ECOBAGS

Sharon Rowe launched ECOBAGS in 1989 to clean up the planet one bag at a time, starting with reusable bags, now made from organic and recycled cotton.

About ECOBAGS

Founded
1989
Known for
reusable cotton string bags and totes

Sharon Rowe started ECOBAGS in 1989 as a new mother looking for work that matched her values, and the bags made their public debut at an Earth Day event on Sixth Avenue in New York in 1990. In 1995 the company introduced string bags and totes made from certified organic cotton, and in 2007 it added recycled cotton across its products. It became a certified B Corp in 2010.

The string bag is an old design: open mesh that folds small and stretches around a load of groceries. Keep one in a coat pocket or the car for market runs.

ECOBAGS questions

What does it mean that ECOBAGS is a B Corp?

B Corp is a certification for for-profit companies granted by B Lab, a global nonprofit organization. To earn it, a company must score at least 80 points on B Lab's assessment of its social and environmental performance, meet standards for accountability and be open with the public about its results. ECOBAGS has held the certification since 2010.

What is certified organic cotton?

Organic cotton is grown from plants that are not genetically modified, without synthetic farm chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides beyond the few that organic rules allow. In the United States, cotton sold as organic must meet the USDA's National Organic Program standards. ECOBAGS has made bags from certified organic cotton since 1995.

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