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Wow. All i can say is if these deaf kids from China can do this, kicking your plastic bag habit really shouldn't seem like such a challenge.
Enjoy.
Dave
Showing posts with label Plastic Bags. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Plastic Bags. Show all posts
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Inspiration
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Yet Another Plastic Bag Solution - Furoshiki!!!!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Morsbags - Sociable. Guerilla. Bagging
Check this out. Sheila from the Isle of Wight England who read a couple of my Care2 articles sent me some information on a project called Morsbags. The basic idea is that local groups/individuals get together into groups called pods and make re-usable bags from whatever material they happen to have around. The bags are then given to local folks who in turn are asked not to use any more plastic bags.
How cool is that?
The website is set up really easily and you can download pdfs to help you get started on making bags right away. The general idea is to get together with a group of friends, make as many bags as you feel like and then give them away to be used. They suggest going to a shopping center and passing them out en masse to make a better statement but also recognize that this isn't for everyone. Sheila also includes a piece of paper in each bag explaining what they are and how to make them. The thing i really love about the site is that they are just trying to get people to change their attitudes and giving them a very concrete way to do it.
I'm hoping to do an interview with the founder and will post that when it happens.
By the way, the website for what Sheila's town has been doing is here.
In the meantime, check out the site and get bag making!
Dave
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Plastic Bags: Easy Solutions
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Reusabable Bags Sale
For anyone interested in getting reusable bags and in need of a push, Reusablebags.com is having a huge sale right now. If you can get something local that's made locally go for that first, or better yet, make them yourselves, but if not being able to pick them up is holding you back, here's a good opportunity.
Dave
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
LA to Fix Plastic Bag Problem....Finally
Last week the LA city council voted to outlaw plastic bags in the city of Los Angeles by 2010 unless businesses impose a 25 cent tax on every bag they give out. Either way, this will put a huge dent in our plastic bag problem. According to the article in the LA Times, LAnicks use 2.3 billion plastic bags every year and only 5% are recycled. It's disgusting and it's about time something was done about it. While I hope they outlaw them, Ireland has proven that a plastax can have a dramatic effect so either way, it's a good thing.
So who's next?
Dave
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
16 Year old Student May Solve Some Plastic Problems
Here's a cool little story about a high school kid who just won a bunch of awards for isolating the microorganisms that break down plastic bags. The hope is that if done on a large scale, this can help clean up some of the mess that is out there.
While I think this kind of research is a double edged sword, we need to stop using plastic bags, not give people a reason to think it's all going to be ok, I like the idea of how this came about. Here's a kid who got sick of opening the closet door and having all those bags come out on top of him. So he decided to do something. It's why I have faith in the fact that we are going to fix this whole mess, kids are black and white, they are smarter than us, and they don't like being told that they can't do something.
And he's got a cool haircut to boot!
Thanks to Nick for sending this in.
Dave
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Awesome Cloth Produce Bags
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Ok, so I've pretty much cut out all plastic bags from my life by having a bunch of cloth bags around, using my backpack, and juggling things out of the store like an idiot when I've forgotten to bring them. Having said that, produce has always been a tough one. While most things I can go without (do you really need to put apples into a flimsy plastic bag) there are some things that are tougher (think green beans). Fear not, the answer is here. ResusableBags sells these awesome little mesh cotton produce bags and I finally got around to trying them out.
Not only am I hooked, but the missus loves them too (no small feat that by the way). They are lightweight, see through, washable, sturdy and basically awesome. They sell for $3.95 a piece but if you get together with friends and but ten or more they come down to $3.25. Now I know this is a fair amount when you consider that the plastic produce bags in the store don't cost you, but when you think about it, they do, just not in the immediate out of pocket sense of the word. While I've only had these bags for a few weeks, I gotta say that they are well made and I can see them lasting for quite some time.
