Recently a craze for tote bags has swept the nation. Looks like everywhere you look there’s a cute cotton tote, even on our shoulders. They are elegant, practical and spacious. We love to bring our tote bags, filled with books, pens, diaries, and our favorite lip balms to coffee shops, with the idea that we’re cooler than everyone else. And, until recently, we also believed they were the perfect way to spread our passion for sustainability and subtle political messages.

However, the tote bag trend stems from a problematic culture of overconsumption and access to performative trends. This should not exempt us from taking substantial measures to reduce our environmental footprint. But don’t worry, we can still look good doing it.

The current prevalence of tote bags is a fast fashion issue. We keep buying them because it’s a trend. And when we’re constantly updating our wardrobe to keep up with trends, we resort to cheap shopping to cushion the financial blow. But with cheap purchases, come cheap materials. These materials wear out faster which does not allow them to be worn beyond their practical use and their production cost.

Tote bags are marketed as environmentally friendly products. However, “an organic cotton tote should be used 200,000 times to offset its overall production impact. We believe that buying bags is a sustainable solution, but it is counterintuitive to solve environmental problems with consumption.

Ultimately, buying more textile products only increases our environmental footprint, as more products take longer to decompose. Moderation is key when we approach our use of tote bags. There’s no need to keep buying bags when you can stick to a few good ones.

Capitalism perpetuates a cycle of overconsumption. We adhere to trends that we believe are good for the environment, so much so that there is a market for tote bags. Stores are encouraged to sell tote bags because they know we’ll buy them – and we buy them because we see stores selling them.

We are surrounded by a culture that encourages us to buy more, even when we have had enough. Instagram ads, TikTok Shein transport, and influencers encourage us to keep buying. No one needs 15 tote bags.

Beyond the fallacy that tote bags are sustainable products, they are also a status symbol. Companies around the world have created the perfect market for tote bags which have flourished over the past few years. But, like all forms of status, the exceptionalism of the tote bag is only accessible to those who can afford it.

The perfect example is The New Yorker, who has donated cotton tote bags alongside subscription purchases since 2014. By carrying a New Yorker tote bag, you are not only sending the message that you are an intellectually advanced person to read The New Yorker, but you are also saying that you are wealthy enough to afford the $ 100 annual membership.

Specifically, 41% of people who subscribe to The New Yorker have an annual income of $ 75,000 or more. To put this in perspective, only 26% of families in the United States have incomes over $ 75,000.

The trend has set in and shows no signs of stopping. Alas, the bottom line: A cotton tote bag with the words “Farmers Market” printed on the front sells for $ 24 at one. Urban outfitters near you. While obnoxious, the Urban Outfitter tote was undeniably inevitable.

Tote bag status is expensive, but when has the price ever hindered a booming market? Never. The market has moved with the demand – unsustainable tote bags and trendy girls (like us) are guarantees. Tote bags make performative environmentalism exclusive to those who can afford the trend.

Even still, the use of the tote bag is inevitable. We love our tote bags. But in the future, we’re going to cut back on our buying, and so should you. And if the tote bag temptation gets the best of you, hang in there and buy your next tote locally and ethically.

As the weight of the world rests on the shoulders of our generation, we must claim the role of the smart consumer. We need to know what we are buying from and question the companies that tempt us with their very effective, spacious and cute products.

You can always buy the products that you like and that give you confidence – for us, these are tote bags. But let’s make sure we buy them intentionally and advocate for system-wide changes to make fashion more sustainable and fair.

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@sydjstar

[email protected]

@SoterTheadora