The Bag Idea

ABSTRACT The proliferation of plastic bags is being noticed by the general public, and major supermarkets are turning back to using natural fabric bags. In some areas, plastic bags are even being made illegal. The turn to natural fiber bags, however, often means an increase in the use of cotton, which is a very environmentally unfriendly crop. Its cultivation means the depletion of the waterways in many areas, and also the use of pesticides. A number of parties in the UK developed a very basic, undyed hemp bag, which bore the slogan “Real Eco Bags are made from Hemp.” This bag was then worn in London and New York, and picked up on by the Ecologist and Positive News.