DEBRA'S ANSWER:

Because we live in a multi-faceted world, this kind of dilemma comes up frequently when making decisions about green products. Wouldn't it be nice if all the considerations lined up for the best all the time? At this point though, that is not always the case, so we have to make the best decisions we can.

My rule of thumb is always "What is the greatest good for all?" And to me, "all" includes all life as well as the ecosystem, the resources, the businesses invovled, and myself.

From my viewpoint, there is not one "best" choice that is best for everyone. At the very least, we need to consider our own needs and tastes as well as the effects on life of creating the product. For you, a hemp or reclaimed fabric bag doesn't suit your need. For some people, it does.

Also, each person has their own views on which aspect of green is most important to them. If animals are most important, you'll choose in favor of animals. I personally always choose in favor of nontoxic first, but that is my personal priority.

Here are my opinions on each of the options you have presented.

Vegan--I don't consider synthetic leather to be a green option. Yes, it eliminates the processing of animal skins, however I think a better option is organic or recycled fiber if one doesn't want to use animal skins. Synthetic leather is toxic plastic, and that's not good for people or planet, or animals either, for that matter. Yes, there are chemicals involved in tanning and dying the skins, but there's another thing to consider. In native cultures, when animals were used (and they were used widely), all the parts of the animal were used, not just the meat. They used meat, skin, bones, cartilidge--every part. None was wasted. The reality today is that animals are being slaughtered for meat, which leaves skin and other parts to be either wasted or used. I'm in favor of using those resources instead of easting them, out of respect to the animal and the ecosystem that supported the animal in its growth.

Organic or recycled fiber--This is an excellent option, since natural fibers are both renewaable and biodegradable. Organically grown reduces chemicals and builds soil and recycled fabrics and fibers get more use out of the resource before it is returned to the ecosystem. I understand not wanting a hemp purse, but recently I needed to purchase a toiletries bag for travelling and I found one that was perfect and made of hemp. I feel good purchasing this bag made of organic hemp fibers and using it in my own private world.

Used leather bag--I think this would be the best choice for you, as it sounds like you want and need an attractive leather bag. One of my basic guidelines is to get as much use out of a resource as possible once it has been taken from the ecosystem, and reuse is even better than recycling because it doesn't need to be remanufactured before it is reused (as I am writing this, my husband is packing reusable items in the car in preparation for a trip to a local thrift store).

I have attempted to use natural fiber purses and briefcases in the past, and I stopped because I found that they just didn't last very long before they started looking worn. The new hemp items may not have that problem. I buy one new leather purse in a plain style at a time (usually black) and use just that one until it has no more life. I'm still using my leather briefcase I bought twenty years ago. I buy one pair of leather sandwls (black) and wear them every day.

I think an important point here to keep in mind is that we can greatly reduce our resource use by choosing clothing and accessories that are attractive, classic, durable, and well-suited to our body types and local climate, and just forget about making a fashion statement. I'm not saying we shouldn't look beautiful--we just don't need to discard clothing and accessories according to changing fashions. Though styles have certainly changed over time, clothing and accessories used to be rooted in the climate needs of a place and the available resources of that place. What we know as "fashion" today is an industrial idea, developed to sell more clothes. We don't need to buy into that.

Debra :-)