Check em out
Dave
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Ban the Bag! Sign The Petition
A blog reader sent me the following link and post to an online petition to ban plastic bags in grocery stores all across the country. I think making our voices heard on this subject is important, and this, along with sending it to your representatives in Washington, is a good way to do it.
Dave
This is a petition intended to urge all CEOs of major U.S. supermarkets to completely eliminate plastic grocery store bags.
On January 22, 2008, Whole Foods Market, the global leader in the natural and organic foods market space, formally announced that it will permanently end the use of all disposable plastic grocery store bags. This decision affects all of its 270 stores, and is set to be completed by Earth Day, or April 22, 2008. We at Green Eggs and Planet (http://www.greeneggsandplanet.com), are fully behind this small but significant step forward in terms of global consciousness and environmental awareness. And this got us to thinking.
What about the rest of the super markets and grocery stores out there across the land? What are they waiting for?
We don't believe that it should only be the province of the environmentally aware, eco-friendly "organic" or "health" food store, regardless of how large and seemingly important Whole Foods may have become in recent years. Those of us who have awoken to the reality of the planet's state, rather unfortunately, still represent only a growing minority. The fact of the matter is that the issue at hand, specifically that of eliminating plastic bags from use across the country, is a concern for all people -- whether they realize it yet or not. The time, however, is now.
Many of us have begun to notice a small change creeping up in our local grocery stores and super markets -- with some stores currently offering alternatives at the checkout stand. It's no longer just "Paper or plastic?" -- now there's also a re-useable bag for sale, typically around 99 cents, silently and awkwardly perched somewhere within arm's reach, quietly vying with the entertainment rags and candy racks for your attention. More often than not, however, nobody at the grocery store is educating the consumer, offering the re-useable option as the only way to go, serving up the exact reasons behind why making that decision is so potentially important.
Here are the facts:
-- According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we consume over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps in the United States alone, every year.
-- In the U.S., consumers throw away about 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually, with an estimated cost to retailers at $4 billion.
-- Plastic bags are petroleum based, and they litter countless landfills, often taking more than a thousand years to break down. This means that polymers of literally every single bag ever produced still exist somewhere, in some smaller form, on our planet.
-- It takes over 400,000 gallons of crude oil to produce 100 million plastic bags. Less than 1% of these will be recycled.
-- Hundreds of thousands of seabirds and marine mammals, including whales and sea turtles, die every year from eating discarded plastic bags that they mistake for food.
-- Plastic bags don’t actually biodegrade; instead, they constantly break down into smaller and smaller toxic bits (photodegrade). In the process, they contaminate soil and waterways. Eventually, they are accidentally eaten by many animals, and end up in the food chain, later to be consumed in many cases by humans.
-- Despite efforts to reuse and recycle, studies have shown that plastic bags are consistently among the twelve items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups (Center for Marine Conservation).
Many other countries have banned or actively discourage the use of plastic bags, including Australia, Ireland, Italy, Taiwan and more. Still others have instituted a tax on all plastic bags that get used at the grocery stores. Mumbai has formally banned the use of plastic bags since 2005.
A little bit of consciousness and simple, practical action can go a long way if all consumers make the choice to abandon plastic bags, make their voices heard with their super market and grocery store corporations and make the switch to re-useable shopping bags. Whole Foods estimates that from May to December of 2008, they will be preventing 100 million disposable plastic bags from entering the environment.
The goal now is to confront all other CEOs of major grocery store chains with this evidence, with Whole Foods example, and with our voices -- and a demand for change and a new collective policy towards the environment. Time is running out.
Take a minute to sign this e-petition, and spread the word. Copy and paste the link from the petition, and pass it along to all of your friends.
When we reach a significant amount of signatures whose collective voice will have the ability to make an impact, we will then draft a formal letter along with this petition, and send it to all major U.S. super market CEOs and leadership.
This includes:
The Vons Companies, Inc.
Albertsons LLC
Ralphs Grocery Company
Safeway Inc.
