[New York Diary] Eco Bag Reflection

A Closet Full of Eco Bags
Reflections on Eco-Friendly Consumption and the Paradox of 'Eco' Bags in Everyday New York Life

This is a reflection. After about a year and a half of living in New York, I looked at the closet full of ‘eco bags’ and thought, ‘Oops.’

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Getty Images Bank]

At first, it was definitely out of necessity. I didn’t want to pay a few hundred won for a plastic or paper bag after grocery shopping. At that time, the eco bag from the local large supermarket chain ‘Trader Joe’s’ caught my eye immediately. It was about $4, large, and of good quality, and it is said to be a popular American souvenir among Korean tourists. I liked it so much because I thought I could still use it after returning to Korea. Back then, my eco bag was true to its name and purpose: ‘eco.’

On the streets of New York, you can see people carrying eco bags more often and more easily than expected. The more you see them, the more you develop a taste and desire to have them. As my stay lengthened, one by one, eco bags started to accumulate in my closet. The ‘New Yorker’ eco bag, which you can get by subscribing to the magazine, is my favorite item. I was captivated by the designs of eco bags from famous New York bookstores like ‘Strand’ and ‘McNally Jackson’ and bought them. The eco bags from the ‘New York Philharmonic Orchestra,’ ‘American Ballet Theatre (ABT),’ ‘Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET),’ and ‘Museum of Modern Art (MoMA),’ which I picked up while attending performances and exhibitions, are, in essence, souvenirs.

They are lightweight, have pretty designs, are relatively inexpensive, and even environmentally friendly?aren’t they worth buying? Especially, the word ‘eco-friendly’ played a significant role in offsetting any guilt. That’s how I started becoming an ‘eco bag collector.’ On top of that, the eco bags I received as souvenirs at various events piled up as much as the ones I purchased. Now, can my eco bags really be called eco bags? Once again, this is a reflection.

Eco bags gained popularity in 2007 when British fashion designer Anya Hindmarch released a canvas bag with the phrase ‘I am not a plastic bag.’ The world went wild over eco bags warning against excessive plastic use. Shortly after, with related laws implemented in the UK, the use of disposable plastic bags at major supermarkets sharply declined, leading to environmental benefits. In other words, eco bags became the mainstream of eco-friendly consumption.

Just like in Korea, ‘value consumption’ is the trend in the US as well. Consumers scrutinize how eco-friendly a product is and how socially responsible a company is, even for a single product. Eggs sold in supermarkets are labeled to indicate they come from hens raised cage-free.

But are eco bags truly eco-friendly? This debate has been ongoing for a long time. When considering the entire process from production to disposal, some analyses suggest that a single plastic bag is more eco-friendly. This is due to the amount of resources used to make eco bags. The UK Environment Agency released research showing that an eco bag must be used at least 131 times to replace plastic bags. A 2018 study in Denmark found that to reduce environmental impact, plastic bags must be used at least 37 times, and cotton bags 7,100 times. If they are abused as disposable items that are easily replaced according to taste, plastic bags are actually more eco-friendly. The same applies to eco-friendly items like tumblers, which are on par with eco bags.

Ultimately, the important thing is ‘reuse.’ Today, I carried an eco bag. I will do so tomorrow as well. A close friend teased me, saying, “Even if you carry eco bags around in New York, will you really carry them when you return to Korea?” Of course, I answered, “I will carry them,” even if it’s difficult to reach 131 uses per eco bag.

The problem is that I have already bought too many, and there are too many being handed out for free everywhere.