By Zachary Shahan •
July 21, 2009
I have lived in Europe on two occasions now — for five months in the Netherlands (two years ago) and for ten months in Poland (currently). I have been green-minded since I was a young child, and knew that Europe did better on many green issues. Nonetheless, to come here and live here has given me more insight on the perspectives of the people and more of a practical understanding of why Europe fairs so much better than the US on many environmental issues.
Recently, I came up with a list of seven things that really stand out to me as good environmental practices in Europe that could be transferred to the US. These could all be adopted in the US, but some are more personal in nature and some are more systematic. Furthermore, some of the personal ones regard large, life decisions, and some are much simpler in nature and easier to implement into your life now.
Of course, Europe is not one country and things vary from country to country. Nonetheless, there are also several similarities across borders. I have friends in other countries and have traveled a bit as well, so I hope to be sharing the best of the best.
Here’s the list!
Got a collection of reusable shopping bags? Same here… but I’ll freely admit that sometimes I forget them, or decide to stop to pick things up when I don’t have them with me. You’re probably in the same boat: despite your best efforts to reduce your use of plastic shopping bags, you’ve still got a stash of them somewhere…
So what do you do with them? You definitely want to keep them out of the waste stream, so obvious uses, like lining trash cans or otherwise using them for waste disposal, aren’t the best choices. You’ve got other options, though… and, as you’ll see, your choices for responsible disposal are expanding.
How to Reuse Plastic Bags
If you’re not going to pick up the dog poop with them, or line the bathroom trash can, how can you put those plastic bags to (re)use? Turns out there are quite a few upcycling options…
- Make a sweater… or a scarf: You crafty types can turn those bags into yarn… and then knit, crochet or weave with it.
- Fuse them into “cloth”: Got an iron and some old paper? You can make cloth-like crafting material out of your bags, also.
- Protect and store food: Making a trip to the farmer’s market? Put a few of those plastic bags inside your reusable one to separate and protect the food you buy. You can also use them for storage once you get your produce and baked goods home.
By Megan McWilliams •
March 31, 2009
Back to my office, where so much of my daily life seems to take place these days. This great bag is just one of the cool green products I’ve gotten to review that has been useful in making my work routine more interesting.
I’ve been using The Better Bag as my brief case since I got it a few weeks ago. It works great, but I feel better about the story behind the bag.
There’s always a story . . .
By Adam Williams •
February 25, 2009
Yesterday I posted here about plastic bag fees and bans being frozen in — or before reaching — legislatures. Supposedly that’s due to economics, though reality seems to be more connected to politics. That, coupled with a post here by Low Impact Living about the green benefits of the stimulus plan signed by President Obama recently, got me thinking about a potential solution to our financial woes.
Maybe we don’t need to argue along partisan lines about small versus big government, or about a trillion-dollar stimulus plan versus whatever it is the Republicans think President Obama should be doing. Maybe instead of tax credits and billionaire bailouts, we need to impose a fresh idea of corporate social responsbility: cost-of-living increases + merit salary increases.
By Adam Williams •
February 24, 2009
The New York Times reports that various plastic bag-reduction initiatives around the country are stalling – or flatlining – due to economics. The plans in the works in places like Seattle, San Francisco and New York have included charges of 5 to 20 cents per plastic bag – and in some cases, paper bags – at, for example, grocery stores.
The intent is – was – to foster a reusable bag culture and wean consumers off their plastic bag dependency. Now, critics are saying the rough economic road we’re on these days is cause enough to halt progress of those initiatives – and related legislative proposals.
Why?
By Jennifer Lance •
February 17, 2009
We love reusable shopping bags, but sometimes, it’s hard to remember to take them into the store. I’ve gotten much better about bringing my bags into the grocery store (I only have to run out to the car about once every two months now from the checkout line), but remembering my bags at other stores is a challenge. I usually walk out with my arms full of merchandise and fill my bags at the car.
I really like ChicoBags for shopping at stores, not just the natural food store. They sling over my shoulder (and my kids’ shoulders) easily and ball up nicely to fit inside my purse. Reusable bags are such a simple step we can all take to reduce our carbon footprint, but why is it so hard to remember to use them?
By Jennifer Lance •
February 13, 2009
I love my reusuable bags, but they are awfully boring. When I take them into the grocery store, I really don’t care what they look like, but when I use them shopping at other stores, I kind of feel like a bag lady. The solution: a stylish reusable bag by Green Girl. Green Girl Totes are made of 100% cotton (wish it was organic cotton), are reversible, reusable, and stylish.
Designed for eco-conscious women with an eye for style, Green Girl’s hip line of reusable totes is turning heads with a unique “Earth-first” fashion statement. Made of machine washable, 100% cotton, reversible Green Girl eco-totes hold an almost unbelievable amount of goods while folding compactly enough to fit in a purse. From the farmer’s market to a shopping spree, you will love using this stylish combination of eco-friendliness and fashion time after time.
Each bag ships with a silver ring to keep it conveniently wrapped for easy travel! The bags all measure 15 1/2 inches wide x 17 inches long (not including handle).
By Lucille Chi •
January 16, 2009
Next time you’re off to your favorite local non-toxic cleaner like SF Green Clean, bring the Green Garmento with you!
Some of the benefits of using this Eco Drycleaning Bag include:
- a “hanging hamper” to collect your clothes that need cleaning
- a transformer from a hanger to a handy duffel bag for transporting your clothing to be cleaned.
- a hanging garment bag for you to take your cleaning home in.
By Amanda Peterka •
January 9, 2009
China. The UK. Ireland. Germany. Australia. San Francisco. Malibu. The list of countries and cities eliminating or considering banning plastic bags continues to grow. Some prohibit them all together, while others charge a fee to carry away groceries in that plastic that often finds its way to landfills.
By Kristen Chase •
January 4, 2009
A blog friend and colleague of mine recently shared her annoyance for the grocery baggers who shoot out the dirtiest of looks when you pull out your own cloth grocery bags. As she said in her original twitter comment:
Dear grocery store baggers: Please stop looking so sullen when I pull out my reusable bags. They save your store money.
And of course, I had to chuckle and completely agree because almost every time (save when I bring my Olive Smart bags for some reason) I pull out my own tote bags one of the following happens:
a) Huge sigh from the bagger
b) Knowing looks between the cashier and the bagger
c) The slowest bag packing ever known to woman or man, not to be matched by me having to tell them that they can fit a solid 10 more items in that bag before they try to put it back in my cart.
Seriously, what makes them so miserable?
By Megan McWilliams •
December 19, 2008
I’m proud to be evolving into quite the eco-bag lady! I have amassed an amazing collection of various earth-friendly bags - canvas, bioplastic and organic cotton totes for shopping; a wonderfully useful computer bag made of recycled plastic bottles; and a couple of great purses that make a fashion statement while keeping all kinds of materials out of our landfills.
There are so many reasons to NOT use plastic or even paper bag for shopping and to adopt a few reusable bags to handle most shopping needs. There are also great reasons to buy some of these great funky stylish accessory bags that are made from recycled materials - keeping more non-biodegradable materials out of landfills.
The Eco-Bag Lady’s Picks for Best Eco-Bags of 2008
