Thank you for your comment. A very relevant question and concern. Indeed there are many steps to take towards our desired goal of creating a responsible and ecologically minded society. The promotion of reusable bags over the sale of “biodegradable/paper/or plastic bags” is a step that we feel is important and moves us towards a “reuse” society versus a “better/different” disposable society.

Our choice of polyester versus cotton is one that is well documented as being the better choice. Mainly:
•Cotton (organic or not) has a HUGE environmental footprint (water, soil amendments, land use, transport)
•Cotton gets dirty more often:
•Thus requiring more washing (water,energy,d etergents)
•Gives a perception of carrying a “dirty” bag which is a common complaint from the public.
•Cotton also provides a better environment for bacteria/mold/fungus to live on than nylon.
•Uses more material and costs more/uses more space to ship (oil,transport, storage related costs)
•Requires a longer drying periods if it gets wet
•Less portable than a stuffable polyester sack

You can reference a good article here: tomlarsen.typepad.com/act2/2009/04/rpet-polyester-good-or-great.html

In answer to your question about recycled material, I’ve attached a copy of the certification from the material provider that substantiates that the bags are made with rPET, a recycled polyester material generally derived from recycled plastic bottles.

We hope this explanation is satisfactory to answer your questions and welcome further comment.