I always buy unbleached cotton or canvas bags whenever they are offered - and I must admit the idea of buying a nasty plasticky bag made in China as a "green" option has always struck me as not quite right.
15% the legal limit of lead in a bag is definately "not quite right"! Apparently the lead is predominantly in the printing
And then we have this one: "test findings clearly support concerns that reusable grocery bags can become an active microbial habitat and a breeding ground for bacteria, yeast, mold and coliforms.” No prizes for guessing that this testing was funded by the Environment and Plastic Industry Council who obviously want the breathe life back into disposable plastic, but both these recent revelations illustrate how sustainability is a constantly changing concept rather than a line in the sand.
Meanwhile here is a pie of how many of you actually clean your reusable bags. I don't.