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Originally Posted On: https://www.bagzdepot.com/blog/wholesale-tote-bags

 

Plastic bags are currently wrapping around turtle’s necks, blocking crucial waterways, and adding to the mountain of waste that we are currently dealing with. It’s very obvious that if you reuse a tote bag, just a few times, you could end up saving a life. Plastic bags are the second-most collected type of waste when it comes to coastal clean-up, and a lot of animals choke and die slowly as a result as they are unable to digest other foods. Plastics in aggregate find their way into the ocean every single day and this does a monumental amount of damage to the marine ecosystem. Macro-levels reflect this too. The global tote bag industry is expected to grow at a very significant rate, between the years 2017 and 2024. The plastic bag industry is only expected to grow very slightly as global trends have shown that the demand for tote bags is now higher than ever. A lot of this is being driven by general environmental awareness. For businesses that are concerned with the overall risk or threat to aquatic life, using wholesale tote bags can be a fantastic way for you to curb the amount of pollution that your company produces.

A Timeline of Plastic Bags

Take a look below to see a current timeline of plastic bags and the impact that they have had on the environment so far.

1979

In 1979, plastic bags had taken over most of Europe. They were introduced to the US and companies who manufactured the bags purposely made out that reusable or paper bags were inferior to the power of plastic.

1997

Charles More discovered the Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean. He released that the threat of plastic bags was greater than anyone thought possible, especially to marine life. Turtles especially are at a very high level of risk, as they not only mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, but the shape of their heads makes them especially prone to get caught up in them.

2002

India and Bangladesh became the first countries in the world to instate a ban on plastic bags. They came to this conclusion after they realized that they were the cause of heavy flooding and that the bags were clogging up the drainage system.

2019

In 2019, 50 countries banned the use of plastic bags. This helped to create a shift to reusable canvas tote bags.

Some shocking facts that support this movement include the fact that it takes 500 years for a plastic bag to degrade when placed in a landfill. Americans use over 100 billion plastic bags every year, and this has led to 40% of the surfaces in the ocean being covered in plastic. As a result of this, 100,000 aquatic animals are killed.

What are the Benefits of Eco-Friendly Tote Bags?

There truly are so many benefits to eco-friendly tote bags. If you want to explore some of them, then the only thing that you have to do is take a look below.

Efficiency

One thing that you should know about cotton tote bags is that they have a way higher tensile strength when compared to plastic or paper bags. On top of this, they are also way stronger and bigger. It is far easier for people to carry their groceries home and as a business owner, you don’t have to worry about the bag splitting or breaking on the way home . Tote bags never cut your hand or stretch under the weight of whatever it is being carried. If you run a farmer’s market and want to give your customers a way to help the environment, then tote bags are the way to go. It shows that you care about the world around you and that you are willing to do your bit to try and reduce pollution. If the products you are selling are organic, then this is of even greater importance. Statements like this are bold and powerful for companies that work in the organic food industry, and your customers can take them back to your store time and time again.

Hygienic

Another thing you need to know about tote bags is that they are incredibly hygienic. It is very easy for you to put them in your washing machine and when you do, you can dry them in the same way you would your clothes. You can avoid dealing with big piles of plastic in your trash can and they do not take up a lot of space in your cupboards either. When you have done your shopping, simply fold up the bag, put it in the back of your car or in your cupboard and it’ll be there for the next time you need it. If you sell food products, again, this is a huge benefit as any spills can be washed with ease, providing a hygienic and plastic-free way to carry goods into the home.

Convenience

Tote bags often come with numerous compartments that can be used to carry a lot of different things. You may find that the carrying process becomes more convenient and that you do not need to worry about your goods spilling or leaking. If you are doing your food shopping then you can have foods closer to other foods and this makes it easier than ever for you to keep track of your purchases without you having to worry about a thing.

Eco-Friendly

Tote bags are ideal as they are very strong and you can use them as many times as you want. If you look at the data, you will see that the average family in the US manages to collect around 1500 plastic bags a year. As you can imagine, only 2% of these bags are recycled as they should be. The rest of them go back into the ocean, causing all kinds of issues, like the ones listed above.

Less Environmental Impact

Did you know that 8% of all litter in public sites is plastic bags? 1-3% of shopping bags used by Americans clutter and pollute the environment out of landfills. 100 billion bags are in landfills and millions also find their way into our waterways. Here they pose a huge safety hazard to sea life. Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose and even when they do, they leach microplastics into the environment. Let’s look at the bigger picture here too. If you look at a lot of shopping bags, you will soon see that they are made out of petroleum and this is a non-renewable energy source. This contributes massively to climate change and it interrupts ecosystems all across the planet.

Paper bags are way more recyclable and they are also compostable as well. That being said, they are not immune from issues. Paper bags tear easily and they are also much more difficult to manage. Manufacturing a paper bag requires four times the amount of water when compared to a tote bag. A lot of the chemicals and fertilizers that are used to treat the wood during tree farming can also contribute to acid rain. This is again, of course, very detrimental to the environment.

