Why Does Canvas Make a Good Material?
You're probably familiar with some of the common uses of canvas. It's one of the preferred fabrics for manufacturing tents because it is so strong. Canvas tents are able to withstand heavy winds and are resistant to snags and tears. When treated with a waterproof coating they also keep the rain out.
Canvas is also used as a surface for painting. The reason for this has a little bit to do with its durability, but even more to do with the fact that canvas accepts paint well. Colors won't bleed and paint won't flake off as with other surfaces. Canvas is also very flexible. It can be stretched to fit over a frame for painting and display. Finally, canvas is relatively inexpensive so it is an affordable surface for painting on.
All of the things that make canvas ideal for painting on are the same things that make it perfect for use in constructing canvas tote bags. The material makes a strong, durable bag that is also lightweight, so it's practical for packing full of groceries or books. Plus, it readily accepts ink during the imprinting process with little or no bleeding. The imprint won't peel or flake off afterward. Custom canvas bags can even washed without damaging the bag or the imprint.
Since canvas is made from natural materials, canvas is considered to be environmentally friendly. Cotton, flax and hemp plants are all renewable resources that can be grown easily without harming the environment. Plus, one reusable bag is estimated to be equal to 700 plastic bags when used regularly. So advertisers can feel good about choosing promotional canvas tote bags, and shoppers may prevent hundreds of bags from entering landfills over the lifespan of a single custom canvas bag.
Reusable shopping bags are all the rage today and are quickly replacing plastic shopping bags in many homes and stores. Among the types popularly available, canvas tote bags are more common and widely preferred over other types. More advertisers are turning to custom canvas bags to tout their brands than any other kind. Almost everyone owns at least one. But just what is the material known as canvas actually made of?
Many people mistakenly think that "canvas" refers to the material it's comprised of. Actually, "canvas" refers to the fabric's weave, not its material content. It is plain-woven, a very basic weave that produces a strong and sturdy fabric. Furthermore, canvas can be made into different varieties depending on how tightly the threads are woven together. Tighter weaves are referred to as "duck canvas."
In fact, canvas can be made of several different types of fibers. However, it is most commonly made from cotton (from cotton plant) or linen (from the flax plant) and sometimes hemp (from the cannabis plant).
Recently, tote bags have been sold as a more eco-friendly replacement for disposable plastic bags, given they can be reused multiple times. They have also been given away as promotional items. A study by the UK Environment Agency found that cotton canvas bags have to be reused at least 131 times before they can match the carbon expenditure of a single disposable plastic bag, and up to 327 times if the plastic bags are used as bin liners.[2] Another 2018 study by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency found that cotton bags would need to be used 7,100 times to neutralize their environmental impact.[3] Meanwhile, tote bags made from recycled polypropylene plastic require 11 (up to 26 when considering reuse as bin liners for plastic bags) reuses to match.
A 2014 study of U.S. consumers found that the 28% of respondents who own reusable bags forgot them on approximately 40% of their grocery trips and used the bags only about 15 times each before discarding them. About half of this group typically chose to use plastic bags over reusable ones, despite owning reusable bags and recognizing their benefits.[4] An increasing number of jurisdictions have mandated the phase-out of lightweight plastic bags to reduce land and ocean pollution. In order to provide an incentive for consumers to remember reusable bags more often these laws establish a minimum price for bags at checkout and require either paper, reusable fabric tote bags, or thick reusable plastic bags.
