Updated For 2020!
Find Designs You Love To Ensure You Reuse Them Again And Again.
My Top 18 Are At The End Of The Post!
Ah, the humble tote bag. The word tote means to haul or carry. A tote bag is a simple design and often marketed as an eco-alternative to the disposable plastic bag.
When I first started to read fashion and lifestyle magazines – a long time ago – writers would call out celebrities who had been photographed in the street with plastic shopping bags. Not because of any sustainable issue but because plastic bags weren’t the most glamorous to look at. Fast forward twenty years and the plastic bag is still being called out, this time for its destructive environmental behaviour.
Nowadays everybody and their dog owns a reusable bag. It is seen as the ethical alternative but how ethical is it really? A study into the environmental impacts of the lifecycle of grocery carrier bags was published last year by the Ministry of Environment and Food in Denmark. They found that cotton reusable bags would have to be used hundreds if not thousands of times to be comparable to the environmental damage caused by one plastic bag. A similar study in 2006 by the UK Environmental Agency found much the same thing.
These studies don’t take into account the plastic clogging up our seaways and damaging our countryside. Nor do they mention the wildlife that is obviously struggling with the amount of plastic waste they have to endure.
The easiest way to combat the overuse of tote bags is to simply refuse them. How many have you got in your home or car right now? I could collect ten without much hassle. Most given away for free, from shops or events with branding on them.
So instead of continually collecting new tote bags, why not use the ones we have already? Another option is to invest in a few good quality tote bags that you love and work for you. I have chosen eighteen different tote bags that are strong, durable and made to last.
Here is my top 18…
Baggu is the favourite for style when it comes to a reusable tote. I walked for miles in the rain with my husband to buy one from Brooklyn, New York. To be fair, we misjudged the walking distance! Baggu does this one style in a small and large and I love the patterns and colours they come in. They also fold down into a small square, perfect for popping in a handbag. I will be using this bag for years to come.
Susan Bijl designed a reusable that is along the lines of a generic plastic bag but so much better. The design is the same as the one pictured, but in any colour combo, you could imagine. The large size (they also come in a small and medium) is €29.90 and made from 100% Bluesign certified eco-friendly ripstop nylon with a waterbased coating. The fibre is incredibly strong but if you do incur any breakages, send the bag back to Susan Bijl, and they will repair it.
These are so pretty and could be made in any size or fabric depending on what you have lying around and how good you are with a sewing needle. The pattern is free, so all you would need are the sewing materials and fabric.
Francesca Middleton handcrafts her bags from recycled bouncy castle scraps that she collects in Liverpool, England. These plastic pieces would otherwise go to landfill. The bags are all one-off designs; this one is a homage to Tesco – the British supermarket! Each bag is washable, wipeable and very strong but if you do break it, Francesca will repair it within the first year.
The Organic Cotton Tote Bag
A durable cotton canvas tote that will stand the test of time from Organic Basics. I take this bag travelling with me as it is perfect for keeping clothes folded in my suitcase, but I can also use it as a bag when I’m out exploring. The muted colours look good with either summer or winter outfits. Made from GOTS certified organic cotton and priced at €7.00.
Where Does It Come From lovingly produced lots of denim pinafores for kids that unfortunately didn’t sell very well. So what did they do? Transformed the pinafores into tote bags! The fabric is created from locally grown cotton in Gujarat, hand-spun and woven at Udyog Bharti co-operative in Gondal and printed and tailored at women’s co-operative in Ahmedabad. Available in four designs and priced at £18.00.
This limited edition tote bag is not only made from recycled cotton, but its also screen printed with the cutest design.
I’m a big fan of linen as far as fabrics go. Check out these 18 winter linen dresses; I still can’t pick which one is my fave. Linen is eco-friendly, durable but also looks great. Especially this beautiful orange colour, although they do come in different colours too.
These string bags use less fabric than conventional totes which means they use fewer resources to produce and transport. Plus they look very chic! The bag is made ethically in India and is priced at £4.95.
Oxfam not only have a great online shop for secondhand clothes, but they also sell these Fashion Fighting Poverty organic cotton tote bags. It launched in conjunction with Oxfam’s London Fashion Week Show.
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About Me
The Green Edition is a journey to help slow down and appreciate the smaller things in life. With tips for shopping more consciously and simplifying your life.
About Me
The Green Edition is a journey to help slow down and appreciate the smaller things in life. With tips for shopping more consciously and simplifying your life.