Green Options

Here’s the problem: 80,000 tons of flexible plastic packaging are manufactured each year in Indonesia and for every one ton of manufacturing, there’s thirty tons of waste. The average timespan of a single-use drink container packaged in flexible plastic is only 4 seconds. Because there are no safe disposal methods for flexible plastic, it may accumulate and then sit in a landfill forever. And because there are no traditional recycling techniques for this type of plastic it has little resale market value. Rather than allow this flexible plastic to become potential toxic waste by clogging landfills and waterways, The XSProject Foundation acquires the plastic from trash pickers before it piles up in toxic landfills.

I still remember the day I bought my Vy&Elle bi-fold wallet. It was an important day in my life. Up until that moment, I’d been sporting some horribly old Tab wallet I bought in New York while visiting with my boyfriend after I moved to Minnesota. It had been cute at first, sort of, but by this point, it was falling apart and  ridiculously dirty. (I tend to spend money on more important items, like, dresses and boots. Sorry mom.) The state of my wallet was embarrassing me. Paying for anything where my wallet was in plain sight was rather horrifying. I was in a continual state of hope- hoping that no one would notice my sad excuse for a wallet. Thankfully, around this time, Eco-Tique started selling some pretty amazing wallets from Vy&Elle. When I opened the box the merchandise arrived in, with colors and graphics to swoon over, I gazed at the masterpiece in front of me, knowing I’d been saved.

Kidzsack is an eco-friendly backsack made from 100% recycled cotton and soda bottles. A cute bag for back to school, the end of summer, or just to have for fun these bags allow a child’s creativity to come through.

The Kidzsack comes with a set of 8 washable markers that kids can use to decorate the bags. Then they can be washed and colored again. It’s usable coloring sheet for kids to enjoy.

Terri Bly discussing OLovesM’s brilliant use of yoga mat remnants as the base for their adorable, fashion-forward collection of bags.

Terri Bly announces their exclusive, eco-friendly makeup bag filled with samples. Proceeds benefit women in Gambia.

Can you shop at any large retailer today without seeing a display of reusable shopping bags for sale at the checkout aisle? Seems like a good thing, right? Buy a cloth tote and prevent a lot of one-use plastic bags from entering the landfills.

But the thought occurred to me recently that it might not be a good thing if lots and lots of people are buying reusable bags but not reusing them. Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s started worrying about that.

Sea Bags ~ Custom Tote Bags Made From Recycled Sails

“Since 1999 we have been making custom tote bags out of recycled sails. Every bag we make has sailed around the world before it even leaves our shop …”

The Sea Bag creators have big hearts, they’ve made special editions for the Maine Tri for a Cure race and our US Olympic Women’s Sailing Team.