What's the difference between burlap bags and sandbags?

A common question we get is the difference between burlap bags and sandbags.

Burlap Bags

Burlap bags are made from strong jute natural fibers, so they are 100% biodegradable.

Burlap sacks are perfect for protecting the environment by reducing plastic waste.

Burlap bags last one month under direct sunlight before biodegrading and becoming a part of the natural environment again. 

Burlap sacks are used for storing hardware and metal parts, erosion control (14" x 26"), and sack racing (24" x 40").

Poly Sandbags

Polypropylene sandbags are made from polypropylene (type of plastic), so they are less expensive than burlap.

The issue with woven polypropylene sandbags is that after their life is over, there will still be small pieces of the sandbag on the ground. 

Poly sandbags do not fully biodegrade.

Even though our sandbags are photodegradable (meaning that they can be broken down by light), the sandbag does not completely degrade into the environment.

Polypropylene sandbags last longer than burlap bags, lasting 3-6 months under direct sunlight in high-heat states like California, Florida, and Arizona. 

Poly sandbags will suit someone who is on a limited budget and needs to get the job done.

Poly sandbags are also great for building sandbag walls (calculate how many you need) to control flooding during hurricanes and heavy rain. 

Sandbaggy 14" x 26" polypropylene sandbags for flooding were used to protect homes in the Carolinas during Hurricane Florence and in Florida during Hurricane Michael in 2018.

We’ve found that our poly sandbags are typically used on paintball fields (esp. green color ones) and for flood control (14" x 26").

Learn more:

Polypropylene sandbags (flood control)

Burlap bags/potato sacks (sack racing, storage)