The humble cotton tote bag has become something of a fashion item, one that sends the message that certain brands are eco-conscious, but they are not as good for the environment as we think, says ...

nana-nana Equips First-Ever Tote Bags With Everyday Graphics: ... the label’s tote bags are much more subtle and are made from 100 percent cotton.

If you only look at the climate change impact category—which is measured in kilograms of CO2 emissions—the reuse number for two organic cotton tote bags drops to 149, or 74.5 for one.

Buffy Reid, of the British knitwear label &Daughter, halted production of her cotton bags in April this year; she's planning to implement an on-site feature where customers can opt into receiving one.

But tote bags have a high carbon footprint, too. In fact, reusing a single plastic bag three times has the same environmental impact as using a cotton tote bag 393 times.

But tote bags have a high carbon footprint, too. In fact, reusing a single plastic bag three times has the same environmental impact as using a cotton tote bag 393 times.