Business Benefits of Swapping to Cotton Tote Bags

So now you know what the benefits of using tote bags are in terms of the environment and your general impact on it, it is important to move on to the benefits of tote bags from a business perspective. There are many benefits to swapping out your plastic bags or even your paper bags for tote bags. If you want to find out more then the only thing that you have to do is look below.

Branding Benefits

Every company wants to have a solid level of branding recognition, especially when it comes to branding awareness. New competition appears daily on this global market though and that is making it harder than ever to reach. This is where promotional shopping bags come in. The great thing about reusable shopping bags is that if you have a good design and if you have clever placement, you can easily increase your brand awareness. Another bonus is that you can use them whether you run a charity, a business, an organisation or even a foundation. What is truly significant is that handing out tote bags will help you to create a lot of brand advocates for your company. If you know that your design stands out then people will use bags like this time and time again. Your audience will become walking billboards for your company and on top of this, they will become loyal to your brand. Studies have shown that 9 out of 10 people remember the brand that is on their reusable shopping bag. 8 out of 10 will remember the message you are trying to get across as well and sometimes you cannot put a price on this.

Marketing

The more people you have carrying your printed tote bags around, the more exposure you will get. It is as simple as that. People who carry your bag will become walking advertisers for your company. They will carry them to the store, and dozens of people will see your company too. Marketing doesn’t get much cheaper than that, and on top of this, it’s better when compared to leaflets and other simple advertisements. If you can, you can use custom tote bags to try and spread the general word about your events, your social media campaign and even events.

Improving your Company’s Image

In this guide, we have talked a lot about how helping the environment can promote your company and the best thing about tote bags is that they are all made out of eco-friendly materials. Even people who do not make the effort to recycle themselves, usually do pay attention to the fact that a company is doing their bit for the environment. On top of this, it will work in your favour that you care about the environment. Simple printed bags are more than enough for you to show your clients, your partners or even your customers that you are willing to contribute to the well-being of the planet and that you are also happy to do what you can to make a positive change.

Unique and Versatile

What a lot of people love about reusable bags is that they are very sturdy and they are also versatile. You can put it in your backpack, your pocket, or even your car. You can use them to carry your laptop, your groceries, or even your lunch to work. All in all, it is safe to say that the durability guarantees the people you gift them to will use them for years to come. Shopping bags really are an empty canvas, and it has never been easier for you to use this to your advantage. You can easily create a great design and this will get your message across to anyone who might see it. Just make sure that you try and do everything you can to be creative because this marketing tool can give you overwhelmingly positive results. Working with a reputable creator of tote bags will help you out a lot here, and it can also help you to create something that symbolises your brand and what you stand for.

Budget-Friendly

Advertising can be astonishingly expensive. YouTube ads cost a small fortune and if you try your hand at SEO, then you will soon find that this turns into a budgeting nightmare. On top of this, hiring someone who is an expert in this field will set you back even more. This can be very resource-draining, and it can also set you back more than you think if you run a small business. One way for you to get around this would be for you to invest in tote bags with logo or print. The huge benefit of tote bags is they are easy to make and most of the time, the more of them you order, the cheaper they become as well.

ROI

The fantastic thing about tote bags is that you can get double value. First of all, you should know that they will pay for themselves the second you hand them to your client or your customer. They will be inclined to look out for your products or your services as soon as they want something from your particular niche. Second of all, people will see your bags when the customer is out and on the go, and this will make them more curious about your company in general. When they happen to run into your product or service, you may find that they are intrigued enough to give you a chance. As you can see, the potential ROI when it comes to reusable shopping bags is immense, and it has never been easier for you to capitalize on this.

Using Reusable Shopping Bags

You can find shopping bags just about anywhere. This is why physical marketing is such a wonderful thing. If you choose to run ads on Facebook, then this is great but at the end of the day, the only traffic or customers you get will come from there. Ideally, you need to invest in way more forms of marketing. TV and radio can be very expensive so you might want to avoid that, and we have already covered how extortionate SEO can be too. If you are able to get printed shopping bags for promotional purposes, then you will not be limited to any of this. You may also find that you can take advantage of nearly all of the marketing methods listed above too. It is very easy for you to organize social media giveaways for those who respond to your questions, and this can help you to get the best of both worlds. You can fill the bag up with your products, and this will help them to connect with your company more. You might also want to create a radio ad where you guarantee people a gift with every purchase they make. If you sell hot chocolate for example, branded tote bags are a great way for you to get your message out there. Promotional bags are ideal for exhibitions, seminars, conferences, trade shows, and more. You can even make a gift bag that is entirely promotional. If you were to do this then you could fill it with ballpoint pens, notebooks and even informative materials. Simply hand them out to your clients or your potential partners and you will soon see that the benefits are truly endless.

What Choices do you Have?

So what choices do you have? You can easily choose from hundreds of options when it comes to wholesale tote bags. You can choose from any size and any material. This makes it easier than ever for you to get the result you want out of your marketing campaign, and this can work in your favour when the time comes for you to push your company to that next level