'Tote bags': Are they really a green solution?

1. The hidden impact

To make a single tote bag of conventional cotton, 2,700 liters of water are needed (what a person drinks in three years) and intensive use of pesticides.

2. The paradox of organic cotton

The organic label doesn't always mean better for the planet. Although organic cotton does not use synthetic pesticides, which is good for local biodiversity, the plant's yield is much lower. Therefore, it requires much more land and much more water to produce the same amount of useful cotton.

• Conventional cotton bag: it needs to be reused 7,100 times to offset its global impact
• Organic cotton bag: must be reused 20,000 times

3. The climate factor and the carbon footprint

If we look only at the impact on global warming, the figure decreases, but it remains a daily challenge. If we focus solely on climate change and CO₂ emissions, a cotton bag must be reused between 131 and 150 times to equate to a single-use plastic one.

However, plastic comes from the petrochemical industry, which is the main cause of the climate crisis.

4. What is the solution?

The real problem is accumulation. Brands give away tote bags as merchandise everywhere, and most people keep them in a drawer and don't end up using them regularly. In the end, cotton fabric is being used as if it were single-use plastic.

Each person has, on average, between 5 and 10 reusable cotton bags at home, but when they don't think about bringing one, they end up buying a new one at the store...

Infographic in the paper edition of ARA Diumenge