilities.
May 13th, 2008 at 4:31 am
There are other natural fibers that seem to be less harmful then conventional cotton, like hemp or jute, that make really sturdy market totes :)
I use my hemp shopper everywhere I go, but i guess it’s not super stylish…but people still compliment it. Maybe one crunchy bag with an entirely stylish outfit still comes out looking hot!
May 13th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
I have two of the cheapie bags (the ones which look like paper bags and go for about .99 cents) which were given to me at various events. One of them is recycled - the one from Wal-Mart (WTF?). The other is not.
I’ve given the rest of my reusable totes away in one way or another, and I’m sure those will be given away soon as well. The truth is, I don’t use them. What I do use is the ChicoBag which someone gave me.
I love it, and I wish it were made out of more sustainable materials (oh, and that it had larger handles, because these handles are seriously lacking).
IMHO, the big problem with BYOB is convenience. If the bag is small, and in your purse, you don’t forget it. If it’s larger, then it sits in your pantry, the trunk of your car, etc…everywhere but actually being with you when you go shopping. (and by “you” I mean the average forgetful person… even with a ChicoBag, I’ve found myself carrying a handful of items from an unexpected shopping trip. It was much worse with canvas bags)
I’ve also been told to leave larger bags with the store manager on duty (loss prevention at its finest), since they don’t allow large bags in the store…which can be a hassle at best. Thus the small bag solves my problem, and the baggers can hang it on the plastic bag bars (difficult to do with canvas bags), so it is easier for them as well.
May 13th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
okay,i may be not flowing cash wise as much as i was a year ago but even then i acquired cute bags for free or near free at thrift stores and the like. there’s a gazillion canvas bags already in existence but then again, i walk into any kind of store be it barney’s or target and i just don’t get the whole totem bag thing anyway, not that that’s exactly what’s being said here. but as far as being earth friendly the best thing to do imho is to make like dung beetles and pat down the earth as much as we can in cityscapes as well as those of us lucky to be in the sticks (except of course that one - i - had to finally break down and buy a car. hope that’s temporary). that’s the image i have for myself anyway, tamping. it helps i think create a new aesthetic - one where lawns are brown, wrinkles are interesting and there are heated sidewalks for wintertime biking/perambulating. sorry if i’m too off topic! my last thing on canvas bags is: my favorite one got ripped - it has such a generic as to border on invisible insignia from a laser eye convention (and it’s been interesting to see who else has ‘my bag’ as there were a handful for 50 cents at one local thrift - mostly old dudes) - it got ripped when a bagger was bagging it and now it fits my twice weekly purchases perfectly. the milk or such container fits in the rip slot and hasn’t ripped further. ha ha!
May 13th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I make reusable bag from Recycled material. I use old T-shirts to make fun bags. Mine are sweat shop free, and better than organic.
It’s easy to make one, just lay a plastic bag on top of a shirt pin it, cut the fabric, and sew it. make sure you sew the bottom a lot so the bag doesn’t wear out fast.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:22 am
Savior Bags are made from cotton that is milled and finished in America. While the cotton used to produce the fabric we use for our bags may be grown in America, we cannot in good conscience make this claim. American mills will not state unequivocally that its fabrics are made of 100% U.S. grown cotton because shipments are received from a number of sources and combined once it reaches the mill. Investing in a quality bag that will provide years of trips to the market is a priority for a growing number of people. However, the sad fact is that the majority of shoppers in this country are not ready to spend more than a couple of dollars on a cheap petroleum-based bag that after a few uses will end up in the trash. Yes, there are those who will spend $40+ on a reusable bag but for most Americans, the threshold is much, much lower.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Hello. We are thrilled that you are helping push totes to replace paper and plastic bags - and we, at EARTH TOTES, are doing the same, but to correct your article, only one of our bags are made in China (which is not the one that you have photographed) and that company is up to code. And our totes are not cotton, but cotton canvas which makes them very sturdy - our bags hold over 60 pounds. Our smallest bag, the Favorite Tote hold up to three plastic bags worth of groceries.
I don’t know what the dimensions of the opposing bag you compared ours to, but the Jumbo Tote is the size of a large beach bag (16.5″ x 20.5″ x 5.5″) and comes with an inside zipper and velcro closes. We have price compared and bags this size have been priced between $35 & $60 and we only sell ours for $14.00.
BUT the over all message that we are trying to send is beyond the where and what the bags are made of - it’s about the fact that it takes over 300 years for one plastic bag to degrade, that we chop down 14 million trees a year just to make paper grocer bags! And that our sea life is disappearing because they are eating the floating plastic bags which to them look like food.
Our company is not trying to just sell our totes, we customize our bags so that schools can use them as Fundraisers and environmentally friendly companies and business can Advertise while encouraging their staff and customers to be green. And by the way, all of our bags come with FREE environmental facts printed on the back so that we can continue to educate people about what we are doing to our planet. (We also are working with Conservation International and Discovery Planet). All of our information is available on our site, www.earthtotes.org
May 14th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Katrina — You may want to have a chat with your publicist Shannon then. I specifically asked where the bags were made, and this was her response: “The totes are manufactured in China, by a company that is part of the International Labor Organization (ILO).”
And cotton canvas is a canvas made from cotton. That means cotton canvas is cotton.
I think ALL the reusable bags — not just yours — are trying to send the message that disposable bags are a bad idea. EarthTotes is not at all unique in that aspect. What I’m trying to do with this post is look at issues beyond that message to get at some of the ends vs. means arguments.