These bags are biodegradable and reusable as well as organic, meaning that you will not have any waste when you go to the supermarket. They have double stitched top hem, piping stitching on exterior edges and X stitched handles for additional reenforcement. The extra stitching mentioned above adds the to the bag’s durability and strength, ensuring that the bag will not break on you while you shop and can live up to weekly grocery shopping for years. For additional stability, Organic Cotton Mart suggests using thick scrap cardboard as a base. Just cut it to 12x7”, place it in the bottom of the bag, and it should stand up more or less upright for easy loading and unloading. Even better for the planet, once you no longer need the bag or if it begins to wear down years down the road, you can trust that it is biodegradable so it will not sit in a landfill. Expect a permanent shrinkage of about one inch in the width and three-quarters of an inch in width.