Cotton tote bags have been reported to cause more harm to the environment! According to the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark, cottons bags have to be used 7100 times to offset plastic bags if all environmental indicators such as climate change, ozone depletion, toxicity, eutrophication and resource depletion, were considered. In practical aspects, it is nearly impossible for typical consumers to fulfil the minimum usage of 7100 for a cotton tote bag. Cotton falls short mainly due to the its ozone depletion impact, which is far worse than using plastic grocery bags. Cotton crops require large quantities of water, land as well as fertiliser, creating large environmental footprint. In fact, organic cotton has proven to be even less sustainable, as they are often low yield, thus requiring more resources to produce.
The report by Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark has proven that best alternatives are reusable/recycled plastic bags made from woven Polypropylene (PP) or nylon.
Asian people are the biggest recyclers of plastic bags. So when you see a turtle choking, don’t look at us. All of our plastic bags are in the cabinet under the sink. 😂💁🏾♂️
— Indian Stats v2 (@Indian_stats) October 29, 2018
In the tweet above, it simply shows how we can prevent environmental damage with simple acts and behaviours. Reusing of plastic bags are highly encouraged as well as proper disposal of waste. However, it still does make sense to use cotton tote bags if we have them lying around the house, which would prevent additional plastic bags from being used/produced, reducing overall single-use disposable waste. If you’re thinking of procure tote bags for a company giveaway, or for school welfare packs, do think twice, as i believe that our homes already have plenty of tote bags lying around, so it may be wiser to just stick with plastic bags. With all the fuss and debates about the best alternative, i strongly believe that reduction is still the best way to fight climate change and resource depletion, don’t take what you don’t need!