Green Options » reusable bags http://greenoptions.com/tag/reusable-bags Posts tagged 'reusable bags' Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:05:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en 7 Environmental Lessons from Living in Europe http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/21/7-environmental-lessons-from-living-in-europe/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/21/7-environmental-lessons-from-living-in-europe/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:05:23 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/21/7-environmental-lessons-from-living-in-europe/
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!

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/21/7-environmental-lessons-from-living-in-europe/feed/ Recycling Plastic Bags… Because Sometimes You Forget the Reusable Ones http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/13/recycling-plastic-bags/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/13/recycling-plastic-bags/#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:48:17 +0000 Jeff McIntire-Strasburg http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/13/recycling-plastic-bags/ plastic shopping bagsGot 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.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/13/recycling-plastic-bags/feed/ Green Diva’s Guide to Fresh Style: Eco-Bag Lady Update http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/03/31/green-divas-guide-to-fresh-style-eco-bag-lady-update/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/03/31/green-divas-guide-to-fresh-style-eco-bag-lady-update/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:22:58 +0000 Megan McWilliams http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/03/31/green-divas-guide-to-fresh-style-eco-bag-lady-update/ blackbag1

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 . . .

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]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/03/31/green-divas-guide-to-fresh-style-eco-bag-lady-update/feed/ An Old-New Trickle-Down Theory? Basic Corporate Social Responsibility Has Potential to Save Us, Eliminate Plastic Bag Dependency http://sustainablog.org/2009/02/25/an-old-new-trickle-down-theory-basic-corporate-social-responsibility-has-potential-to-save-us-instead-of-plastic-bags/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/02/25/an-old-new-trickle-down-theory-basic-corporate-social-responsibility-has-potential-to-save-us-instead-of-plastic-bags/#comments Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:57:08 +0000 Adam Williams http://sustainablog.org/2009/02/25/an-old-new-trickle-down-theory-basic-corporate-social-responsibility-has-potential-to-save-us-instead-of-plastic-bags/

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.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/02/25/an-old-new-trickle-down-theory-basic-corporate-social-responsibility-has-potential-to-save-us-instead-of-plastic-bags/feed/ Plastic Bag Fees Stalling for Economics or Politics? http://sustainablog.org/2009/02/24/plastic-bag-fees-stalling-for-economics-or-politics/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/02/24/plastic-bag-fees-stalling-for-economics-or-politics/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:50:54 +0000 Adam Williams http://sustainablog.org/2009/02/24/plastic-bag-fees-stalling-for-economics-or-politics/

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?

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/02/24/plastic-bag-fees-stalling-for-economics-or-politics/feed/ Win 4 Reusable Chico Bags! http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/17/win-4-reusable-chico-bags/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/17/win-4-reusable-chico-bags/#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:12:27 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/17/win-4-reusable-chico-bags/ Win four reusable chico bagsWe 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? 

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/17/win-4-reusable-chico-bags/feed/ Earth-Friendly, Fashion-Forward Green Girl Reusable Designer Totes http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/13/earth-friendly-fashion-forward-green-girl-reusable-designer-totes/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/13/earth-friendly-fashion-forward-green-girl-reusable-designer-totes/#comments Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:25:22 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/13/earth-friendly-fashion-forward-green-girl-reusable-designer-totes/ reusuable, reversible fashionable totesI 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).

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/13/earth-friendly-fashion-forward-green-girl-reusable-designer-totes/feed/ The Helpful and Cool Clean Green Garmento: Be Fantastic ~ Use Less Plastic http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/01/16/the-helpful-and-cool-green-clean-garmento-be-fantastic-use-less-plastic/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/01/16/the-helpful-and-cool-green-clean-garmento-be-fantastic-use-less-plastic/#comments Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:45:09 +0000 Lucille Chi http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/01/16/the-helpful-and-cool-green-clean-garmento-be-fantastic-use-less-plastic/

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.

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]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/01/16/the-helpful-and-cool-green-clean-garmento-be-fantastic-use-less-plastic/feed/ Take Plastic Bag Bans a Step Further http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/01/09/take-plastic-bag-bans-a-step-further/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/01/09/take-plastic-bag-bans-a-step-further/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:42:54 +0000 Amanda Peterka http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/01/09/take-plastic-bag-bans-a-step-further/ 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.

Along with the plastic bag bans and growing concern over their lack of decomposition, grocery and all-purpose stores like Wal-Mart have offered shoppers a new choice: eco-friendly bags that can be used over and over again. The bags are usually symbolically green and can be seen around the entrances of most major stores. You can also probably find even more eco bags in the accessories sections of stores, sporting earth-friendly phrases. I have one myself, from my mom, telling everyone to “give green a chance.”