The Kroger Co.
Gelson's and Mayfair (Arden Group, Inc.)
D'Agostino Supermarkets, Inc.
Pathmark Stores, Inc.
With your help, we will reach that number of signatures quickly, and foster positive environmental change.
On January 22, 2008, Whole Foods Market, the global leader in the natural and organic foods market space, formally announced that it will permanently end the use of all disposable plastic grocery store bags. This decision affects all of its 270 stores, and is set to be completed by Earth Day, or April 22, 2008. We at Green Eggs and Planet (http://www.greeneggsandplanet.com), are fully behind this small but significant step forward in terms of global consciousness and environmental awareness. And this got us to thinking.
What about the rest of the super markets and grocery stores out there across the land? What are they waiting for?
We don't believe that it should only be the province of the environmentally aware, eco-friendly "organic" or "health" food store, regardless of how large and seemingly important Whole Foods may have become in recent years. Those of us who have awoken to the reality of the planet's state, rather unfortunately, still represent only a growing minority. The fact of the matter is that the issue at hand, specifically that of eliminating plastic bags from use across the country, is a concern for all people -- whether they realize it yet or not. The time, however, is now.
Many of us have begun to notice a small change creeping up in our local grocery stores and super markets -- with some stores currently offering alternatives at the checkout stand. It's no longer just "Paper or plastic?" -- now there's also a re-useable bag for sale, typically around 99 cents, silently and awkwardly perched somewhere within arm's reach, quietly vying with the entertainment rags and candy racks for your attention. More often than not, however, nobody at the grocery store is educating the consumer, offering the re-useable option as the only way to go, serving up the exact reasons behind why making that decision is so potentially important.
Here are the facts:
-- According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we consume over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps in the United States alone, every year.
-- In the U.S., consumers throw away about 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually, with an estimated cost to retailers at $4 billion.
-- Plastic bags are petroleum based, and they litter countless landfills, often taking more than a thousand years to break down. This means that polymers of literally every single bag ever produced still exist somewhere, in some smaller form, on our planet.
-- It takes over 400,000 gallons of crude oil to produce 100 million plastic bags. Less than 1% of these will be recycled.
-- Hundreds of thousands of seabirds and marine mammals, including whales and sea turtles, die every year from eating discarded plastic bags that they mistake for food.
-- Plastic bags don’t actually biodegrade; instead, they constantly break down into smaller and smaller toxic bits (photodegrade). In the process, they contaminate soil and waterways. Eventually, they are accidentally eaten by many animals, and end up in the food chain, later to be consumed in many cases by humans.
-- Despite efforts to reuse and recycle, studies have shown that plastic bags are consistently among the twelve items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups (Center for Marine Conservation).
Many other countries have banned or actively discourage the use of plastic bags, including Australia, Ireland, Italy, Taiwan and more. Still others have instituted a tax on all plastic bags that get used at the grocery stores. Mumbai has formally banned the use of plastic bags since 2005.
A little bit of consciousness and simple, practical action can go a long way if all consumers make the choice to abandon plastic bags, make their voices heard with their super market and grocery store corporations and make the switch to re-useable shopping bags. Whole Foods estimates that from May to December of 2008, they will be preventing 100 million disposable plastic bags from entering the environment.
The goal now is to confront all other CEOs of major grocery store chains with this evidence, with Whole Foods example, and with our voices -- and a demand for change and a new collective policy towards the environment. Time is running out.
Take a minute to sign this e-petition, and spread the word. Copy and paste the link from the petition, and pass it along to all of your friends.
When we reach a significant amount of signatures whose collective voice will have the ability to make an impact, we will then draft a formal letter along with this petition, and send it to all major U.S. super market CEOs and leadership.
This includes:
The Vons Companies, Inc.
Albertsons LLC
Ralphs Grocery Company
Safeway Inc.
The Kroger Co.
Gelson's and Mayfair (Arden Group, Inc.)
