Green Options » grocery

Life Goggles: Envirosax Reusable Shopping Bags

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:57:53 +0000

Editor’s note: OK, most of us probably don’t really consider shopping bags an accessory. According to our friends at Life Goggles, though, Envirosax bags aren’t just functional and reusable — they’re also real eye-catchers! This post was originally published on Monday, May 26, 2008. If you really like these bags, make sure to check out Victoria Everman’s interview with Envirosax founder Belinda David-Tooze from last May. Also check out how these bags stack up against others with Life Goggles’ new reusable bag comparison chart.

Envirosax was founded in Australia in 2004 (now available in the US), and makes eco-friendly bags. Made from a lightweight polyester, they have reinforced seams in order to carry the weight of two plastic shopping bags.

The most striking feature (besides that they roll up really small) is the sheer number of cool designs they come in. The picture is of the one I’ve got, Mikado #5; however they have many designs in the Graphic Series (Mikado, Retro Graphic, Monochromatic, Flora, Amazonia, and Retro Kitchen). They also have a big Kids range (as in a big range, not a range for big kids…). My favorite being the Dogasaurus.

Detroit Entrepreneur Has Plans for City’s Food Desert

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:00:12 +0000

In October, GO writer Jessica Jane French took a look at efforts by community organizations to address “food deserts” in Detroit. What’s a food desert?

According to The Low Income Project Team, food deserts are “areas of relative exclusion where people experience physical and economic barriers to accessing healthy food.” This does not mean that people in food deserts do not have access to any food… just the stuff that is relatively good for them.

In fact, a food desert often has an abundance of “fringe locations,” or businesses that do not serve the sole purpose of selling foodstuffs, yet where food is available think dollar stores, gas stations, liquor stores, etc.). The type of food sold at these stores is usually the worst type of food, and when the only food available is pre-packaged, and full of preservatives, there are bound to be health risks.

Non-profit organizations aren’t the only ones working to address this problem, though: as The Michigan Citizen notes, one budding entrepreneur has plans for a “green” grocery store in midtown Detroit. Tawnya Clark, a student at Bizdom U, “an entrepreneur training program housed on Wayne State’s campus,” sees opportunities to create a thriving business and play a role in urban redevelopment. Her concept: “…an organic produce market with locally produced and based products and items, from Detroit and Michigan.” Her vision:

Clark sees her store as not only providing healthy food, but as a destination point, a way to keep money in the city.
Read more of this story »

We remembered!

serenity_ii — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:41:58 +0000

We remembered to take our bags to the grocery store last night and to use them! The bagger thought we were buying the Halloween ChicoBags and tucked them into a different bag *eyeroll*, but other than that things went decently. We ended up with two or three plastic bags in addition to the two canvas bags and two ChicoBags. My mom says she’s planning to make bags for me, too. And our Annie’s bag with Bernie on it is currently holding my yarn, but I hope to remedy that situation soon.

I’ve added bags to my Christmas list, also. And a compost tumbler!

Greening the Golden Years Podcast: 2,500 Reasons Why Ethanol Is Eating Into Your Pocketbook

Max Lindberg — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 15:35:48 +0000

"There’s no free lunch" is an old axiom that surfaces everytime I think something for nothing is coming my way. This time it’s ethanol, and you’re probably already aware that less corn is going to your table because more of it is going to fuel. So we’re paying for cleaner air everytime we buy products made from corn.

Articles are showing up more and more by writers complaining about rising food costs not only in the US, but in other areas of the world. So here’s an old dude’s perspective.

Education: A Zillion Uses for Corn

Also on GO:

The Green Life Guide: Ethanol

Red, Green and Blue: A Case for Ethanol Skepticism

Red, Green and Blue: Ethanol: Fuel of the Future, or Ponzi Scheme?

4 Ways to "Cash In" on Ethanol

Climate Change, Energy Security and CAFE: With E85, the Country has a Better Mousetrap

US Drunk on Ethanol Hysteria

Want A Tip On Bagless Shopping?

Max Lindberg — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:29:10 +0000

I couldn’t pass this one up. Reuben Miller sent this to me from his Stumble site and it just seemed like too good an idea to pass up.

Imagine, driving, or riding, or whatever your shopping cart to the grocery store, detach the bike and wheel the cart into the store. Once at the checkout, no need for bags: just load the groceries into the cart, attach it to your bike and voila, a bagless shopping trip.

Of course, if you live in anything but a ground floor apartment it may not work so well, unless, of course, your building has an elevator. In any case, this just may have market potential.

Reuben Miller

Image source: Idealist

Tip o’ the Day: Don’t Bag Your Bananas!

Rebecca Carter — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:16:25 +0000

Today's tip is so simple, but it's got to be said. Don't bag your bananas. Do you do it? Most people do. We're not sure why. Bananas are already kind of pre-packaged and ready to travel. They are even attached to each other; they almost provide us with a little handle to grab them by.

We're always talking about bringing your own bag, and avoiding plastic bags at all costs - but this is (quite literally) a low-hanging fruit. Just cut out the bag all together. Let's start a Banana Bag Ban - the BBB will unite to educate others one the uselessness of bagging those bananas.

