If you have a question about Envirosax that is not answered here, please feel free to contact us and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Envirosax in use

How big, how small, how heavy, and how strong is an Envirosax?

How should I wash my Envirosax?

How do I fold up an Envirosax?

How do I know my reusable bag is a genuine Envirosax?

Why doesn't an Envirosax have a gusset (square bottom)?

Behind the bags

Why are Envirosax made from polyester?

Where does Envirosax stand on recycling?

Is the Envirosax printing process eco-friendly?

Why are Envirosax made in China?

How big, how small, how heavy, and how strong is an Envirosax?

An Envirosax Graphic Series bag is 19.5" by 16.5", and folds up to the size of a piece of sushi, 4" by 1.5" diameter. It weighs in at just 1.4oz. An Envirosax can quite comfortably hold two plastic grocery bags of shopping, and has been tested to hold at least 44lbs.

Please be careful when lifting heavy bags and be aware of your limitations. Lifting weights heavier than you can comfortably handle can lead to serious injury.

The specifications for the bags in the other series vary slightly from the information given here, and are given at the top of each products page.

How should I wash my Envirosax?

As with most things, the more care you take washing your bags, the longer they will last. Envirosax recommends a 20 degree hand wash, and a line dry. The washing instructions are printed on each bag.

We do not recommend that you machine wash your Envirosax as not only does machine washing increase your ecological footprint, but will also eventually break down the PVA coating that gives the Envirosax its waterproofness. Machine washing will also place additional stress on the bag's stitching and shorten its lifespan, which goes against the fundamental philosophy of Envirosax which is to promote re-use.

How do I fold up an Envirosax?

The best way to fold an Envirosax is as follows:

1. Fold the bag in half sideways.
2. Fold the handles down over the body of the bag.
3. Fold the bag into thirds, over the top of the handles.
4. Roll the bag towards the snaps like a sleeping bag.
5. Snap it together, et voila!

You can also download the folding instructions that are included with each bag as a PDF.

How do I know my reusable bag is a genuine Envirosax?

Why doesn't an Envirosax have a gusset (square bottom)?

A bag made from nylon or polyester will not stand up on its own. A nylon or polyester bag packed correctly full of groceries propped up against another bag, will stand up on its own, with or without a gusset. A rigid polypropylene bag will stand up on its own but cannot be rolled into a small package like an Envirosax and stored in a pocket or glove box of a car, and as such you will find people everywhere who own lots of them but keep forgetting to take them to the store with them. A reusable bag is only having a positive impact on the environment if you are actually reusing it.

If an Envirosax is packed correctly with square and rectangular items at the bottom of the bag, and irregular shaped items at the top, the bag will have no problem staying upright in the boot of the car or on your doorstep.

Comparisons between Envirosax and other reusable bags often note that the compact designs means that they are easier to keep in your purse and thus are more likely to be reused, which is the whole point:

A few people have wondered how these compare to Envirosax so I'll give my best comparison. The Envirosax are slightly lighter weight and fold up smaller, and as such I'm more likely to keep them in my purse.

Why are Envirosax made from polyester? I thought Envirosax was trying to reduce plastic bag usage.

It's true, Envirosax are made from polyester which is a plastic. The fundamental problem with conventional plastic bags is not that they are made from plastic, it's that they are not designed to be re-used. The philosophy of Envirosax is to provide a fashionable and practical product that is designed to last, and despite some drawbacks, polyester is the best material to suit this purpose:

• It is extremely lightweight and allows the bag to be rolled up into a very compact package, which encourages people to carry them with them and increases re-use.
• It can be printed by sublimation, which means the print will never fade and the bag will look good for its whole lifetime.
• It is highly durable, which means each Envirosax will last for years.
• It is relatively inexpensive, which means Envirosax are affordable for anyone, which will help spread the message of re-use to people of all incomes.

In defending reusable plastic bags made from plastics, green groups such as Planet Ark state that any move from single-use plastic bags is a good thing. Planet Ark’s Doug McLean says the green bags “serve as a first step in changing the way we use bags and why we use bags”. They are “not perfect, but they are an initial break in the link of people taking 7 billion throwaway bags. There is an emphasis on behaviour change”. One of the biggest behaviour changes will be teaching people to reuse the bags rather than discard them when they wear out.

Ian Kiernan, chairman of the Clean Up Australia campaign, last year defended green bags in a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald. “Each green bag will last an average household about two years, or 104 shops, after which they can be recycled through Coles and Bi-Lo supermarkets,” he said. “Every green bag equals 1.2 single-use plastic bags. That’s an estimated 8.3 plastic bags saved every week, or 431 a year.”

