31/10/2016
All About Jute: Why Jute Bags are the Most Eco-Friendly Option for your Promotions
What are jute bags made of?
From time to time we get asked what our jute bags are made of. Our answer is 'jute, of course!' But this isn't as obvious an answer as it sounds, our tote bags aren't made of tote, are they? So, we thought 'why not create a one-stop information source on all things jute?'
What is jute?
Jute is a natural vegetable fibre made from the outer stem and skin of the jute plant. Also known as 'the golden fibre' due to its shiny golden colour and financial worth, jute is valued for its versatility and wide range of applications.
What is jute used for?
The most common use for jute fibre is in the production of jute fabric and a number of other fabrics, including hessian, scrim and canvas. These fabrics can be found in clothing, upholstery and soft furnishings, packaging of many kinds and geotextiles (for landscape reinforcement, landfill covering etc). Jute and its byproducts have uses that are almost too numerous to mention, but notable ones are its inclusion in medicine, cosmetics and paints.
How is jute made into fabric?
The jute fibre comes from the stem and ribbon (outer skin) of the jute plant. The fibres are first extracted by a process called retting. Retting consists of bundling stems together and immersing them in slow running water. After retting, the non-fibrous material is scraped off and workers pull the crucial fibres from the jute stem. This laborious job is known as stripping and has to be done by hand.
Is jute environmentally friendly?
As far as eco-friendly fibres go, jute is a real star performer. And when it comes to bags, there is no better choice for the environmentally conscious consumer. But why is jute so green?
Why is jute eco friendly?
bags of ideas Jute fibre is entirely bio-degradable and compostable
bags of ideas Jute fibre is recyclable
bags of ideas Jute bags are hard-wearing and can be used again and again, negating the need to use plastic carrier bags
bags of ideas Jute can be grown without the need to use pesticide or fertiliser. Where these chemicals are used jute requires very little of them compared to other crops
bags of ideas Jute reaches maturity in under 6 months and offers large crop yield for the area of land its grown upon. This efficiency of growth means less land is required compared to other crops and therefore reduces the need to encroach upon wilderness and natural habitats.
bags of ideas The woody core of the jute plant (called hurd) has the potential to meet the majority of the world's wood needs. Underutilised at the moment, jute hurd has the potential to have a huge positive impact on the reduction of deforestation.
bags of ideas The plant absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