D'Agostino Supermarkets, Inc.
Pathmark Stores, Inc.
With your help, we will reach that number of signatures quickly, and foster positive environmental change.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Every Little Bit Helps
My friend Duane just sent me an email that made me smile. It seems that his wife Rebecca was working at their kids school book fair, I'm assuming at the area where you purchase the books.
"She noticed everyone asking for bags to carry their (usually) single book back to their SUV so they could drive the 2 blocks home and then leave the book in the car until later. This annoyed said wife, who started asking, "Would you like a bag with that, or would you like to save some of the planet for our children?"
Apparently some still took bags, but many did not. I love this because basically what she did was ask people to consider the reality behind the choices that they were about to make. My thing is always - if you want to take a plastic bag, go ahead, just make sure you are being honest about what you are doing first. Also I should note that Duane tends to be a bit acerbic so my guess is that Rebecca was a bit nicer in how she put it (but part of me hopes she wasn't).
Huzzah Rebecca, thanks for fighting the good fight!
Live Sustainably
Dave
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
NYC Misses the mark on plastic bags
NYC just passed a plastic bag recycling law that will require stores to have highly visible plastic bag recycling bins in their stores and print a recycling message on the bags themselves.
While I applaud the city for recognizing the problems, I gotta say this is a pretty disappointing response to the problem. By simply asking companies to encourage recycling, they are really accomplishing next to nothing because the people who don't will continue not to and the people who already do will continue to do so. In addition, those few who do start to recycle, will feel as if they have "done their part" when the real way to help is to fore go the bag to begin with. A few years ago, Ireland, finding themselves drowning in bags, imposed a plastic bag tax that eradicated 95% of the bags that were used, and China just outlawed thin bags altogether. Why is it that we in this country find it so hard to ask folks to step up to the plate in a way that will mean something?
Sorry to sound negative about this as I do applaud them for attempting to fix the problem, but if this is the best they can come up with, I fear that it is too little too late. The city of Los Angeles is attempting to deal with the same issue (LA'ers use 5 billion bags a year). Hopefully they'll come up with something a bit more productive.
Dave
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Day 8 -I've conquered the bread problem! (I think)
I may have mentioned that i make lunches for the girls and we go through a fair amount of bread as a result. Add to that that I can easily sit down and eat a loaf of rye bread by myself and you're talking a lot. So I've started going to the bakery each week which I find to be quite enjoyable and it occurred to me today that they give me a new bag with each loaf. So I leaned across the counter and very nicely inquired if it would be OK for me to bring these same bags back and have them put the next loaves into them. A few awkward moments of silence and some bizarre looks later, they said it'd be fine. So I'm over the bread problem as I can now use the same bags over and over. They are thin so we'll see how long that lasts, but I'm pretty psyched about it nonetheless. It's weird how much joy figuring out that little bit of the puzzle brought me, but it's one step closer to keeping the basement from overwhelming me.
Dave
China Outlaws Thin Plastic Bags
Everyone says that China is the big problem. Well it seems like they've trumped us on this one. According to Reuters China has passed a law "banning production of ultra-thin bags and forbidding its supermarkets and shops from handing out free carriers from June 1."
"China uses too many of the bags and fails to dispose of them properly, wasting valuable oil and littering the country, China's cabinet, the State Council, said in a notice posted on the central government Web site (www.gov.cn).
"Our country consumes huge amounts of plastic bags every year. While providing convenience to consumers, they have also caused serious pollution, and waste of energy and resources, because of excessive use and inadequate recycling," it said."
Why can't we follow suit on this? The Chinese people use 3 billion plastic bags a day and the country refines 37 million barrels of crude oil every year for the purpose.
Any of the candidates hearing this? This is the kind of leadership we need. And before anyone starts in on China isn't the greatest government, etc. etc, I'm with ya, but for the seeing the greater good, ya gotta give them credit in this one.
dave
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