Renewable and Sustainable 

We recommend the use of Jute for most of our bags. 

Jute

Jute is a natural fiber and as such is 100% biodegradable.  The jute plant is an annual plant that thrives best in moist soil in a hot, humid climate. It is grown as a seasonal crop in India, relying on the monsoon rains.  

Jute is grown as cash crops in rotation with food crops. Age old manual farming techniques are used, together with organic based nutrients and with little or no irrigation and chemicals. 

The fiber is extracted using a simple manual process. It is first soaked in ponds using a natural process known as retting. The natural  jute fiber is then extracted by hand from within the stalk of the jute plant, the fiber is dried and sorted. The material is then spun into yarn and woven into fabric. 

Indian Cotton is natural fiber and as such is 100% biodegradable.  Indian Cotton is an annual plant that is grown as a seasonal crop in India. 

It is grown as cash crops in rotation with food crops. Like Jute, age old manual farming techniques are used, together with organic based nutrients and with little or no irrigation and chemicals. The cotton is hand picked off the plant, sorted anthen spun into yarn and then woven. 

Jute Cotton

Jute Cotton is made from a blend of Jute and Indian Cotton, blended 80:20 to 70:30. As such Jute Cotton is 100% biodegradable.  

Fixtures

Earthbag range we strive to ensure that all fittings and fixtures are also made of natural, earth friendly materials. Handles and fixtures are made of nature materials such as Bamboo, Wood and Coconuts shell. Our labels are all screen printed by hand on handmade paper that contains No Wood pulp. 

Paper Products

Oue Jute Paper products are made of the waste from the jute making process. It is handmade using techniques that are centuries old and does NOT contain any wood pulp or recycled paper. 

Our Cotton Paper products are made of cotton waste from fabric mills, garment manufacturing plants and agricultural crop byproducts like straw and chaff. It is handmade using techniques that are centuries old and does NOT contain any wood pulp or recycled paper.  

Lamination

Bags may be produced using a film lamination on the inside with a low density polymer (LDP) film (3-5% of total content by weight), to give the bag the best print quality and to provide stiffening.  Laminated bags are 95% biodegradable. The total lamination material used in an average bag is smaller than a bean bag bead. The lamination breaks down as the bags biodegrades.