Bamboo and Organic Cotton Tote Bags

Using bamboo and organic cotton tote bags as an alternative to plastic shopping bags is a sustainable way to approach the problem of plastic bags in the environment. According to the Boston Globe, American consumers use over 380 billion plastic bags every year. These bags take centuries to biodegrade and either sit in landfills across the country, or kill animals and birds that mistake them for food.

Living a greener lifestyle doesn't have to be painful. Just substituting sustainable materials for the convenience of plastic shopping bags can be a safe and easy way to contribute to a cleaner environment and teach your children that everyone can make a difference.

It's been estimated that using a tote bag you bring from home instead of plastic grocery or shopping bags will eliminate the need for about 1,000 plastic bags over the life of the tote. Selecting an organic material for your tote will make it environmentally friendly too.

Organic cotton grown in the U.S. is cultivated to meet United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines designed to protect the soil, air, and water and produce cotton that is pesticide free. Cotton is by far the most popular organic fiber on the market today.

Using conventional methods, it takes over five ounces of pesticides to make enough cotton fiber to weave enough fabric for a tee shirt. Globally, 10 percent of the pesticides used in farming are used to treat cotton crops. Even more startling, most of those pesticides are ineffective in treating the plant itself and are released into the environment. What's left is absorbed into the plant and eventually becomes part of your non-organically produced cotton shirt, blanket, or tote.

Organic cotton, on the other hand, is safe to grow and use. It's strong, wicks moisture well, is relatively soft to the touch, and looks good either dyed or natural.

Bamboo is a 100 percent biodegradable natural fiber. It is also naturally pest resistant and grows very quickly, so cultivating it has a low environmental impact. Bamboo is very seldom replanted. Once established, it continues to grow and re-establish itself from a complex root structure. Bamboo fabric is:

• Soft
• Lightweight
• Hypoallergenic
• Strong
• Dries fast
• Wicks moisture well
• Is odor resistant
• Discourages mold

Bamboo fabric is naturally tan in color, but will take and hold dye well. This makes it a good choice for a wide selection of bags from the latest vivid striped or printed styles, to plain, paint your own varieties that you can turn into home craft projects.

The production of silky rayon bamboo fabrics used in high-end clothing and home decor items relies on caustic chemical compounds as part of the manufacturing process. Bamboo fibers created by hydrolysis alkalization using multi-phase bleaching are not environmentally friendly. There are still advantages to choosing bamboo for your next tote as long as you check the labels to verify that the bamboo fabric you're buying was created using environmentally safe practices.

Another option is to choose blended bamboo totes that are part bamboo and part organic linen, hemp, or cotton.

Bamboo and organic cotton tote bags and other natural fiber products may have a higher price tag than non-organic options. Typically you can expect to pay 20 percent more for organic, although prices are coming down as demand grows. Your organic tote may also need special care. Before you launder or treat it with a soil resistant spray, be sure to check the label for care instructions. Don't assume that your tote has been pre-shrunk and will withstand washing in hot water. Some organic totes may even require dry cleaning, so check the label before you buy.

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