FAQ : Cloth bags

1. What fabrics do you use to make your cloth bags?

eCoexist uses unbleached cotton and canvas to make its standard bags. In India, this is also referred to as Grey Fabric – and is the cheapest form of fabric available. The fabric comes in a variety of thicknesses and is usually within a range of a cream colours.

2. Do you make bags out of recycled fabrics?

Yes we do work with fabric wastes also – known in India as chindis. Normally we prefer to limit our material to natural fibres only.

3. Is your cotton organic cotton?

No, we do not use organic cotton. It is true that the cultivation of cotton in India involves heavy use of pesticide and fertilizer and ideally, we should be converting to the use of organic cottons. However, presently, organic cotton is several times more expensive and for our work with cloth bags it becomes financially unviable. Our effort is to create affordable cloth bags.

4. Can you customise the bag to my needs?

Yes, for bulk orders , we can customise both the size and the style of the bag to suit your needs. A minimum order of 50 bags is a requirement for customisation.

5. Can you print on the bags?

Yes we can handle both screen printing and digital printing. eCoexist outsources the printing to a printer and we do not earn on this facility. Printing costs depend on the artwork and on the estimates we recieve from the printer. Printing also adds a few more days to the production timeline.

The inks used for screen and digital printing are chemical inks as soya based inks for textile printing are not yet available in India. However we take care to go for water based inks in place of oil based inks where possible.

6. What is the minimum quantity for a bulk order?

50 bags.

7. Why are your bags expensive?

The bags from eCoexist are reusable. They are expected to last for three to five years and are stitched with care. The women who make the bags earn anywhere between Rs 5 to Rs 15 per bag. Accordingly, our cheapest bag is in the range of Rs 25 to Rs 30. If this cost was distributed over the usage of three to five years it does not turn out to be expensive at all.

8. Can I machine wash the bags?

Yes the bags can be machine washed – however some shrinkage is expected in cotton and canvas. Some fading of the the print may also be seen after a few washes.

9. How long will the bags last?

The life expectancy of the bags is anywhere between three to five years of daily use.

10. Can you export the cloth bags?

Yes , eCoexist can export the bags to other countries – we have an export license and can take orders from abroad.

11. Who makes your cloth bags?

The UseMeAgain bags from eCoexist are made by womens self help groups – in and around Pune and in other parts of Maharashtra. These women are in need of home based work which they can do alongside household chores and looking after young children. The women get a basic training from the eCoexist team to get started. They are informed when orders come through, they come to the office to pick up the raw materials and take them home to work on. When the bags are ready, they return them to the office for quality checks.

12. How much do the women who make the bags earn per bag?

Labour wages for the cloth bags are decided in discussion with the women. The criteria for setting the labour wage is as per the minimum daily wage prescribed by the government for semi skilled work. The level of efficiency of each women differs along with their productivity . An average efficency is taken into consideration for setting the labour wage. Presently the women earn between Rs 5 to Rs 15 per bag, depending on the size and complexity of the bag. The payment for the bags is made directly to the bank account held by each woman.