Recycled Material Handbags vs Organic Material Handbags

Every woman has a purse, or ten. We don't only carry everything in them, and therefore our sanity, our purses also reflect our personality and sense of style. Purses, handbags, totes and other variations come in all shapes, sizes, colors, textures and price ranges, but have you ever considered buying a green purse? No, we're not talking about color here, but the effects on the environment that a purse can have. Most purses are made of leather, plastic, cotton, and other environmentally-unfriendly materials, and that doesn't even include the chemicals and processes needed for their creation!

There are infinite options when it comes to getting an eco-friendly handbag and these options can be broadly separated in two categories: handbags made from recycled materials and handbags made from organic materials.

Sometimes the greener choice is simple. Other times, it might not work for you.

Little Earth recycled license plate handbag

Novica organic material handbag

Do the math

Depending on the design of the purse, prices can range anywhere from $30 to $300.

Most of Novica's organic material handbags will cost you between $20 and $50 although a few more sophisticated models can reach 100$.

Pros

As the term recycled entails, these purses reduce waste and landfilling by reusing old products, in this case license plates. Littlearth recycles more than 40,000 license plate by creating their purses each year. Over 30 tons of rubber are also recycled each year to make the handles. Even the snap closures are made out of recycled bottle caps. You are sure to have a completely unique and customized purse, as no two license plates are the same. No new materials need to be created to manufacture this handbag, which avoids having to use water (to grow textiles), kill animals (leather), use chemicals,... Did you also know, that recycling creates 1.1 million US jobs?

Handbags made from organic materials such as hemp, organic cotton, bamboo and jute usually have a reduced impact on the environment. They are 100% bio-degradable and recyclable. These materials come from sustainable, renewable resources and are a generally produced using fewer to no toxic or harmful chemicals. Producing crops like hemp and bamboo also helps maintain soil fertility.

Cons

The Littlearth handbags can be slightly impractical as they are made out of hard material. There are no compartments inside the bag.

Buying organic is generally more expensive than its non-organic equivalent (indeed, it tends to be more costly to the farmer), although this does not always have to be the case. It's up to you to decide whether the price difference is worth it. Organic cotton is the most commonly found of all organic textiles and materials but it is not the most eco-friendly as it uses a great amount of water. It requires 3 years before it can be certified organic as the soil needs to be purged of all chemicals. Bamboo also has a number of factors that tarnish its status as an eco-friendly material. Although it is organic -and therefore biodegradable- and extremely sustainable thanks to its fast growth rate, bamboo is often planted at the expense of other species. It is usually grown in countries with fewer environmental regulations and therefore noone to ensure that rain forests are not being sacrificed for the bamboo crop. The processing of bamboo is generally done in coal fired plants where toxic chemicals can also be involved. Furthermore, fossil fuels are required for the transportation of the material.

The big picture

The Littlearth handbags are great conversation starters thanks to their original designs. Entirely made from recycled license plates and other recycled materials, you will actually be helping the environment by keeping landfills from getting just a little fuller.

These fabrics are great alternatives to highly polluting textiles generally used to manufacture our clothes, bags or bed linens. However, it's very often the case, that recycled or repurposed goods will have a lesser impact on the environment. So if the style fits, why not carry your belongings in an old license plate.