From supermarkets such as Cold Storage to aesthetic clinics such as The Sloane Clinic, everyone seems to have an eco bag these days. Just how earth-friendly are they?
Urban ran six good-looking green bags by Vaidehi Shah, a communications executive of the Singapore Environment Council, to see if they hit the (green) mark.
The non-profit, non-government organisation awards the Green Label to eco-frienldy brands.
Shah notes that just because organic materials are used does not mean a product is eco-friendly. "The dilemma with cotton is that it takes up agricultural land while synthetic material polyester does not," she says.
"You need to consider the whole life cycle of the product from the way the materials are harvested to its production process and even the level of wastage during its displosal."
B-DIFF
The silkscreen-printed shoppers from this year-old brand are fast gaining cachet. Between 80 and 100 of its cotton, canvas or polyprophylene (one of the most commonly recycled materials) carriers with artsy prints are sold each month.
Brand founders Albert Ser and Diff Lim, both 31, try to use natural dyes from tree bark, wood, berries and nuts as much as possible.
Seamstresses cut down on wastage by using leftover fabrics to sew handles or inner pockets. This month, it released the Birds and Trees series.
Shah : Simple, practical and beautifully designed. The all-natural materials and vegetable dyes make this brand a great eco-conscious buy.
Above piece extracted from Urban paper published on 24th July 2009.
We are truly grateful to Mr.Vaidehi Shah for his positive comments. A big Thank you!
