Urban ecology is the study of ecosystems — including humans and their built environment — in cities and urbanizing landscapes.
The administrator, writer and photographer for this site, has been thinking, researching and writing about urban ecology topics for over 10 years. This is personal blog where the author freely voices her opinion on everyday experiences and thoughts about urban ecology, especially as it pertains to the neighbourhood where she lives.
Hi Anne,
Do you have an opinion about what is the most enviro-friendly kind of reusable shopping bag for groceries? eg. non-woven polypropylene? Bamboo? Jute? Cotton? Where could I research this?
Thanks, Susan R.
Thanks Anne for the links and ideas. I agree: a sturdy bag makes the most sense! Susan
Hi Susan:
Good question! In my experience, a good bag is:
1. durable (I’ve got scads of reusable bags in my closet that need to be mended);
2. convenient to use (some people like those that fold up to fit into a purse or a knapsack); and
3. made of sustainable material (organic cotton or hemp perhaps?)
The Bulletin Bag web site does a good job of discussing some of the advantages and disadvantages of bag materials: http://www.bulletinbag.com/faqs/reusable-grocery-bags-material-comparison-options.html
This TreeHugger article has an interesting article comparing different bags too. http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/reusable-shopping-bags-which-is-the-greenest-of-them-all.html. They ultimately conclude that the differences between the bags aren’t that large. The most important thing is that they are used and reused many times.
Hope this helps!
Anne