This does imply that shoppers are switching over to the reusable bags (though I rarely do see anyone here in the United States refusing plastic in check-out lines or bringing his own).

But how I see it is that there is absolutely no need for the cheap green bags to replace plastic bags.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/01/09/take-plastic-bag-bans-a-step-further/feed/ Don’t hate me because I’m using cloth grocery bags http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/01/04/dont-hate-me-because-im-using-cloth-grocery-bags/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/01/04/dont-hate-me-because-im-using-cloth-grocery-bags/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:21:04 +0000 Kristen Chase http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/01/04/dont-hate-me-because-im-using-cloth-grocery-bags/ Olive Smart bagsA 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?

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/01/04/dont-hate-me-because-im-using-cloth-grocery-bags/feed/ Green Diva’s Guide to Fresh Style: Eco-Bag Lady’s Best of 08 http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/12/19/green-divas-guide-to-fresh-style-eco-bag-ladys-best-of-08/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/12/19/green-divas-guide-to-fresh-style-eco-bag-ladys-best-of-08/#comments Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:04:40 +0000 Megan McWilliams http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/12/19/green-divas-guide-to-fresh-style-eco-bag-ladys-best-of-08/ green diva meg eco bag lady

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

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]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/12/19/green-divas-guide-to-fresh-style-eco-bag-ladys-best-of-08/feed/ Heal the Bay Sponsors “Day Without a Bag” http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/18/heal-the-bay-sponsors-day-without-a-bag/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/18/heal-the-bay-sponsors-day-without-a-bag/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:09:26 +0000 Cassie Walker http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/18/heal-the-bay-sponsors-day-without-a-bag/ As if you need more reasons to ditch single-use plastic bags, today marks Heal the Bay’s second “Day Without a Bag” in Los Angeles County. The environmental organization is supporting the cause by handing out free reusable shopping bags at locations county-wide.

If you remember, in July the LA City Council announced an all-out ban on the ubiquitous plastic bags, which will take effect in 2010. In LA County, large grocers were threatened with a ban unless they reduced the number of the bags used by 30% by 2010 and by 65% by 2013. Of course, the companies that make plastic bags are fighting the measures, putting forth the argument that stores and consumers will use paper bags instead, which they claim are worse for the environment. I guess that they have missed this whole reusable bag movement, huh?

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/18/heal-the-bay-sponsors-day-without-a-bag/feed/ Wrap it Green: Eco-Friendly Ways to Wrap Your Holiday Gifts http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/15/wrap-it-green-eco-friendly-ways-to-wrap-your-holiday-gifts/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/15/wrap-it-green-eco-friendly-ways-to-wrap-your-holiday-gifts/#comments Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:24:18 +0000 Wenona Napolitano http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/15/wrap-it-green-eco-friendly-ways-to-wrap-your-holiday-gifts/ Nothing says Christmas morning like the sound of wrapping paper being torn from gifts. If you have children you just can’t give up wrapping paper. At least I can’t. It’s like a right of childhood to be able to tear open a gift on Christmas morning.

Tied fabric, creative gift boxes, reusable gift bags, those are all wonderfully eco-ways to save some trees and have a green Christmas, but they may lack a little of that old fashioned holiday magic the kids look forward to.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/15/wrap-it-green-eco-friendly-ways-to-wrap-your-holiday-gifts/feed/ Baggu: The Gift (Wrap) That Keeps On Giving http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/12/08/baggu-the-gift-wrap-that-keeps-on-giving/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/12/08/baggu-the-gift-wrap-that-keeps-on-giving/#comments Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:07:10 +0000 Terri Bly http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/12/08/baggu-the-gift-wrap-that-keeps-on-giving/ I admit: I may have taken the concept of reusable bags a bit too far. After all, the idea behind them is conservation, right? But I seem to have turned it into a hobby, collecting every cool reusable bag I can find, which I think that may be a bit counter-purpose. But today I discovered both a new bag and a new way to use them, and so I had to share (and purchase a bunch for myself….it’s like an addiction, I tell you!!). Baggu was founded by a mother and daughter team from California. Using lightweight, durable fabric, these little guys fold up easily to keep in your car, glove compartment, even your purse. And in case you thought reusable bags were only good for grocery shopping and carrying your shoes to work in the winter, the creative Baggu ladies give you the best holiday idea ever:

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]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/12/08/baggu-the-gift-wrap-that-keeps-on-giving/feed/ Green Bags Designed to Fit in Shopping Carts http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/02/green-bags-design-to-fit-in-shopping-carts/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/02/green-bags-design-to-fit-in-shopping-carts/#comments Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:56:36 +0000 John Simonetta http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/02/green-bags-design-to-fit-in-shopping-carts/ This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of ProformaGreen, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy. John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.