Rebecca says: I'd really like to know if you are in the habit of bagging bananas. I grew up this way, but have had to teach each of my roommates over the years that the bag is unnecessary. I can't really find stats on the topic (strange, I know), but imagine how many plastic produce bags would be saved if we all stopped bagging our bananas. Sounds naughty.

Send me your tips! I want to hear what you have to say!

Tip o’ the Day: It’s What’s Inside (the Package) That Counts

Rebecca Carter — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:20:09 +0000

It's all just marketing, really. Product packaging has gone way beyond its original purpose of safety and freshness, and has turned into a nightmare. Packages are getting more complex, which means higher waste levels. What's worse, these new designs often make recycling more difficult.

One-third of all non-industrial waste in the US (and other developed countries) consists of product packaging. NYC.gov even tells us that for every dollar we spent on cereal, only 9 cents goes to pay for the food. The other 91 cents cover packaging and advertising.

You may feel like this has nothing to do with you…after all, you don't design the packages. However, you still have a lot of impact in this area. Don't forget that consumers have huge muscles with companies — we vote with our wallets.

The first thing you'll want to do is a product packaging assessment or audit. You can do this in different ways. The first option is to look over your grocery cart or through your (reusable) grocery bags when you get home. How much product packaging do you see? The second option is to analyze your trash. That's right - you'll need to look through your trash, but we assure you, it's a very worth while exercise. (In fact, Green Options own Kelli Best-Oliver did a waste audit with her entire school!)

Now that you've seen the amount of packaging you purchase or toss out, sit down and think about how you could decrease that amount. The California IWMB recommends that we shop with the 4 R's in mind:

1) Reduce: Buy more product, less packaging. BYOBag. Shop with a list to avoid impulse buys.

2) Reuse: Think about reusable containers. Buy in concentrate and make juice in your own pitchers & bottles.

3) Recycle: If you must buy something that is not reusable, check to see if the container is recyclable.

4) BUY Recycled: Close the loop and seek out packaging that utilizes recycled materials.

Rebecca says: I remember when Lunchables were invented - everyone went crazy for them. We know better now - you can get fresher ingredients and less packaging if you send lunch the "old-fashioned" way. I also did a waste audit, and it was called the Week of Trash. Even though I consider myself to buy very little in terms of product packaging, it still made up a huge portion of the volume of my waste.

Resources:

EPA Product Stewardship, Packaging

NYCWastele$$

Grocery Shopping with the 4 Rs in Mind

Green Options Blog: Cut back on packaging with a waste-free lunch

Want to hear a tip on a certain topic? Have a tip to share? Suggest a tip and you may just see it soon as a Tip o' the Day!

Tip o’ the Day: Paper or Plastic? Bring Your Own!

Rebecca Carter — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 15:41:23 +0000

Paper or plastic? Ug. Hopefully by now everyone knows that the right option really isn't in the question. What we hope everyone will consider is BYOBing it - Bring Your Own Bag.

It's March 2, and just sixty-one days into 2007, Reusablebags.com estimates that over 82.7 billion bags have been used so far this year. Other countries are doing better than the US on this, with several large chains in Europe and Asia now charging for plastic bags, or giving incentives and discounts to those who bring their own.

In fact, IKEA recently announced that its US stores will begin charging 5 cents for each plastic bag, beginning March 15. They are hoping to cut their contribution of 70 million plastic bags in the US to half in the first year, eventually phasing them out. To help with this, IKEA's reusable bags will be discounted from 99 cents to 59 cents.

Beat them to the punch and start bringing your own bags everywhere. Often, we have lots of worthy reusable bags hanging around the house. However, sometimes it is nice to have special bags just for your groceries. When looking, you'll probably have lots of options. You'll want to weigh what works better for you be it nylon, organic cotton, or hemp. Stay away from vinyl bags (we don't like that toxic material) and regular canvas (conventional cotton - lots of pesticides).

Like to wear your heart on your sleeve? Consider also picking up a Plastic Bags Blow organic tee from Reusablebags.com. Its the softest t-shirt we've ever had and it comes with a bonus: This shirt keeps you honest. Try going to the grocery store in your "bring your own bag" shirt and asking for plastic bags.

Once you've got your bags and your mind in the right place, all you need to do is remember to bring them with you. If you walk, you might want to look for a super compact bag and keep it in your pocket or purse. Also always keep some by the front door. If you drive, toss them in your trunk and they'll always be there when you need them.

Rebecca says: I've been on the BYOBag journey for about six months now. I have four hemp bags plus some cloth produce bags, so that I don't use those clear bags for the veggies, either. I have also started switching to larger purses, to give me a place to stash random items I might purchase when walking around on the weekends. Overall, it's been a good experience. Sometimes you'll meet people that are so impressed with you and you'll feel very proud. Other times you'll meet people that want nothing to do with your bags, or will bag something in plastic and then put the plastic bag into your reusable one. Read one of my random experiences here.

Still not convinced about the age old paper vs. plastic, with the solution being NEITHER?

Reusablebags.com Paper vs Plastic

EPA New England: Paper or Plastic

Additional resources:

Bring Your Own

Bring Your Own Blog

Green Options Tip o' the Day: BYOB (Bottle, that is)

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