i am so done with plastic bags.
i hesitate to actually even call this a crunch confession. in my opinion, giving up plastic is something that everyone should be doing, every day. there is simply no reason to continue to clutter up the earth with nasty plastic bags.
the environmental protection agency estimates that yearly, 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide. we all know that these bags end up not only in landfills, but in trees, waterways, the bellies of animals and basically, just about everywhere in between. it costs more to recycle an old plastic bag than it does to produce a new one.... meaning most plastic bags are never recycled, no matter how well-intentioned its user may have been.
one billion bags. that's one million bags per minute. shocking, gross & saddening. if you'd like more reason on why to never use a plastic bag again, check out this link...
so what's a girl to do? well, i got those 99 cent bags at trader joes and whole foods. then i dug up a few canvas bags from my closet and the garage. then i found some vintage cloth bags at an antique fair. all of these bags were okay. got the job done. but my best purchase by far has been my envirosax.
taa daa. aren't they cute? 5 roomy bags that roll up into a small carrying pouch. the pouch fits easily into a glove box, tote bag, diaper bag, etc. a single bag is perfectly sized for a pocket.
these bags are strong and roomy. i can easily fit a weeks worth of groceries into 3-4 bags. the strap is great for shoulder carrying, too. but best of all, these bags are well-suited for shopping trips outside of the grocery store. i've taken mine to places like target, crate & barrel, gymboree, gap, fruit stands and antique fairs, just to name a few. i honestly try my very best not to leave home without them. on a recent shopping trip (to the grocery store, target, barnes & nobles and the mall) i estimated that i saved at least 10 bags from going to a landfill. just by using my envirosax.
if i happened upon an extra $30 (and needed more bags), here's the one i'd buy:
http://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/pr/wf/national/4-29-08feed100bag.aspxi need a new bag like i need a hole in the head, so i'm not getting it. but for $29.99, you get this organic cotton bag, which collapses into its zippered burlap base. (makes plastic look totally tacky...) as an added bonus, $10 of your purchase goes to provide meals for rwanda's schoolchildren.
i urge anyone reading this blog to do your part and stop accepting plastic bags. flat out. even if it means you have to carry stuff in your hands--which jer and i have have done on more than one occasion. once you get into the habit, it's not hard to remember to bring them along. any bag will do. but if you're interested in the envirosax, http://reusablebags.com/ is offering 20% off your purchase with code f70838.
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