Here is a neat idea for you Ecopreneurist trying to break into the organic food or other industries where grocery chains play a part in your marketing plan.

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/02/green-bags-design-to-fit-in-shopping-carts/feed/ ChicoBag - Helping to Green Your Halloween http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/07/chicobag-helping-to-green-your-halloween/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/07/chicobag-helping-to-green-your-halloween/#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:22:26 +0000 Robin Shreeves http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/07/chicobag-helping-to-green-your-halloween/ Halloween ChicBagI’m seeing a lot out there about greening your Halloween this year. One way to do that is to send your kids off trick-or-treating with a bag that they can use again and again and again. ChicoBag is selling these great little reusable Halloween shopping bags that would also make great bags for kids to collect their treats in.

I know there are a lot of green products out there to choose from, so why am I telling you about this one particular product. For two reasons.

First of all, I’m a big fan of the ChicoBag. Last April, I was contacted by the company and asked if I would like a couple of bags to check out and review. They sent me two bags, and I’ve been a ChicoBag user ever since.

I think my ChicoBag is fabulous. Why?

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/07/chicobag-helping-to-green-your-halloween/feed/ News Flash: It’s Not an Eco-Friendly Reusable Bag if You Don’t Use It http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/07/news-flash-its-not-an-eco-friendly-reusable-bag-if-you-dont-use-it/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/07/news-flash-its-not-an-eco-friendly-reusable-bag-if-you-dont-use-it/#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:49:16 +0000 Shirley Siluk Gregory http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/07/news-flash-its-not-an-eco-friendly-reusable-bag-if-you-dont-use-it/ Hansan at Wikimedia Commons, public domain.)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.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/07/news-flash-its-not-an-eco-friendly-reusable-bag-if-you-dont-use-it/feed/ Jetline Enters the Nonwoven bag market http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/08/18/jetline-enters-the-nonwoven-bag-market/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/08/18/jetline-enters-the-nonwoven-bag-market/#comments Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:04:46 +0000 John Simonetta http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/08/18/jetline-enters-the-nonwoven-bag-market/ This is a guest post by John Simonetta owner of ProformaGreen an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy. John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.

Jetline has entered the Nonwoven bag market with a 100% recylable 80 GSM Nonwoven Polypropylene tote. Their large tote runs $1.49 at EQP with one color imprint with their standard tote running at $1.28.

Jetline has been a good producer in the past so I am curious to see how these bags work out for them.

A reminder, nonwoven bags are made from structures bonded together by entangling fiber mechanically. They are flat and porous sheets that are made directly from separate (often recycled) fibers. They are not made by weaving or knitting and do not require converting the fibers to yarn. Nonwoven products are often made from recycled material AND are often biodegradable.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/08/18/jetline-enters-the-nonwoven-bag-market/feed/ Bag Monster Attacks - How One Green Entrepreneur Is Using Video http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/08/18/bag-monster-attacks-how-one-green-entrepreneur-is-using-video/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/08/18/bag-monster-attacks-how-one-green-entrepreneur-is-using-video/#comments Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:04:12 +0000 mcmilker http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/08/18/bag-monster-attacks-how-one-green-entrepreneur-is-using-video/ Click here to view the full post.

Awhile back I wrote about Andy Keller and his company, Chico Bags. I ran across the bag monster videos recently and asked about them. In the words of Benn Davenport of Chico Bags…

Andy Keller had been using a huge ball of 500 plastic bags to show people at farmer’s market just how many plastic bags an average American uses in a year — and one day he decided to wear it. Thus was the spawning of the first Bag Monster (costume, that is).

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/08/18/bag-monster-attacks-how-one-green-entrepreneur-is-using-video/feed/ Want Your Family to go Green? Read Eco-Friendly Families http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/07/24/want-your-family-to-go-green-read-eco-friendly-families/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/07/24/want-your-family-to-go-green-read-eco-friendly-families/#comments Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:43:50 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/07/24/want-your-family-to-go-green-read-eco-friendly-families/ eco-friendly familiesMany of our readers come to our website looking for ways to start their families down the green path to eco-friendliness.  Help is on the way for these families in a complete guide for families.  Eco-Friendly Families, written by Helen Coronato, is designed to “guide your family to greener living with activities that will engage and inspire…from toddlers to teens.”  This new guide will be released on August 5, 2008.

Eco-Friendly Families is filled with many simple tips, such as watering your houseplants with rainwater and hosting a neighborhood toy swap, as well as explains the bigger issues and how our actions affect them.  By targeting families, this guide helps families raise the next generation with green values.  Saving the planet is a family affair!

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/07/24/want-your-family-to-go-green-read-eco-friendly-families/feed/