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Plastic Bags
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Fittingly Green: Bag Your Suit
Since no one wants to carry around a wet suit in her gym bag, most gyms provide plastic bags for your postswim convenience. One thing the world could definitely use less of, though, is plastic bags.
Since we all have some form of plastic bags — produce bags, bread bags, or shopping bags with handles — tucked into random drawers in our kitchens, taking one to the pool for your wet suit is an easy way to decrease your carbon footprint.
For the Sake of the Planet, Save the Plastic Bags?!
The second I remember to quit grumbling when I get a paper bag with no handles instead of the evil that is the plastic bag, the whole eco-mantra of choosing paper could be dumped on its head. One man, Stephen Joseph, is out to save the plastic bag. He's head of the campaign called Save the Plastic Bag, and he means business.
Casa Verde: BioBags
We talk often about ditching plastic bags in favor of resuable shopping bags and recycling whatever you can. But, no matter how hard you work to be environmentally conscious, at the end of the day (or week), you still have to take out the trash. Someone still has to take out the trash.
Casa Verde: Ikea Ditches Plastic Bags
Good news for those of us who hate plastic bags: As of October 2008, Ikea will no longer offer plastic or paper bags. Instead, the store will only offer reusable plastic bags to its customers. Last March, Ikea set a goal of reducing its US stores’ plastic bag consumption by 50 percent, reducing plastic bag use from 70 million to 35 million plastic bags in the first year.
An Inconveniently Convenient Bag
I have always had a thing for fabulous handbags. Last year, when it became uncool to use environmentally unfriendly plastic and paper grocery bags, I suddenly started collecting reusable, canvas grocery bags. Last season I was obsessed with the I'm Not A Plastic Bag statement tote and this year I'm crazy about The Inconvenient Bag ($19.99) carryall.
Helping the Environment Is in the Bag?
A report just released shows that the US set a record for recycling plastic bags in 2006. Up a whopping 24 percent, the record high validates a growing national recycling trend sweeping the states. Of the 812 million pounds of plastic recovered, tons will become usable goods like decking.
Do you Think that You Should Pay for Plastic Bags?
It was announced today that fashion retailer Debenhams will begin to charge for their plastic bags. The scheme is to be introduced in the aim of reducing the amount of plastic bags that are used as 12 billion to 13 bn carrier bags are handed out by retailers every year. They will test charging 5p for the bags and will often a cotton tote as an alternative.
Casa Link: Quilted DIY
Craft shares an ambitious plastic bag-recycling project. While I've shown you a nifty fused plastic bag project in the past, this one definitely gets high marks for its innovative quilting and eye for detail. Find out how it was done here.
Whole Foods Bans Plastic Bags
Plastic bags seem to be the new public enemy number one. They have already been banned in San Francisco, Melbourne, Hong Kong, and several other cities. Not to mention that the entire country of China is going to start charging consumers for them.
How To: Make Fabric Shopping Bags
Did you know that each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide?
To do your part to reduce this huge amount of waste, make your own fabric shopping bags with these easy instructions from Kristina J. Millar when you read more
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