3 Eco-Friendly Bag Options to Replace Plastic

It’s no secret that plastic bags are pretty destructive, and as more people look to make their lives a little more “green”, the demand for alternatives is increasing to incredible levels.

However, actually choosing green alternatives can be difficult. Many companies claim to be “green”, but then they still utilize plastic or other materials sourced in an unsustainable way.

Today, we’re going to tackle bags, and we’re going to give you an eco-friendly alternative to three different types of bags you use every day.

Let’s get started.

Grocery Bag Alternative

This is one of the best ways to make a difference as far as your bag usage goes. Grocery bags are one of those items people look at as disposable. So, they get used once for a brief trip back from the store, and then they get tossed in the trash. That’s wasteful as-is because those bags can be used for other things, but with plastic bags, it’s a lot worse; they simply don’t degrade, and they clog up landfills, natural areas, and aquatic habitats.

The best alternative to this is a modern paper bag.

Don’t worry. These aren’t the unsustainable bags that caused a lot of deforestation in the 20^th century. These are all new paper bags made from invasive seaweed species, and they have a tremendous positive impact on the environment.

Day Bag Alternative

Day bags are necessities for much of the population. Unfortunately, most of them are made from faux leather (plastic fabric), unsustainably sourced animal products, and other things that cause a great environmental impact.

It can be hard to find a genuinely green alternative to these bags if you just shop at a local big-box store.

Luckily, there’s a great solution that many online sellers are providing at extremely affordable prices, and you can even get them printed with custom designs. We’re talking about canvas bags.

Now, for this to be a truly green alternative, you need to go for a sustainably sourced 100% canvas product. Some of the cheaper bags on big box shelves are canvas bags, but they’re not made with green practices in mind, often contain polymers, and sometimes, they’re made from resources that are unethically farmed.

Make sure you buy a canvas tote from a reputable seller who leverages the green nature of canvas in the planet’s favor.

Backpack Alternative

This one is for the school kids out there. A lot of affordable backpacks on the market are made from nylon. That’s a plastic product. It’s durable and should last a long time, but it’s destructive to manufacture and it ultimately causes a ton of harm when it’s thrown away.

Luckily, there are plenty of eco-friendly options.

We prefer to recommend canvas because it can be made stronger than nylon, and it’s biodegradable. It’s also fairly cheap.

However, sustainably and ethically sourced leather is another option (albeit, an expensive one), and you can opt for upcycled products. These are usually made out of plastic, but they’re made out of plastic that is pulled from the oceans instead of brand-new plastic. So, you help clean up the damage existing plastic products have already caused.