An Envirosax is superior in strength and design to your average polypropylene green bag. Envirosax are ‘a move in the right direction’, and are targeted at people who would normally not use an eco-friendly bag. We are making the whole concept of reusable bags (previously dull, boring and ugly) something which is trendy and fashionable, and thus spread the message of re-use to as many people as we can.

Where does Envirosax stand on recycling?

Recycling and recycled materials are big buzzwords these days, and unfortunately, people can fall into the trap of talking about recycling as if it is free. Simply put, it isn't. Recycling is extremely expensive, both in terms of money and in terms of cost to the environment.

The chemical treatments (and their toxic by-products) and energy expenditure required to recycle materials to the point where they can be re-used is in many cases leaves an ecological footprint that is comparable to producing the materials from scratch.

A recent online article outlines some of the issues that mean recycled polyester isn't nearly as eco-friendly as one might assume:

Recycling a toxic product like synthetic polyester will often result in more toxins being released into the air or water. Also, recycling traditional polyester actually downgrades the quality of the polyester. There’s a limit to the number of times it can be recycled before it’s value is gone and it ends up in landfill. Hardly eco-friendly.

We are constantly monitoring and reviewing the progress of recycled materials. At this point in time, based on the costs of the recycling process itself and the reduction in quality of materials, we feel that using virgin polyester is still in the best overall interest of the environment when all factors are considered, and are not willing to sacrifice that to capitalise on the good publicity that might come from using recycled materials.

The real solution to the problem is to take a step back from the recycling issue and design a product that will be re-usable and will avoid the whole problem of recycling and its associated ecological costs. That is the fundamental design choice of Envirosax, and that is why our products are ultimately keeping millions of single-use plastic bags out of landfill every year - because they are durable and continue to look good for their lifetime, which means people keep using and re-using them.

A recent interview discussed the pointlessness of reusable bags that aren't made to last:

Statistics on reusable-bag production are hard to come by, but when I asked Vincent Cobb, founder and president of reusablebags.com, if the solution is becoming part of the problem, he didn't hesitate a moment.

"Absolutely," he said, explaining that some are made so cheaply they fall apart after a few uses. "They are becoming more of the junk."

All waste fabric from Envirosax warehouses is sent to a recycling depot, where it is shredded and used for stuffing and filler in mattresses, car seats, lounge suites and chairs. This dry recycling programme does not use or release any hazardous chemicals into the environment.

If you would like to recycle your old bags in this manner, please send them to us and we will give you $1 off your next pouch. Alternatively source out recycling depots for polyester in your area, as this will save on transportation and further reduce your ecological footprint.

Is the Envirosax printing process eco-friendly?

The inks and dyes used in the printing of the polyester graphic series bags are eco-friendly and no carcinogenic amides are used. The printing process of sublimation ensures that the bags will not fade when washed.

The ink used for the sublimation process is recycled where possible. The steam (water vapour) used in the process is also recycled. The backing paper used in the sublimation printing process is recycled and made into cardboard boxes for the transportation of the bags. These boxes are further recycled for sending the bags out to customers and retailers.

All the organic series range are printed with vegetable based inks and packaged in a recycled box, printed with soy inks using waterless printing techniques. All Envirosax office materials are printed on recycled paper using soy inks using a waterless printing technique.

Why are Envirosax made in China?

Envirosax bags are made in China due to cost. The quality and service we get from China is excellent. Fair trade and fair wages is an issue in 3rd world countries, but our manufacturer has met all fair trade guidelines.

Many eco-friendly bag companies say that they practise fair trade, but when you research the products they sell, you will find that the products are made by other companies. The companies on the internet are only on-selling. When you further research the original companies you find that there is no mention of the environment, sustainability or anything green related. We find it difficult that companies can say that they are practising fair trade with fair wages when they are receiving the information third hand.

At Envirosax we deal directly with our manufacturer, there are no middle men. Fair trade as such does not exist in China, only the Labour Laws of China. In the factory where Envirosax are manufactured there is NO child labour. Most of the workers are women between the ages of 22 and 45.

We personally inspect our factories in China and our last trip was October 2007. Our factory manager obeys the Labour Laws of China and pays fair wages and maintains safe clean working conditions. Our manufacturer also produces for the German and UK markets and has to follow all their strict guidelines concerning fair wages, clean safe working conditions, and use of toxic chemicals.